Skippy DiesSkippy Dies
Score Modern
What it's about
At a grand old Catholic boys' school in Dublin, fourteen-year-old Daniel 'Skippy' Juster collapses and dies on the floor of a doughnut shop during an eating contest with his friend Ruprecht, a genius obsessed with string theory. The novel then goes back to the weeks before, following Skippy's first love, his friends' schemes, a history teacher stuck in his life, and the dark secrets the school is hiding.
Why it's worth reading
It was longlisted for the Booker Prize and was a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist. It's very funny and very sad, a huge tragicomedy about adolescence.
You'll love it if you liked
The Bee Sting
A Fraction of the Whole
Looking for AlaskaGood to know
It's over 600 pages. It deals with sexual abuse by a coach, drug use and suicide.
By the numbers
- Readers12 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics37 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller14 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #191 of the 219 young adult books we rank
- #505 of the 555 mysteries and thrillers we rank
- #1439 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #2616 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Gripping
More by Paul Murray
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Quick answers
Is Skippy Dies worth reading?
Yes. It was longlisted for the Booker Prize and was a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist. It ranks #2,616 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 56.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Skippy Dies about?
At a grand old Catholic boys' school in Dublin, fourteen-year-old Daniel 'Skippy' Juster collapses and dies on the floor of a doughnut shop during an eating contest with his friend Ruprecht, a genius obsessed with string theory. The novel then goes back to the weeks before, following Skippy's first love, his friends' schemes, a history teacher stuck in his life, and the dark secrets the school is hiding.
How long does it take to read Skippy Dies?
About 17 hours (694 pages), or about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Skippy Dies?
If you liked it, try The Bee Sting by Paul Murray, A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz or Looking for Alaska by John Green.