stupid fast

Dear Geoff Herbach,

Two words: Thank you. Okay, more than two words (i'm greedy). You are a genius. You write hilarious inner monologue. I don’t know when I have laughed as loud or loved a character so much. I hope you will keep writing amazing, funny, honest characters with as much heart as you did in Stupid Fast. Again – thank you!

Your Newest Fan,

Cecelia

I AM NOT STUPID FUNNY.

I AM STUPID FAST.

My name is Felton Reinstein, which is not a fast name. But last November, my voice finally dropped and I grew all this hair and then I got stupid fast. Fast like a donkey. Zing!

Now they want me, the guy they used to call Squirrel Nut, to try out for the football team. With the jocks. But will that fix my mom? Make my brother stop dressing like a pirate? Most important, will it get me girls—especially Aleah?

So I train. And I run. And I sneak off to Aleah's house in the night. But deep down I know I can't run forever. And I wonder what will happen when I finally have to stop.

Felton Reinstein has been growing height and hair, his younger brother is driving him nuts, and his mother may have gone right off the deep end. Add in a new paper route, a best friend banished to Venezuela for the summer, and he might just decide to spend a couple of months on the couch. Luckily, a little bit of life and a world-class pianist show up to break him out of his rut – and he might be a jock?! This summer everything will change, whether Felton is ready or not.

Felton is the narrator. Despite his protestations, he’s insanely funny. He’s also weird. And normal. You know? Okay, that didn’t make sense. But I felt like I knew Felton, because his internal monologue was by turns neurotic, sweet, off-beat and annoying (and thus, as anyone who has experienced the teenage years knows, scarily accurate). His journey from average/weird to athletically talented/weird over the course of one summer is only one of his challenges – because through it all he has to deal with his family AND his hormones.

Stupid Fast is liquid laughter, teenage sweat, tears and angst, and the sweet innocence of summertime, all mixed up into something I’ll call pure genius. Geoff Herbach writes smart, sarcastic, and punchy prose. He writes quirky people who seem freakily real. And he does so with grace and style and… I’ve run out of words. Just, please, READ THIS BOOK.

Recommended for: teenage guys, anyone who has been searching for an extraordinary and distinctive ‘voice’ with generous helpings of humor, fans of young adult literature—in the best sense of the word, and those who admired Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin’s Notes from the Blender.

notes from the blender

I seem to be on a contemporary YA kick. Maybe because it’s summertime. Or maybe I’ve gotten sick of fantasy (not likely)? Whatever the case, I’ve been lucky and enjoyed some top-notch reading in the genre this year, including Don't Stop Now, Sean Griswold’s Head, Epic Fail, and today’s pick, Notes from the Blender.

Two things drew me to this book: the contrast presented in the cover art, and the summary. Okay, so mostly it was the summary. But a cute cover that ‘matches’ the tone of the book never hurts, either, and this one certainly captures the quirky/fun/hilarious vibe of the novel. Aside from both of those things, Princess Bookie’s review caught my eye last week. Sometimes that is all it takes.

Declan loves death metal – particularly from Finland. And video games – violent ones. And internet porn – any kind, really. He goes to school with Neilly Foster and spends most of his classroom time wondering what it might be like to know her, to talk to her, maybe even to graze against her sweater in the hallway.

Neilly is an accomplished gymnast, naturally beautiful, and a constant presence at all the best parties (to which Declan is never invited). She's the queen of cool, the princess of poker face, and her rule is uncontested – or it was until today, when she's dumped by her boyfriend, betrayed by her former BFF Lulu, and then informed she's getting a new brother – of the freaky fellow classmate variety. Declan's dad is marrying Neilly's mom. Soon. Which means they'll be moving in together.

Notes from the Blender is a funny, crazy, angsty, REAL book. It’s the kind of thing I read now as an adult and appreciate, but wish with all my heart I’d picked up in high school, when I was so busy judging everyone and everything. It’s heartfelt and sweet, and it made me laugh out loud multiple times. It’s the kind of book that I’d read aloud to my roommate in bits just so I could see her eyebrows fly up. It’s special.

The book is narrated in two voices – Neilly and Declan take turns telling their story. Both of these kids are going through rough spots, and they’re dealing with adjustment to a blended family at the same time. Just like in real life, there are poor decisions, combustible situations, and a lot of odd and hilarious moments.  Neilly is insecure and guarded, Declan is a little pervy.  In other words, they're *gasp* normal.

There are several strong side characters in addition to Declan and Neilly, and one that I identified with was Declan’s Aunt Sarah, a lesbian Unitarian minister. Her part in the plot is small, but she’s still a fun, loving woman dedicated to helping others heal. She’s the sort of character you want to meet in real life. Not perfect, but kind and helpful (the person you'd be if you put more effort into it, maybe). Notes made me reflect on multiple paths of personal development when it wasn’t making me snort with laughter. And that combo is a very good thing.

Recommended for: older teens, guys AND girls, readers who have experienced blended families (and who hasn’t these days?), those looking for a strong dose of humor in their contemporary YA lit, and anyone who has caught themselves wondering what an authentic male teen voice sounds like (horny and all).

teaser tuesday (66)

It's Teaser Tuesday, a bookish blog meme hosted every week by MizB of Should Be Reading. Here's how it works:

Grab your current read and let it fall open to a random page (or if you're reading on an electronic device, pick a random number and scroll to that section). Post two or more sentences from that page, along with the book title and author. Share your find with others in the comments at Should Be Reading, and don't give anything vital away!

“‘I’ll totally beat you if you tell anyone this, but sometimes I actually think that part might be a tiny bit fun. You know, moving into a bizarro new house, having a bizarro new baby brother to torture – ’”

40% on kindle of Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin’s Notes from the Blender