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Teen Scene

FEBRUARY 18, 2012
Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach
Felton Reinstein is a 16-year-old “friendless squirrel nut” until a growth spirt during the spring suddenly makes him 7” taller and 40 pounds heavier, and he finds that he can run “stupid fast”. Immediately the coach and jocks from school take notice and want him to begin training for football. And, a beautiful African American girl, living with her father in his best friend Gus’s house while the family is in Venezuela, likes him! Things aren’t going so well on the home front, however. Felton’s mom, Jerri, is having a breakdown though he's not sure what set her off. Since his father committed suicide 10 years prior, Felton and his 13-year-old brother Andrew are left to fend for themselves during her bouts of extreme selfishness. It is obvious that Andrew suffers from his mother’s neglect. As well, she had made him stop playing piano, his most beloved hobby. As a result, Andrew becomes preoccupied with fire and dressing like a pirate. Staying away from home as much as possible, Felton throws himself into his workouts, while also performing Gus's paper route, and spending as much time with his girlfriend as possible, even though he knows he should probably call his grandmother for help. He has a memory, though, that prevents him from doing this. Readers will appreciate the satisfying conclusion for the boys. Recommended for readers in grades 9 and up who enjoy realistic fiction and a terrific male voice. This is not a sports story, but rather a story that mentions sports, so this probably isn't for the sports fanatic. It is humorous and it is serious, but don't let the cover fool you into believing it is about football. This is also really fun to listen to on audio. In fact, I think it works better as an audio due to the writing style and because the narrator is so animated. He immediately sucks the listener in, and it's so funny as well, I guarantee that it will be hard to turn off.

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