Just finished Brent Crawford's Carter Finally Gets It. I was long overdue for something funny, after having literally, gone to hell and back with The Black Tattoo, and the excellent, but very dark and heavy Living Dead Girl before that. The story starts as Carter is about to enter high school. He's ADD (no H) and stutters when he's under stress or nervous, so he's got an assortment of issues in school and in dealing with girls. The back of the book gives you a good idea of what to expect. There's an actual warning that reads, "Warning: This book contains lewd humor, underage drinking, illicit fantasizing, and very bad decision-making." What it doesn't tell you is that the book also deals with the consequences of the actions described in the warning. There's nothing really graphic, but this one's not for younger middle-schoolers. Older kids, guys especially, will probably relate to Carter, unless of course, they are the perfect student, star athlete, and drop-dead gorgeous. But you know what? Carter finds out some things but one of those seemingly perfect upperclassmen that lets you know that they might not be quite what they appear to be. Despite his frequent real bonehead moments, you'll find yourself rooting for Carter because his intentions are usually good, but he gets sucked into some peer pressure situations and really manages to foul things up. I found myself frequently stifling laughter while reading this one. Reminds me a bit of David Lubar's Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie.
Enjoy!
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