Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
Solid realistic fiction with a male protagonist.
In these times I might have preferred something a little less realistic with a happier ending, but it's not the author's fault we're living in a pandemic and I want to escape reality more than usual.
In these times I might have preferred something a little less realistic with a happier ending, but it's not the author's fault we're living in a pandemic and I want to escape reality more than usual.
WINNER OF THE 2020 MORRIS AWARD!!! Norris is a Black, Canadian teen whose mom has just taken a job at a university in Texas. He’s dreading leaving all his hockey friends in Canada, and he’s sure high school in Texas is going to be a nightmare full of American stereotypes from cheerleaders to football players. To bide his time until he can return home, he writes about all of his new classmates in a journal full of snark and humor. But before long, the Texans surprise him. The cheerleader is so nice that it has to be some sort of trap and the biggest jock in the school wants Norris to teach him to play hockey. He might just fit in okay in Texas, until the night of prom when he royally screws up everything. The author has a gift for writing witty dialogue that will make you laugh out loud. Ben is such a great character! You’ll love him.
The life cycle of this book:
I started it as an audio while renovating my house. I was HOWLING it was so funny -- but probably only to me: a High School Canadian teenager moves to Texas and is immediately overwhelmed by all things UT, Longhorn, and burnt orange. As a Sooner, I laugh at ALL things orange. Seriously the narrator was great and the dialogue was whip smart. But then I finished my renovation project and the audiobook I downloaded expired from the library, so I didn't finish. I was intrigued enough that after a 2 week hiatus I managed to check out the hard copy at the library. Once I started reading it, the characters weren't nearly so funny and in fact, they were snarky, mean and annoying. Now granted, they were teenagers, so what would one expect, right? But it wasn't doing anything for me. But by that time I was over half way done, so I persevered. I must say, the last third and the end of the book surprised me -- the teenage relationships took an unexpected turn, there was some racial injustice that was addressed by a parent, and it wasn't tied up in a neat bow, which was refreshing.
Overall -- book started as a 5, middle was a 1, end was a 4 -- I figured a 3 star rating was fair enough.
*Sensitive reader: no teenage sexapades, but plenty of Fbombs.
I started it as an audio while renovating my house. I was HOWLING it was so funny -- but probably only to me: a High School Canadian teenager moves to Texas and is immediately overwhelmed by all things UT, Longhorn, and burnt orange. As a Sooner, I laugh at ALL things orange. Seriously the narrator was great and the dialogue was whip smart. But then I finished my renovation project and the audiobook I downloaded expired from the library, so I didn't finish. I was intrigued enough that after a 2 week hiatus I managed to check out the hard copy at the library. Once I started reading it, the characters weren't nearly so funny and in fact, they were snarky, mean and annoying. Now granted, they were teenagers, so what would one expect, right? But it wasn't doing anything for me. But by that time I was over half way done, so I persevered. I must say, the last third and the end of the book surprised me -- the teenage relationships took an unexpected turn, there was some racial injustice that was addressed by a parent, and it wasn't tied up in a neat bow, which was refreshing.
Overall -- book started as a 5, middle was a 1, end was a 4 -- I figured a 3 star rating was fair enough.
*Sensitive reader: no teenage sexapades, but plenty of Fbombs.
A black Canadian moves to Texas. It should be the beginning of a joke but it wasn’t,
This was a fun read. Other reviewers noted that the protagonist (a teen boy and POC) was insufferable, and having lived with two teen POC boys, I have to say that the author nailed it as far as their insufferability as well as their endearing, beautiful qualities. Would highly recommend.
What I really enjoyed about this book was that the main character was your standard snark machine but the characters reacted to him in a realistic way: poorly lmao. Each character had a unique voice, even extending to the minor or one scene characters. No one was ever befuddled by anyone else for the purpose of making someone seem funny or smart.
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a short, sweet YA novel about a black hockey-loving teen of divorce from Montreal who moves to the oppressive Texas heat and tries to make it in a very white American high school.