Take a photo of a barcode or cover
misterintensity 's review for:
The Field Guide to the North American Teenager
by Ben Philippe
Haitian-Canadian Norris is forced to move to Austin, Texas after his mother gets a new job. His first impression of Texas is that it is not Canada and his tendency for snarkiness doesn’t help. Will Norris get used to Texas, better yet will Texas get used to Norris. His rash judgments of people and his inability to keep quiet about it have a tendency of getting him into trouble. Some readers may find him unlikable due to his constant snark but that might make him relatable to others since he uses snark to hide his insecurities. Each chapter leads off with an entry from the field guide relating to the theme of the chapter, which are more a series of chronological vignettes than a serial narrative until towards the end. Readers follow Norris as he makes friends and enemies, finds a job and a girlfriend. Tonally, Philippe affectionately sends up tropes of teen books and movies. This is for those who have outgrown Diary of the Wimpy Kid but want something similar for older kids.