Josh Swensen is a prodigy. At age two, he did algebraic equations with refrigerator magnets. His mother’s threats of “no science homework after dinner” were enough to keep his behavior in line. His first word, shouted from his car seat, was “FASTER!” Now a self-proclaimed rebel against consumer culture and a latter-day Thoreau, Josh has created Larry, his Internet alter ego with his own Web site, where Larry delivers sermons railing against the control of our lives by advertising companies and our “culture that worships people just for being famous.” Josh steals ads from his advertising-consultant stepfather’s briefcase, manipulates the images into anorexic Gap models, cigarette ad models hooked up to oxygen machines, and swooshes turned into swastikas, and puts them on the Web site. Following a fortuitous alliance with Bono and U2, and a Woodstock-like event called Larryfest, Larry takes on a life of his own. The festival draws hundreds of thousands of fellow pilgrims and spiritual seekers, and the Web site now can’t handle the 255 million hits it receives daily. Josh, through Larry, has become what he never intended to be—a celebrity—and he must find a way to pull the plug. Told in Josh’s first-person narrative laced with Larry’s sermons and photographs, the story accelerates with Larry’s rise as a cult leader. Tashjian’s inventive story is a thrilling read, fast-paced with much fast food for thought about our consumer-oriented pop culture. A parallel narrative about Beth, Josh’s childhood friend and secret love, works nicely, too. The voice is clear, the ending satisfying. Teenagers will eat this one up. (Fiction. YA)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-8050-6378-1
Page Count: 227
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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