"Stupid Fast" by Geoff Herbach

311 pages

Felton has always been sort of a nerd. He's scrawny, he's uncoordinated, and his nickname is "Squirrel Nut." But that all changes when he's fifteen and suddenly grows seven inches and gains forty pounds and gets stupid fast. Suddenly, the jocks are talking to him. The football coach is recruiting him for the team, and he meets Aleah, the girl of his dreams. As well as things are going at school and with his peers, his home life leaves much to be desired. In fact, things are getting pretty bad. His dad killed himself when he was little, and although his mom's always kept it together until now, something has suddenly made her slide into a deep depression. Felton and his younger brother, Andrew, are left to fend for themselves, which drives sensitive Andrew even further into his own little world. As fast as he is, he learns that he can't run from his problems (feel free to groan at that cheesy line--I couldn't resist).

I really liked this book! The plot and major issues are pretty standard for young adult fiction, but the tone is unique and that's what made the book stand out to me. I loved Felton's goofy but insightful way of looking at things. His growing-up struggles are totally relatable. The story cracked me up over and over, but it's got a lot of heart, too. In conclusion, I'll just share a few of my favorite lines:

"It was perfect and great to be with these honkies."

"This summer I saw no fewer than ten thousand old ladies in their underwear."

"No peace, no justice. I'm gonna make you barf."

"I'm writing a book about spies who eat tacos and hide in large houseplants."