Publish date: 2011
Source: Classroom library
"I, Felton Reinstein, am Stupid Fast. Seriously. The upper classmen used to call me Squirrel Nut, because I was little and jumpy. Then, during sophomore year, I got tall and huge and so fast the gym teachers in their tight shorts fell all over themselves. During summer, three things happened all at once. First, the pee-smelling jocks in my grade got me to work out for football, even though I had no intention of playing. Second, on my paper route the most beautiful girl I have ever seen moved in and played piano at 6 a.m. Third, my mom, who never drinks, had some wine, slept in her car, stopped weeding the garden, then took my TV and put it in her room and decided she wouldn’t get out of bed.
Listen, I have not had much success in my life. But suddenly I’m riding around in a jock’s pick-up truck? Suddenly I’m invited to go on walks with beautiful girls? So, it’s understandable that when my little brother stopped playing piano and began to dress like a pirate I didn’t pay much attention. That I didn’t want to deal with my mom coming apart." (Goodreads)
I remember hearing about Stupid Fast because Sarah at YA Love Blog read it and raved about it. It was one of the books we recently purchased for our classroom libraries at school and as soon as I saw it, I couldn't wait to read it. It was great, as I predicted, and is starting to become a hit at school.
The thing I absolutely loved the most about Stupid Fast was Felton's voice. Geoff Herbach clearly nailed the voice of a teenage boy going through a lot of changes (aka all teenage boys). Felton is hilarious and awkward and smart, and I just loved seeing life through his eyes. If Felton's voice hadn't been so strong and clear, I definitely would not have liked this book as much.
Based on the cover, you'd probably imagine this is a sports book and nothing more, but it's obviously a lot more than that. Male students who like sports books (like Tim Green's or Mike Lupica's) will definitely gravitate toward the cover, but I think they'll be pleasantly surprised at the story beyond the sports aspect. After my book talk, Stupid Fast was checked out immediately and I can't wait for it to make the rounds!
The thing I absolutely loved the most about Stupid Fast was Felton's voice. Geoff Herbach clearly nailed the voice of a teenage boy going through a lot of changes (aka all teenage boys). Felton is hilarious and awkward and smart, and I just loved seeing life through his eyes. If Felton's voice hadn't been so strong and clear, I definitely would not have liked this book as much.
Based on the cover, you'd probably imagine this is a sports book and nothing more, but it's obviously a lot more than that. Male students who like sports books (like Tim Green's or Mike Lupica's) will definitely gravitate toward the cover, but I think they'll be pleasantly surprised at the story beyond the sports aspect. After my book talk, Stupid Fast was checked out immediately and I can't wait for it to make the rounds!
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