As Felton goes through puberty, he grows very big and becomes very athletic without even trying. Once the track coach sees him running in PE, his life takes a very different turn. Once track is over, it's summer -- but the football team has Felton's summer all planned out, since he is going to be their star running back in the fall.
Felton also has to take over his best friend's paper route for the summer. And, the girl that lives in his best friend's house for the summer has caught Felton's attention. She's a pianist -- a very good pianist, and she's hot.
Felton's life isn't perfect, however. Felton's dad committed suicide when Felton was five, and his mother hasn't told Felton and his little brother anything about their father. As Felton grows and changes, his mother checks out. She stays in her room all the time -- won't do anything for the boys. There's no food. The house is a mess. They are totally on their own, and their mother doesn't want anything to do with the boys.
There's drama, romance, sports, and a lot of teen angst. It's all written very well, and is very entertaining. I think Stupid Fast is a great book for teen boys who enjoy sports and want to read about a realistic struggling teen.
This just isn't my kind of book. It reminded me of Swim the Fly (which I liked) or Carter Finally Gets It (which I couldn't finish.) I don't like teen jock humor. I did like the dramatic part of Stupid Fast but I guess I just don't relate to the awkward male teen. Or, at least I don't like to read about them.
I read Stupid Fast because it's nominated for our High School Teen Book Award for next year, and I always read all of the nominees. I can see why Stupid Fast is on the list -- but it's just not my kind of book.
Published by Sourcebooks Fire, 2011
Copy obtained from the library
311 pages
Rating: 3/5
I adored Swim the Fly and Carter Finally Gets It had me rolling on the floor laughing. So I don't think I'll have any problems with Stupid Fast. It's nice to have humor in books that don't take themselves too seriously.
ReplyDeleteI've been meaning to read this one and your review has solidified that for me since I do like the jock books :-)
ReplyDelete