The Boomerang Effect

Reviewed by: Brooke Faulkner - McArthur Public Library, Biddeford, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 6, 2017

Review

After nearly being expelled from school for a pot-fueled prank, high school junior Lawrence is roped by his school counselor into acting as a mentor for a socially awkward fellow student, which eventually lands him in yet more hot water. Lawrence's lack of belonging in his family -- his parents are wealthy but self-involved -- will garner him sympathy among readers, and his seeking acceptance in a group of friends who care more about getting stoned than about each other is realistic. So, too, is his reticence to be earnest in any of his interactions with his peers and reluctance to admit his attraction to a girl whose participation in live action role playing means she's far from being considered "cool." As this comic novel progresses, Lawrence begins to transform and many of the madcap scenarios -- the most extreme of which involves him being entrapped in an enclosed space with a particularly aggressive chicken -- are quite funny.However, stereotypical characters - such as Lawrence's family's soap-opera obsessed Latina housekeeper, who is more of a parent to him than are his own mom and dad, and a running gag about everyone assuming a male friend who is a cheerleader is gay, are discomfiting and detract from this novel's appeal.

Overall Book Score: fair