Book Review: Stoner & Spaz
Rated by 1 member
What Parents Should Know
Though it is made clear that drugs have been bad for her,
Colleen talks about how much she loves using drugs, and wonders
why they're illegal. In the end she goes back to using drugs.
Since the author is not hammering home an anti-drug message, it
could provide an opening for some parent-child dialogue on the
topic.
Common Sense Media Review
Ben tells the story, and his sardonic view of teen life, and
of himself, is mostly amusing and clever, and the part of his
humor that is self-pitying is knocked flat by Colleen's wicked
directness. Though it's Ben's voice and story, the book is
really about Colleen, a charming, if disgusting, junkie who's
too smart to be behaving this stupidly.
Poet and novelist Koertge's forte is tight, witty dialogue, and he uses it to great effect here. Conversations between Ben and Colleen, his grandmother, his neighbor, and his classmates sparkle with sharp patter reminiscent of 40s movies. This brief, fast-moving, funny story, with doses of sex, swearing, and drugs, will keep even reluctant teen readers turning the pages.
From the Book:
Maybe ten patrons lean against the wall or sink into the
red, once-plush couch. I know most of them by sight. They're
people who don't own a VCR and don't want to. Or if they do own
one, can't get it out of its box. Misfits and Luddites.
Castaways and exiles. And all of us alone. Whoever said no man
is an island has never been to the Rialto on a Friday night.
And I can't help but wonder if I'll be here in ten, twenty, or
thirty years, dragging my food down that street I've lived on
all my life toward another movie I've seen before. Thoughts
like that can drive a man to drink.
I, on the other hand, buy a Dr. Pepper from the Goth who works the concession stand.
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