I wanted to dislike this book. It came recommended by most of the Youth Services staff over here at Central, but I just couldn't see how I could like a character as privileged as Ryan Dean West. I was proven wrong, and I am glad for that. This book was funny and endearing, and kind of made me want to cry. Ryan Dean West is fourteen and a junior at his boarding school. This scenario is nightmarish for anyone to think about. Picture yourself at fourteen and being younger than everyone else in your grade by two years. That just sounds awful.
The book opens with Ryan Dean having to deal with the fact that he is living in the dorm set a part for troublemakers, and his roommate is a total bully. Along with his crush on his best friend who thinks he is a little kid, Ryan Dean's prospects for junior year don't start off that promising. The book deals with some heavy subject matter in a way that is palatable for teen readers. Andrew Smith is an excellent writer and I was really pleased to read this.
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