Publishers Weekly
"All I think about is girls, and I don't do anything about it," laments Carter at the beginning of this true-to-life, edgy and often hilarious debut novel. The first-person narrative nails the voice of an earnest-and hyper-active-teen starting freshman year with big aspirations and considerable anxiety. Carter's priority is finding a girlfriend, a mission he comically bungles at numerous junctures-"This isn't Queer Eye. Back off, you stalker!" he chastises himself after drowning a girl in compliments. In one telling scene, Carter attends his first high school party, confident that this will be the night he'll have sex, yet scales back his expectations dramatically as he tries to fight back tears when a senior steals his bike ("No, no, no crying! There's kissing to be done"). Carter's trials and triumphs in sports also come into play, as does his rapport with his caustic older sister and oafish friends. Crawford, an actor, stages an unexpected, affecting finale in which Carter finds confidence and fulfillment in an unlikely role: the lead in the spring musical. Teenage guys will totally get this. Ages 13-up. (Apr.)
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School Library Journal
Gr 8–11—Will Carter, nicknamed Carter, is a bundle of confusion as he begins high school. He's pretty sure his stutter will keep girls away and his ADD will make it difficult to be successfulcess in the classroom or where it really matters—on the ball field. But when his older sister gives him advice on how to pick up girls—and not embarrass her—Carter lands a date with Abby. He sweetly stumbles into romance and, of course, quickly screws it up. What makes this story so fresh is that Carter begins as a popular guy—he has friends, girls like him, and he's good at sports—but deep down he is insecure. Carter bumbles his way through the school year and into and out of one funny situation after another. Narrator Nick Podehl turns in a brilliant performance. He takes the humorous dialogue of first-time YA author Brent Crawford's story (Hyperion, 2009) and raises the bar to hilarious, using exaggeration, pauses, and pitch to great effect. Constant mild profanity, lots of locker-room humor, and Carter's fixation on sex make this a choice for older teens. Crawford has gotten it just right. Let's hope there is a sequel.—Tricia Melgaard, Centennial Middle School, Broken Arrow, OK
Kirkus Reviews
Freshmen firsts: hookups, heartaches, humiliations. Though 14-year-old Will Paul Carter flopped during his last high dive of the summer, he's still looking forward to a madcap school year with hot chicks and honorable competitions. Dating isn't as easy as his sister suggested, however, and his subpar baseball skills keep him off the team with his cohorts. Instead, Carter takes to the stage and gets the girl and the glory as a thespian instead of a jock. Endowed with an infectious narrative voice, Carter builds up readers' energy, though the manic behavior wears thin occasionally. His focus bounces from unrelated topic to unrelated topic between chapters, but the disjointed flow is natural and underscores the character's Attention Deficit Disorder. Awkward humor abounds, from a fast-forward porn tape to speed leg-shaving to nervous bowels, and teen guys will love the opportunity to laugh at their best friend while avoiding embarrassment themselves. Crawford avoids moralizing, while nicely balancing toilet humor and developing social maturity. (Fiction. YA)
