by Frank Cottrell Boyce
ages: 11+
First sentence: “Mom, Dad — if you’re listening — you know I said I was going to the South Lakeland Outdoor Activity Center with the school?”
I had high hopes for this one. I really did. It was on my radar a couple of years ago when it was nominated for a Cybils, but no one could find a copy, so it went unread. And so, when someone (Betsy at Fuse #8? I know Sherry at Semicolon reviewed it…) reviewed it and liked it, I stuck it on my list.
Now, remember: this may just be me. In fact, it probably is. I have a bad habit of not being able to read books from any other perspective than my own. And I can really see an eleven or twelve-year-old boy absolutely loving this one. But, me? I couldn’t get more than a third of the way through the book before my suspension of disbelief completely failed.
See, our main character, Liam, is a 13-year-old boy who can pass as an adult. Well, at the very least people seem to think he’s an adult: he’s tall, he’s mature (physically, at least) for his age. And so, when an opportunity for the “ride of a lifetime” comes up, he gets one of his friends, Florida, to pretend she’s his daughter, and off they went.
And, that’s as far as I got. I really have no interest in seeing what happened once they got there. The book was slightly amusing, though all the Worlds of Warcraft references were driving me nuts. (If I were a gamer, I might care more.) But, honestly, I didn’t care enough about the humor to keep me interested in the story.
Darn.
The Book Nut 
Sorry it didn't ring your bell. My 13 year old son loved it, too, so you might want to keep it in mind for recommending to young male friends, even though it wasn't your thing.
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You know, I'm with you on this one, Melissa. I, too, had high hopes as I had really enjoyed Millions (his first book). Plus, a friend had recommended it as well, telling me it was “so funny”. I just couldn't buy it and stopped pretty much where you left off, too. Maybe I'll get back to it but just as likely I won't. Too much else to read.
Tammy
Apples With Many Seeds
http://applewithmanyseedsdoucette.blogspot.com/
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Sherry — I will. I realized while reading it that I was so completely not the target audience, but that certain boys would just eat it up. I will definitely be recommending it.
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I really loved it, though I am a gamer, loved the WOW references, and often enjoy teen boy humor. So perhaps that says more about me. Yes, there was a lot of suspension of disbelief, but I was happy enough with the story to do it. You stopped just when the story takes off, so to speak.
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I kinda had the same reaction. I've loved Bryce's other stuff, too. 😦 I did finish this one, but mainly because I was on an airplane and couldn't pick up something different.
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