Reviewed by Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

SPUD has been compared to THE CATCHER IN THE RYE, but I see it more as a twisted Harry Potter minus the magic and the nasty, evil villain. It is boarding school at its craziest and best.

Even though it is set in South Africa, and I'm guessing that most of its readers will not have attended boarding school, teens everywhere will be able to relate to the trials and tribulations of main character John "Spud" Milton.

Through Spud's diary, the reader gets to follow the antics of The Crazy Eight. Their wild adventures include the infamous "night swims," porn magazines and videos, attempts to break the school farting record, and investigations into the mystery of the school's resident ghost. All their schemes and pranks are done at the risk of being caught by Headmaster Glockenshpeel, known as "The Glock."

Spud not only deals with all craziness while at school, but he also deals with issues when he goes home during breaks. His father is a drunk who is sure the country is doomed now that Nelson Mandela has been released and Apartheid is over. Spud's mother puts up with his father's nonsense most days, but there are frequent, loud battles which sometimes end in her throwing him out. Add to all that a seriously senile grandmother Spud calls the Wombat. She has never-ending stories that, due to her declining mental abilities, she constantly repeats. Spud's father is seriously considering poison as a method for ridding them of his obnoxious mother-in-law.

John van de Ruit's book is sure to be a success here in the U.S. His newfound fans will be happy to know he is at work on the further adventures of Spud and the gang. ( )

Excellent, made me remember my boarding school days and the antics we got up to. ( )

Set in the 1990s, John Milton nicknamed Spud wins a scholarship to an elite boarding school in Natal. ( )

When I first began Spud, I thought it was a little too reminiscent of the Louise Rennison books about Georgia Nicholson, or the Adrian Mole diaries. However, as the book went on, I found that I did really like it on its own merits. John Milton, who is nicknamed Spud because his balls haven't descended yet, is beginning his first year at boarding school. This is written in a diary format, and several important things happen to Spud, some of which are front and center, some of which are not. His father is clearly going crazy, but Spud doesn't spend as much time thinking about that as he does girls and his lead in the school play. The book takes place in 1990's Johannesburg, giving it a unique look at the end of apartheid. Some of the things that are not really commented on are the two gay older boys who watch all of them in the shower, or his making out with several girls. All in all, this was really funny, and while long, I could still see myself recommen ( )

Absolutely hilarious exposure of public school in South Africa. ( )