Don Calame

Not even finished yet but I have to say this book is raucously, scatalogically, ridiculously HILARIOUS! It's like watching a Seth Rogen movie, only funnier.

Matt and his similarly virginal friends Coop and Sean set as their summer goal seeing a naked girl in the flesh. Meanwhile Matt decides to swim the butterfly at his team's swim meets in order to impress Kelly, a pretty new team member he crushes on, despite the fact that he cannot swim the butterfly. The boys' contorted plans to achieve show more their lofty goals just get them in deeper and deeper until you can't believe there's STILL more to laugh at. Uptight parents aren't going to appreciate the high raunch factor, but boys never censor in front of the fellas which makes this book terrifically real and funny. And you have to feel for Matt, a likable, self-conscious teen helplessly caught up in embarrassing situations. The cherry on top: Matt's grandfather's attempts to woo the just-widowed neighbor is as over the top as the boys' scheming. show less

Surprisingly touching. I thought this wouldn't be my kind of book (I'm not into humour of the vomit, B.O., and explosive diarrhea variety), and I guess I was right. But I got really invested in the characters, and... I cried a little by the end. Go figure.

So, if you are looking for a wilderness survival book involving gross humour and some great characters, then hey, maybe pick this one up.

Funny book about a young man named Quinn who loves performing magic tricks in his two-man act with his best friend Perry. Quinn wants to become a professional magician after graduation. The two guys plan to audition for a prestigious magic fantasy camp, which will help Quinn's longtime dream come true, but complications ensue when Quinn develops a crush on a girl who is also auditioning for magic camp. If they are rivals, will they ever get to date? And, it appears he and Perry will have to show more audition separately--will they even be able to do a good solo magic act after so many years as a team? And, could that weird old derelict guy in the diner doing Three Card Monte scams really be the famous magician (and Quinn's idol) The Dazzling Lazlo? Will Quinn be able to convince him to reveal his greatest trick for Quinn to use? There's some potty humor and a couple of f-bombs but otherwise a great book for older middle school readers, especially boys. show less

Quinn Purcell and best-friend to Mr. Perfect-in-every-way Perry perform in a magic act together in the hopes of securing a spot at the Masters of Magic Fantasy Camp. But when the rules are unclear about partner acts, the duo must decide whether to continue together and be disqualified or attempt solo gigs. And to make matters worse, a newcomer magician, Dani Darling, appears on the scene capturing Quinn’s attention (and heart) and threatening their spot at camp. So now Quinn has a show more difficult decision to make: Is his potential future career as a magician worth his best friend and possible new girlfriend?

Although, I’ve never read a book about non-fantasy magicians or magical acts before, I have seen my fair share of ‘Magic for Humans’ and ‘Brain Games’ to be invested enough in the intrigue of sleight of hand and misdirection, and this book kept me engaged and made it feel as though I was watching the acts unfold in front of me (And I still want to know how they do it!).

This book was the perfect amount of teenage angst, complicated relationships, and fascinating magical stunts. Quinn was such a relatable character that I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him while at the same time wanting him to get his shit together and stop feeling sorry for himself. show less