Geoff Herbach

What a voice! A lot of YA fiction suffers from teenage voices which clearly don't belong to teens (ahem: The Fault in Our Stars). Not so with the star of this book - Felton Reinstein is either a guy you knew in high school or possibly even just you in high school - unsure, deprecating, awkward, exhausted, starving, hopeful, kind and unaware of his abilities. The premise that he rapidly explodes into this physical prodigy is treated wonderfully, given that Felton seems to both revel in and be show more ambivalent of his newfound talents. Additionally, there's the added wrinkle of a troubled homelife and a very sweet and believable romance with a new neighbor. There's no crazy trip to visit a secluded childhood hero, no serendipitous encounters that solve everything, no implausibly flat characters. This is a book with people who will remind you of your high school years as they really happened - not as Hollywood insists they played out. show less

Aiden Allen was a grubby kid. His clothing was wrinkled, his shoes were untied, and his hair - his hair was a mess! Then one day Aiden found that his hair had simply decided to not cooperate, going out of its way to be disruptive, and ruin his day. With hair that spontaneously formed into various embarrassing shapes, and took violent action, what was a kid to do? Negotiate, of course, and try to put an end to his personal hair-pocalypse...

An amusing picture-book examination of the unhygienic show more habits of young children, Hair-Pocalypse pairs an entertaining, over-the-top story of a young boy and the day he and his hair came into conflict, with colorful, cartoon-style artwork that captures the zany humor of the tale. Children who enjoy naughty stories will appreciate Aiden Allen's hair and its misdeeds, and will be led by the resolution of the story to a better understanding of the importance of washing up, at the end of the day. Recommended to anyone looking for entertaining new picture-book adventures and/or children's stories about the importance of cleanliness. show less

Okay first off, before anything else, a shout out to whoever wrote the synopsis for this book! THANK YOU for giving us just enough to be drawn in, and not spoiling anything big. I'm kind of frustrated with the way that book jackets pretty much tell you the plot lately. On to the review!

In my quest for more books from the male perspective, I stumbled upon Stupid Fast. I was really drawn in by the description, and so I signed up for the tour so I could read devour it. You know what? Best show more decision I ever made! Geoff Herbach should know that his book is fantastic! It's hilarious, it's a realistic portrayal of a teenage boy, it's heartwarming, it's emotional, oh and did I mention it's also hilarious?

Felton has one of the most original voices of any character that I've read this year. His character is funny, silly, sweet, adorable, and all kinds of awkward. Of course the most endearing thing about him is that this is all because he's struggling to grow up. See, Felton is pretty much the parent to his younger brother Andrew, since his mother is a fairly absent parent. The two of them bicker, much like all siblings do, but you can see the love that is there too. My favorite part about Felton though was his unabashed (and hilarious) view of the world around him. The way he phrases things had me laughing out loud! I'm glad I read this book at home, and not on the bus!

Stupid Fast is such a multi-faceted book too. On the surface are Felton's physical changes, that allow him to be brought into the world of football. His status as a "nobody" disappears, and all of the sudden he is faced with a much different set of social rules. However it's not only his social life that changes when this happens. Bring on the emotional parts of the book. As things start to get better in one aspect of his life, it becomes a struggle in the others. Watching Felton deal with his dysfunctional home life, with the dark secrets that are buried under his family, was really touching. I liked the fact that Geoff wasn't afraid to show that Felton isn't just a one dimensional guy. He, like all the rest of us, has to figure out what is most important in his life.

I fully admit that I devoured this book in one complete sitting. The mixture of serious emotions, life changing discoveries, and all out humor, made Stupid Fast a book that I simply couldn't set down. My eyes were glued to the page people. Honest to goodness. I fell in love with Felton and his story, and I'm sure that you will too! I'd love to say more, but I'll leave it up to you to discover this fantastic character and story. Trust me, you need a copy. show less

Very satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. We got to know Felton Reinstein over two years of his high school career going from "squirrel nut" to "stupid fast," his loves, his struggle to deal with his father's suicide, his mother's reaction to how much he began to look like his dad, and so much more. Felton was alternately self centered, exasperating, funny as all getout, and tragic. I laughed out loud often, cringed just as often, and my heart ached for Felton, his brother Andrew, and show more Jerri, his mom. I used to live in Wisconsin and I know how seriously the whole state takes their Badgers and I can't believe he did that when deciding on his college on National Signing Day! Loved the series and this last book! show less