Stoner & Spaz

Benjamin is a teen with cerebral palsy; he is shy and extremely self-conscious until he meets Colleen at the Rialto Theater. She doesn’t seem to care about his handicap and she doesn’t seem to care about herself either because she has a drug problem. They strike up an unlikely friendship and Benjamin gains the self-confidence that he desperately needs.
I really enjoyed this novel. Ben is a sympathetic character because it is difficult to be a teen and fit in, but he has to also deal with his cerebral palsy, which makes him stand out in a crowd. He is uncomfortable with is body, but Colleen accepts him for who he is, which makes him start to realize that even though he may have a handicap, he shouldn’t become some sort of recluse. show more When they are about to have sex and Colleen sees Ben without his shirt, she says, “Bodies are really interesting. All the shit that happens to them, and they just don’t quit”(149-150). She doesn’t care about his physical flaws and Ben finally starts to accept himself. I felt that the theme of self-acceptance in this novel really gave the story a positive vibe, which I thought was a great message.
The “unspeakable” part of this novel has to be Colleen’s drug use and the sex between the two teens. If it hadn’t been for Colleen’s drug addiction then Ben probably wouldn’t have met her, so the story wouldn’t have been able to take off. In other words, I think that the drugs acted as a device to get the story started and to also make Colleen’s character drift away from Ben in the end, so that he could continue to grow on his own.
Drug use is never really the central focus of this narrative. Even when Colleen is in rehab, the reader does not find out what really happened while she was there; the author just glosses over this and gets back to Ben’s story because he probably didn’t think that drug use was the main point of this book. Ben’s sexual awakening comes along with his newfound confidence. He discovers that just because he has cerebral palsy does not mean that girls will not find him attractive or that he doesn’t have sexual needs because he is still a human being. Perhaps adults, like his grandmother, may think that he is too young to be having sex, but I thought that his sexual awakening was appropriate for his age and the author handled this “unspeakable” topic with grace. It wasn’t sleazy and it didn’t try to cover up the fact that Ben was turned on by Colleen. Drug use is obviously not explored in detail as in Burgess’s novel Smack, but Stoner & Spaz does examine teenage sexuality in a frank manner. show less

Synopsis:As an orphan with cerebral palsy Ben has been raised by his prim and proper Grandmother and has existed the past 16 years of his life as a loner who watches old movies at the local theater. One day his routine is shaken by an accidental run in with the local drug-addict Colleen (i.e. the girl who will do anything high). Ben becomes infatuated with Colleen (she’s the only person who has ever touched him without recoiling that was not his Grandmother) and eventually the two start dating. As their relationship evolves Ben leaves his self-imposed isolation and interviews his classmates, gaining new perspectives on himself and the world around him. Ultimately Colleen returns to a life of addiction while Ben (who is no longer a show more self-conscious hermit) moves forward with his lifelong wish to become a director. Review:I didn’t find Ben to be too much of a sympathetic character. He was likable, but only in a very "realistic way." He comes off as a realistic narrator, one who is self-involved in that way only teenagers can be. Koertge’s topic of addiction and teenage angst is admittedly a hard one for YA writers to address, however he handles it fairly and gives his characters life without glamorizing their problems. In Koertge's world the addicts genuinely act like addicts, something which might disturb parents and teachers who fancy YA books that record a happier world. Ultimately, the story provides little in the way of substance save for a vague cautionary tale about the perils of drugs and primarily acts as an instructional memoir on how not to be self-involved. show less

I enjoyed the snappy dialogue and realistic portrayal of these two teens. Ben is a convincing handicapped character in that he is invisible to most people on campus. He's a film buff, and I liked his thoughts of film and why it moves us. I also appreciated that Colleen, the druggie girl character, was scuzzy and not too precious. She wasn't portrayed as the 'addict with a heart of gold', merely an interesting human with some very real addiction problems. Ben strikes up a friendship with his neighbor that is the same age as his missing mother. I would have liked to see more depth and detail to that relationship. One thing I found endearing was how much Ben was moved by simply being touched by another human being. I would guess having a show more handicap makes you 'untouchable' in a lot of ways, and a fleeting touch on the arm meant more to Ben than most people would understand. Overall, I found this quirky book enjoyable, and a good choice for someone looking for a short, offbeat novel. show less

You have cerebral palsy. People flinch every time they look at you. No one, but no one ever would dream of touching you. So you sit in the movie theater watching old horror movies, seeing yourself as the Invisible Man. One day Colleen Minou, notorious druggie, sits her tattoos down next to you in the darkened theater. Not only does she sit next to you, but also falls asleep during Bride of Frankenstein with her head on your shoulder! Is she on drugs? Will she too flinch when she comes to her senses and sees the twitching mass of nerves she sits beside? Koertge’s smart and sensitive handling of this unlikely relationship will win him many new fans. Passed over by the Printz and the top ten list of Best Books for Young Adults (BBYA), show more but included on the full list, Stoner & Spaz compares favorably with anything published in 2002. show less

Benjamin Bancroft is a 16-year-old with cerebral palsy who lives with his proper, over-protective grandmother. His only social activity is seeing old movies once a week at a local theater. Ben is a self-taught movie expert who watches classic films he’s seen many times with an eye for camera angles and set dressing. One day, he runs into Colleen Minou in the theater. She is a blunt-spoken drug addict with no boundaries. They form an unlikely friendship. Colleen challenges Ben's self-pity by joking openly and crudely about his disability and urges him to follow his passion for the cinema and make his own movies. By doing this, she forces Ben to come out of his shell and interact with people around him. Ben inspires Colleen to dump her show more abusive boyfriend and try to get clean. This book was written in 2002, and the dialogue and language are fresh and funny. There is sex, drugs, and swearing throughout this fast-paced book, but the real story is about connecting with others to help you pursue your dream. show less

Many YA novels, when trying to portray an outsider, punk-type character, just get it wrong. Here, Kortge gets his character right not by relying on simple pop culture references, but by creating a truly believable character. Ben and Colleen's relationship is very funny and believable, and Kortge handles description of Ben's cerebral palsy with great dignity. The real power of the novel lies in how it handles the end of the relationship. It is a true growing apart, and an honest realization on Ben's part that he can not save or change Colleen. A very quick read, this could be recommended to most all readers with an interest in the subject matter.

Stoner & Spaz. Colleen is the stoner, hooked on drugs of any sort; weed, cocaine, whatever. Ben is the spaz, weighed down by the deformities of cerebral palsy. They meet at the Riolto movie theater. Ben spends his solitary Friday nights watching old movies, like the Bride of Frankenstein. Colleen needs to borrow two bucks to buy candy. Ben thinks that's the end, but Colleen ends up sitting next to him to watch the movie. For a kid who's never had a girlfriend, this is as close as he's gotten to a girl in his entire life. And she doesn't treat him like an invalid, a misfit. For a girl who's perpetually stoned, this is the first sober guy she's met in a long time.

So, they each have something the other wants and they develop into a real show more friendship. But is that enough? Is it enough to get Colleen on the straight and narrow? Is it enough for Ben to come out from under his grandmother's thumb and experience the world?

Ron Koertge writes great books (see my review of Shakespeare Bats Cleanup and Shakespeare Makes the Playoffs). But while those books were light and humorous, Stoner & Spaz digs deep. Ben lives with a grandmother who barely touches him. And while he's developed a sense of humor to deal with this lack of affection, you know it hurts. Colleen hates a mother who would not believe that her boyfriend might have attempted to abuse Colleen. In a scant 169 pages, Koertge deals with all these issues.

If you are into good stories, great characters and a thought provoking plot, then Stoner & Spaz should be your next book. It'll be a nice setup for Now Playing: Stoner & Spaz Part II, the sequel. show less