Burger Wuss

I keep wanting to love M.T. Anderson. Great covers, the synopses sound fascinating..when I go to actually read them, I feel slightly let down.

I found this one more enjoyable than "Thirsty," but there was something still missing.

Anthony has just been dumped by his girlfriend. He considers himself a dork, and she made him feel like he was actually cool. When she dumps him for mr. popular, he devises revenge...for the guy who "stole her away." The plan also involves taking down a multi-million corporation..but Anthony doesn't really care about that!

Revenge against Turner, who destroyed his relationship with Diana the girl of his dreams, drives Anthony to seek employment at O'Dermott's Fast Food Restaurant, where Turner works. Considered a wuss and bullied by Turner, Anthony is determined to carry out his " brilliant" revenge plan and win back Diana. Humorously told through Anthony's perspective, Anderson's perfectly captures the angst of heartbreak and the obsession of revenge. Written in very straightforward language, reluctant readers, especially boys, will enjoy Anthony's adventures as he tries to even the score.

This book is about Anthony, who gets a job at a fast food place, to win back the girlfriend he's lost and get revenge on the guy she cheated on him with. Anthony is a great main character--very real. He's incredibly awkward, yet his sense of humor was great (it's too bad no one in the book thought so), and his plot for revenge was believeable. He doesn't seem to have any real friends, and not very much luck at his new job, and I felt bad for him. This wasn't an easy book to read, in the sense that the events that happen to Anthony are pretty realistic and definitely don't have that movie-style happy ending. It's not very many pages, so it's a quick read, and I think, once again, Anderson has created a relatable, likeable character.

If you've ever suffered working at a Mcjob, had your broken when your true love cheated, or been subjected to the abuse of a bully, this is the book for you. When Anthony discovers his girlfriend with a guy (Turner) from the local burger joint, Anthony decides to seek a job there and take revenge. Turner, however, has other ideas for Anthony. In order to advance his plot, Anthony recruits the anarchist fry cook to help wreak havoc on the fast food corporate establishment. This satirical look at fast food and teenage love is most compelling because of its realistic characters--a wickedly fun read.

Anthony has always been a wuss, but when his girlfriend, Diana, ends up making out with some strange boy at a party, his life takes on a different bend. He is bound for revenge. He goes to work at O'Dermotts where Turner (the strange boy) works and comes up with an unusual but successful plan to wreak revenge for stealing his girl.

More about the characters than the food, but there are strains about fast-food burgers and chain rivalries.

Fun. . . but not sure it fits the list.

I had to pick a read aloud to read to my summer school students who were all 17 & 18 and haven't been read to since they were five. I picked this one because it had minimal swearing (but just enough to be "edgy" classroom material) and minimal sex (but just enough to make them listen in hopes of hearing more). They claimed to hate every minute of it, but they all had an opinion on Anthony, the main character, and his actions.

"That kid is screwed up. He should have done... instead" was the start of a lot of the discussions.

I don't really think it's a great read on its own and it's hard to read aloud (short sentences with no real flow between them) but it was interesting enough that my summer school kids turned their iPods off and that show more may be the best indication of its worth. show less

I had never read anything like M.T. Anderson’s style before – the sarcasm, wit, and banter were infectious. I look forward to his other works. At first I thought this was just going to be about working fast food, and even though my first job was at McDonald’s, I didn’t find the topic interesting. But it turned out to be so much more than that – and I did end up enjoying the many insider McDonald’s references that only a former employee would know. The humor is very dark, which should appeal to some teens.