About This Book
Reach for this book when your teen is struggling with the exhausting social pressure to 'perform' or change their identity to impress a romantic interest. It is a perfect choice for the student who feels like an average 'plain' person in a world of high-stakes popularity and extreme personalities. The story follows Ian Rude, who fakes an interest in environmentalism to win over a crush, only to find himself blackmailed into increasingly absurd and messy tasks involving snot-spitting bats and emus. Linda Aronson uses zany, off-the-wall humor to explore the heavy weight of embarrassment and the spiral of lies that often accompanies adolescent insecurity. Parents will appreciate the way it lampoons 'performative' activism while ultimately encouraging readers to find comfort in their own skin. It is an accessible, lighthearted read that validates the awkwardness of the middle and early high school years without being overly sentimental.
