Boy Minus Girl
Grade 8–10—Lester Ekhardt, 14, longs for Charity Conners, who just moved back to Harker City after living in St. Louis. The eighth grader has been practicing the tips he's read inThe Seductive Manand trying to strike a bargain with Jesus (often involving promises to abstain from masturbating) if He will intervene. But it's not until Uncle Ray rolls into town that Lester sees some hope. The man is always making time with the ladies, and Lester thinks that maybe his uncle will help him achieve his romantic goals. Startling revelations about Charity's sexuality, Uncle Ray, and Lester's own parents, however, soon turn everything upside down. Set in the '80s, this coming-of-age story is heavily laced with humor. Lester's struggles with the school bully, his relationship with his parents, and even his inability to refrain from masturbation are realistic and amusing. The characters, even the unlikable ones like Uncle Ray and Brett the bully, are developed well. Teen boys in particular will laugh out loud at this well-written novel.—Heather E. Miller, Homewood Public Library, ALCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.