Stoner and Spaz

Rating:
Summary: Unlikely Love Story
Review: A Review by Trisha

This book is about a kid named Ben who has a disease called Cerebral Palsy. He meets a stoner named Colleen and soon finds himself in love with her, but she doesn't return the feeling. But feelings change and Colleen sees things in a new light after she nearly loses it all. To keep their new relationship afloat Colleen needs to give up the drugs that she depends on. Can she do it or will she fall back with the same crowd? Read the book to find out.

The best part about this book is the realistic way the author portrays Colleen. She's addicted to more than one drug but she doesn't realize how bad she really is until she nearly dies, and even then she still wants the drugs. That is how a lot of drug addicts are: they get really bad and don't notice it until it is to late. The pace of this book is well balanced, the only part that I thought was boring is when Ben's Grandmother falls ill and nothing really happens for a while in the story but right after that part the book picks up where it left off and stays that way for the rest of the book. The ending of the book is not the best one I've ever read and I didn't personally like it. It leaves you hanging a little too much and doesn't explain where the characters end up.

I like this book over all and I think that it was well written and the unlikely love story would make it good for a romantic person. The drug aspect of the book would make it good for people who want to understand what drug addicts go through.

Rating:
Summary: Just when you think things will never change...
Review: Have you ever felt as if you weren't good enough and just when you think things will never change something happens: you meet someone and she changes your life in almost every way you thought was impossible. Only there is a flaw. She is a drug addict and she has a boy friend. Well that is what happens to a 15 year old boy named Ben Bancroft who has cerebral palsy and no parents. Ben lives with his grandma who is overprotective and doesn't want him hanging out with a girl named Colleen. In the novel Stoner and Spaz one of the many things that I liked is the way that Ron Koertge, who is the author, makes it a point for you to know what the protagonist is thinking at all times. For example when Ben is going to call Colleen and the author says how Ben is very nervous and does not know what he will say or do. Another thing that I like is how the author describes things using a lot of details. When he is describing Colleen he says what she is wearing and the way it looks on her. I also like how this novel helps adults to understand what is going on in some teenager's everyday lives and some of the difficulties they go through. The one thing that I didn't like is some of the language used such as some of the swearing. The only reason I do not like it is because some adults may turn some young people away from it due to some of the language used.

Rating:
Summary: spaz
Review: I enjoyed this book because it felt real. How Ben felt about himself and his symptoms of cerebral palsy were so true. I applaud the author on deciding to write about someone with cerebral palsy. This is a topic never touch on in fictional books. This story is great as in you get to see Ben mature as he gets with Stoner... But I hated how Stoner never really cared for him, she just used him basically and Spaz (Ben) knew that and kept rolling with it. He was that desperate for affection I suppose. I wish the story ended a different way, that is why I knock off two stars.

Rating:
Summary: "Stoner and Spaz"
Review: I have CP like the main boy in the book (though nowhere near as severe, you can hardly tell I have it) and I thought it was an excellent portrayal of the everyday challenges people with CP and other movement disabilities face when trying to fit in with "normal" people

"Stoner and Spaz" is about a romance between 2 oddities, Ben Bancroft, a boy with spastic CP and Colleen Minou, a young druggie. Ben is very insecure within himself and mostly just mooches around at the movies rather than face the jeers and taunts of his fellow peers. It is not until Colleen comes into his life that he attempts to go about the usual social activities of a 16 yr old boy. With Colleen he smokes, drinks, goes to dances and has sex. This book is an excellent read which makes the reader cry, laugh and gasp all at once. I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Stoner and Spaz by Ronald Koertge
Review: I read the book Stoner and Spaz by Ronald Koertg. I chose this book because I like to read fictional or non-fictional books about teens with drug problems. I would recommend this book to teen or ages 14 and up because of strong language. I enjoyed this book. This book is a story about two 15-year-old kids Colleen Minou, and Ben Bancroft.

The book starts out introducing Ben as a movie-addicted boy who lives with his grandmother has C.P. and has no friends. He is always at the Rialto because he loves movies and that's where he meets Colleen. Colleen who's a total stoner she says, "I'll get high and do anything." Which describes her personality perfectly. At first she just starts using him for homework and Ben knew that but then Ben starts to develop feelings for her. Colleen gives Ben a lot of his firsts, first kiss, first love, first joint and much more. They end up fallen in love then ... does it all fall apart? Does Colleen stay a stoner or go with Ben and be clean? Read the book

Rating:
Summary: Offensive
Review: Something about this book just rubbed me the wrong way. Perhaps it's Mr. Koertge's need to make generalizations and to separate everyone in the school into cliche little cliques, mostly based on their race.

"Waiting there I feel, I don't know, anthropological, I guess. I just need a pair of binoculars and a field guide to watch Ed Dorn in his black jeans and black T-shirt make the rounds, moving from the gangstas in their huge pants through the Mexican tough guys and into the Asian kung-fu fighters" [20].

If that type of writing isn't just blatant stereotyping, then I don't know what is. And why is it that all of the teenage moms in this book are black? What kind of crud is that? So if you enjoy people being classified into groups just based on their race then you will enjoy this book.

I dunno, maybe when Mr. Koertge went to high school in his rural town of Illinois some 40+ years ago things were different, but I found this book offensive. Stereotyping issues aside, this book does not have much to offer. The characters are unbelievable and so is the entire plot for that matter.

Rating:
Summary: Decent...
Review: The book basically starts you off with a predictale plot,boy meets girl,but the fact is the girl is a drug addict,a pot head, a druggie. This caught my attieon not knowing any of the author's books. ANother thing Koertge did was make the other main character have a disability. This madethe book a bitmore interesting, but the descriptions were plain dull. The plot was good,but was too boring, he didn't bring out the full potienal of the piece. The bookwasalso too short,itshould have been expanded, I finished the book within a day.

The story basically took you through little ups and downs with Colleen and Ben, nothing that seemed out of the ordinary from the boy meets girl stories.

If you want a short read,key word short, read Ron Koetrge's Stoner and Spaz and brace yourself for one hundred and sixty something pages of 80's styles, drugs, for a little sex, and horendous imagery.

Rating:
Summary: Quality read
Review: The book Stoner and Spaz was a very interesting book that could happen in real life. this book was wriiten by Ronald Koertg.
This book was about a 16 year old boy named Ben Bancroft and her friend Colleen Minou. These two are an odd pair of people together but make an iteresting story. What happens is Ben meets Colleen in a movie theater and turns beens life around. Befour Been meets Colleen he is a kid who no one notices is around. Buit once theses two come togethere colleen turs been into a club gower. Gives him his first joint, and causes Been to make a movie.Also Been trys to make Colleen drug free. does been sucseed? read and find out.I thinkn that Ronald Koertg is trying to say that even the most diffrent people come togeher, and that people should have friends. this could be so because with out each other their lives would still be the same and have no point. Thi book is worth reading if you want to read a story about two odd people would be the most unlikly people to come together. ANd if you want an adventure

Rating:
Summary: review by morgan
Review: The plot of this book is about a sixteen year old boy named Ben, who has CP. One day a the Rialto Theatre Ben sees Colleen there. Colleen is completely different from Ben; she does drugs, gets detention and is constantly in trouble. Through out his book Colleen and Ben begin to hang out and they also pursue Ben's dream of filming movies. Ben finds a friend in Colleen and they become very close. They both introduce each other into new and exciting things.
I enjoyed reading this book because Colleen and Ben go through so many new experiences together. COllen and Ben tach other how to be a friend, have fun and help each other to get their lives back together. This book did not relate to me, but I liked reading a book about two people from different social lives. It gives you an outlook into Ben, who has Cp, is a loner and doesn't have a ny friends and Colleen who doesn't understand which decisions are good or bad. This book has humor and seriousness in it. IF you like to read about people going through different experiences and changes then you will like this book.

Rating:
Summary: Stoner and Spa
Review: The story, Stoner and Spaz, is a very interesting book. Ben Bancroft is the main character in the story and has to overcome many obstacles. He has lost his parents, is guarded by an over-protective grandmother, and has a disability called Cerebral Pausy. Ben is tempted to do many things when he meets a girl named Colleen Minou. Colleen is a type of girl that doesn't especially care about others. She wears tight mini skirts, ripped tights, and is drunk or on drugs most of the time. Colleen tempts Ben with many things. For example drugs. Ben falls into her pressure and begins to do things he never would before. He died his hair an awful color and tried drugs. Ben,the type of kid who doesn't have many friends and has never had a real coversation with a girl, other then his grandmother, begins to have feelings for Colleen. But in the end, does Colleen feel the same way? Will Colleen stop using drugs? Or would Ben become addicted like Colleen? Read this fun-filled adventure to find out what happens to these two young teenagers.