Rating: 
Summary: Life is a Scam
Review: This book is incredibly funny a real down to earth example of the teenage drama and romance we sometimes suffer through. The book is about a stoned-out chick named Collen that stumbles upon geeky-little Ben, after their encounter Ben seems to suddenly fall for this girl and tries to get her attention, he wants only to be with her but it doesnt seem to want to turn out that way for Ben. With an overly protective grandmother that tries to ignore Bens CP or at least tries to act as if everything is normal (like nothing wrong with Ben even though there is), it seems like Ben wont have his way with the careless young youth Colleen. In my opinion this is a kick ass book, I totally fell for it the plot and the comedy, oh the comedy.
Rating:
Summary: Life is a Scam
Review: This book is incredibly funny a real down to earth example of the teenage drama and romance we sometimes suffer through. The book is about a stoned-out chick named Collen that stumbles upon geeky-little Ben, after their encounter Ben seems to suddenly fall for this girl and tries to get her attention, he wants only to be with her but it doesnt seem to want to turn out that way for Ben. With an overly protective grandmother that tries to ignore Bens CP or at least tries to act as if everything is normal (like nothing wrong with Ben even though there is), it seems like Ben wont have his way with the careless young youth Colleen. In my opinion this is a kick ass book, I totally fell for it the plot and the comedy, oh the comedy.
Rating:
Summary: Tough, funny, realistic...I could go on & on
Review: This is a story about an unusual friendship between a lonely physically handicapped "spaz" whose grandmother makes him wear $70 Brooks Brothers shirts to school and a "stoner" party girl who'll "get high and do anything."Ron Koertge knows how people -- especially kids -- talk and, for me, hearing his characters' voices is the best part of any Koertge book. Ben (the "spaz" of the title, he is afflicted with cerebral palsy) is smart, funny, and charming, and when Colleen (the "stoner") tells him that half the girls in her rehab group want to be his girlfriend, I couldn't help but think, "If I were in high school, I'd wanna be his girlfriend too!" Colleen is also smart -- a fact that shines through her druggy haze -- as well as tough and fascinating. It's easy to see why Ben is drawn to her. I love the characterization of Ben's proper, uptight grandmother. She's prim without ever being a stereotype. As Ben and Colleen become friends, they help each other to see themselves more clearly. Colleen says Ben's wasted, atrophied arm is not so bad. Ben says Colleen's "ice-cream habit" is hurting her more than she realizes. And so Ben attempts to get to know more people at school, and Colleen checks into a rehab program. As they "stand up and fall down, stand up and fall down," as their friend Marcie says, which one of them will remain standing? Can their strange friendship survive? Check out this fast read to find out.
Rating:
Summary: Not Just for CP Kids
Review: This was an amazing book, I don't believe I've ever enjoyed reading as much as I did with this book. I'm not someone who pleasure reads a lot, but I truthfully enoyed reading this book, and heard from a friend it was good. It was on our school summer reading list so I picked it up. I read it all in one day, which isn't too much of a big deal since it's pretty short. However I felt, the book was great, and I don't agree with what a few other people are saying. One person said it wasn't realistic, that the main girl Coleen never suffered withdrawls are anything... but comon in the end she winds up being pretty much the way she started. And someone else said that there was to much cursing, however without the swearing would it have accurately portrayed the world i live in? I will admit that my review may be a little biased because I am 15, and I go through all the things these teens went through, but i actually think thats great. The writer did a great job of showing what a lot of teens go through, and anyone that thinks the book was over the top or overexagerated needs to go take a trip to their nearest highschool. The last thing i wanted to address, and what I felt was the best part of the book, the ending: someone said it was half-assed. Truth is it was perfect, the ending was sort of happy but at the same time it was sorta sad, but definitly very realistic. It kind of made me sad, because I have a friend that seems so much like Coleen, and truth is our relationship kinda did the same thing. Overall one of my favorite books ever.
Rating: 
Summary: Wasn't Worth Reading
Review: Though the book seems to have been well thought out, the characters were just too unrealistic. The "stoner", throughout the book was doing multitudes of drugs, acid, marijuana, hash, cocaine, etc which was understandable enough. But after she goes thru rehab she's fine. Like i mean, common! give her some withdrawel symptoms or something! Then overall, the story was just boring with an odd ending that was kinda half-assed. I dont know, i dont think the story was really worth reading.
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