It felt like it wanted to be edgy and cool but just wasn't. ( )

ugh. can I punch Jay, please? Hard? I can't stand him or his sense of humor or his infatuationn with his best friend and if Cameo had fallen for him by the end of the book I was going to scream. Best just stop. ( )

I wanted to like this book more than I did. Jay Baker is a fun character, a self-proclaimed geek who really had more going for him than he understood. But unfortunately, the affected writing style distracted me so much from the story that this is what I will remember about this book.

Almost every other sentence contained a pun, pop culture reference or a play on words. Both the dialogue and the narrative are full of over-the-top cleverness, and not a single word spin was left unspun. Rather than making Jay sound hip and cool, the affectation created a lack of relatability to a character who was otherwise very likeable. No one, not even the coolest of cool teens, talks this way. And if one doesn't understand the basis of the word play, the reference falls completely flat.

If you can overlook the high concept writing style, the story itself is adequate. Jay has a crush on his long time best friend, Cameo, a girl who seems to like having Jay available as her backup when her other relationships crash and burn. Jay's parents' marriage is self-destructing at an alarming rate. And his former best friend turned enemy, Mike, has ramped up his bullying efforts to a high pitch. The only bright spot in Jay's life is new girl Caroline, a tennis star with an overbearing father and secrets of her own.

Jay's story is mildly amusing due mostly to his jaded outlook, but Cameo and Caroline are not given enough personality to make me care who he ultimately chooses as a romantic partner. A 3.5 star read. ( )

Jay Baker is a 15 year old boy…His best friend is a cheerleader named Cameo Appearance Parnell. His girlfriend is a tennis phenom. He’s snarky, sarcastic, and whips out pop culture references faster than a speeding bullet. Jay’s life is about to implode as his parent’s marriage starts to fall apart, he’s forced to battle his mortal enemy, and one teacher decides to force him to get real and quit hiding behind his wise cracks.

I have to say I was laughing out loud within the first page of this “coming of age” story. Jay is witty and a wise ass which was fun and funny. However by the end of the book, all the pop culture references were becoming a bit tedious. But that would be my only real complaint about the story.

Jay is experiencing the life a lot of teens, today, are experiencing. Bullies, the breaking up of their home, and coming to terms with the fact that parents are mistake making humans. Jay is able to find strength in one of his teachers, Ms. Lambert. She is able to see through all the BS and get Jay to quit hiding behind his snarky façade and deal. So many people can relate to this story…as it is timeless. I had the same issues to deal with 20+years ago, and kids will still be dealing with these issues 20 years in the future.

This was a fast paced read that both boys and girls can enjoy. Jay is a good guy/hero that is able to laugh at himself, that readers can and will laugh with as well. You can’t help but like the guy and root for him whole heartedly! ( )

Summary:
Jay Baker is a freshman in high school. He is in love with his cheerleader best friend (at the moment), and in a constant battle with Mike, the football playing bully that insists on calling in Gay Baker. Jay is no slouch on insults, so the two of them go at it throughout almost the entire book. Ms. Lambert helps guide Jay at school, but his home life seems to be in ruins. His parents are separating because his mother is having an affair. This leads to heartache, confusion, and sarcasm dedicated to avoiding the situations that bombard Jay. Throughout the novel, he has to grow up and start facing things. As a reader, you get to go through all of these mixed emotions with him.
My thoughts:
I was literally laughing out loud constantly throughout this book. The sarcasm is thick within this book. It’s witty, snarky, and sometimes ridiculous, but almost always hilarious. Unfortunately, the slang gets annoying. I wonder if it rings better with an older generation than it will with a younger one. A lot of the pop culture references, and cheesy slang terms that are used relate to an older audience than to current young adults. I think that teenagers will understand the references, but don’t believe that they are as relevant any longer. Also, occasionally Jay Clark makes up words. This was cute for about seventy pages or so, but it became overwhelmingly obnoxious. If you can get past the lingo, then this is a real fun read that will keep you laughing through the good times and the bad. ( )