Review: Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith

Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Here’s the truth.
Andrew Smith could publish his grocery list and I’d probably still find it compelling and hysterical.

There hasn’t been an Andrew Smith book I’ve read that I haven’t devoured. So it was with great excitement that I sat down to read Grasshopper Jungle, even though the bizarre synopsis had me scratching my head: The rise of an army of unstoppable, six-foot tall praying mantises in small-town Iowa can only be stopped by a sexually confused teenage boy and his best friend.

Alrighty then.

But this is Andrew Smith. And I’d read (loved!) THE ALEX CROW which had a similarly bizarre backdrop, so I wasn’t too concerned when faced with GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE.

And I fell in love with this book.

I could not put it down.

I had company over this weekend and instead of being the happy hostess, I was asking myself, “When are these people going to leave so I can get back to reading?” That’s how good GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE is.

At the story’s core is teenager Austin Szerba. Smith’s portrayal of a sexually frustrated and confused boy is authentic and hysterical. Even when faced with saving the world from an army of unstoppable mantises, Austin must fight his raging hormones first. Seems reasonable, right?

I wish I could say more, but you’re just going to have to trust me and read this book. Here’s the truth: This book is crazy. Really. Truly. Crazy. I loved every ridiculous word.