Grendel's Guide to Love and War
Author: A.E. Kaplan
Publisher: Knopf Books
Release Date: April 18, 2017
Goodreads:
Author: A.E. Kaplan
Publisher: Knopf Books
Release Date: April 18, 2017
Goodreads:
The Perks of Being a Wallflower meets Revenge of the Nerds in this tale of a teen misfit who seeks to take down the bro next door, but ends up falling for his enemy’s sister and uncovering difficult truths about his family in the process.
Tom Grendel lives a quiet life—writing in his notebooks, mowing lawns for his elderly neighbors, and pining for Willow, a girl next door who rejects the “manic-pixie-dream” label. But when Willow’s brother, Rex (the bro-iest bro ever to don a jockstrap), starts throwing wild parties, the idyllic senior citizens’ community where they live is transformed into a war zone. Tom is rightfully pissed—his dad is an Iraq vet, and the noise from the parties triggers his PTSD—so he comes up with a plan to end the parties for good. But of course, it’s not that simple.
One retaliation leads to another, and things quickly escalate out of control, driving Tom and Willow apart, even as the parties continue unabated. Add to that an angsty existential crisis born of selectively reading his sister’s Philosophy 101 coursework, a botched break-in at an artisanal pig farm, and ten years of unresolved baggage stemming from his mother’s death…and the question isn’t so much whether Tom Grendel will win the day and get the girl, but whether he’ll survive intact.
Tom Grendel lives a quiet life—writing in his notebooks, mowing lawns for his elderly neighbors, and pining for Willow, a girl next door who rejects the “manic-pixie-dream” label. But when Willow’s brother, Rex (the bro-iest bro ever to don a jockstrap), starts throwing wild parties, the idyllic senior citizens’ community where they live is transformed into a war zone. Tom is rightfully pissed—his dad is an Iraq vet, and the noise from the parties triggers his PTSD—so he comes up with a plan to end the parties for good. But of course, it’s not that simple.
One retaliation leads to another, and things quickly escalate out of control, driving Tom and Willow apart, even as the parties continue unabated. Add to that an angsty existential crisis born of selectively reading his sister’s Philosophy 101 coursework, a botched break-in at an artisanal pig farm, and ten years of unresolved baggage stemming from his mother’s death…and the question isn’t so much whether Tom Grendel will win the day and get the girl, but whether he’ll survive intact.
Why I'm Excited:
The Perks of Being a Wallflower meets Revenge of the Nerds?! How could you ignore that comparison. I love, love, love funny stories with a male lead, and this one sounds amazing. I adore this cover, too, with the mowing of the boy's hair. I'll definitely be keeping my eyes open for this one.
This sounds ... intense, and original -- Revenge of the Nerds? Have not heard that comparison, like ever! LOL! Here's mine: http://editingeverything.com/blog/2016/08/31/waiting-on-wednesday-the-outside-lands/
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard of this one before but I like the cover. Thanks so much for sharing this week. Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteMy Wow