The Field Guide to the North American Teenager
Books | Young Adult Fiction / Humorous / General
3.6
(188)
Ben Philippe
Surprises await a clever Black French Canadian teen when he’s forced to attend high school in Austin, Texas, in this hilarious contemporary YA novel.William C. Morris YA Debut Award Winner!“A witty debut with whip-smart dialogue that will find much love among fans of authors like John Green and Jason Reynolds.” —SLJ (starred review)Meet Norris Kaplan. As a Black French Canadian who has been recently plunked into Austin, Texas, he is not happy. Norris’s superpower has always been the ability to wield a sharp comeback and keep people at a safe distance. He’ll do just his time there until he can finally go back home.Having grown up on a steady diet of American TV, Norris knows just what to expect when he starts at a prototypical American high school. Sure enough, he soon encounters:Aarti, the Manic Pixie Dream Girl: Preys on sexually inexperienced, awkward teen boys.Madison, the Beta Cheerleader: In the middle of cheerleading pyramid. “Good listener.”Liam, the Loner: Sad eyes. Headphones not necessarily playing anything.Hairy Armpits, the Bully: Improperly groomed linebacker. Missing Link understudy.Against all odds, though, he finds himself with a love interest, a new potential best friend, and what appears to be a budding ice hockey team. Will he give in and start living his life and maybe even (groan) enjoy it? Or will he blow it all by being . . . well, Norris?“With a perfect balance of snark, keen observation, and wry humor, Ben Phillippe has given us the brilliant Norris Kaplan—by far, the funniest, wittiest, smartest character I've ever read!” —Ibi Zoboi, author of American Street
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More Details:
Author
Ben Philippe
Pages
373
Publisher
HarperCollins
Published Date
2019-01-08
ISBN
0062824139 9780062824134
Ratings
Google: 5
Community ReviewsSee all
"Norris Kaplan is a smart ass and you can't help but love him. He truly popped off the page and I love how the author brings all these kids to life, while the themes of this book are poignant. It's tough being the new kid, but it's tough being the new kid with something to prove, daddy issues, and biases. 4.2/5"
"Hilarious book. Loved the point of view of an outsider on the stereotypes of American teens. "
C C
Cathy Crawford