My Rotten Life
David Lubar
Starscape (Tor), Aug 4 2009, $5.99
ISBN: 9780765316349
Belgosi Upper Elementary Fifth grader Nathan Abercrombie knows three strikes you’re out in baseball though he does not play sports due to his asthmatic condition. However, he soon learns that on this particular day being a card carrying member of the Second Besters is a highlight film after his already rotten life equates to four strikes and you’re sort of dead.
In the lunch hall, Shawna Lanchester tosses the first mortar; she announces for all to hear he is not invited to her party. Next gym teacher Mr. Lomax throws hand grenade number two when he picks four captains to pick the others for their teams as they train for a competition with a rival school that they have lost to for the past few years; Nathan is the last one selected. The third strike is playing with Caleb’s zombie killing video game in which Nathan’s “men” die instantly, spastic is a kind description of what his classmates’ state.
He takes heart when weird newcomer Abigail brings him to her Uncle Zardo, a scientist who has invented a potion to stop people from feeling bad. An accident leads to Nathan being doused with the entire serum instead of a drop as the cops crash into the lab to arrest Zardo. Strike four is being half-dead though the benefits are feeling no pain from oven heated pots to Rodney the bully, but how to explain to mom and dad you can’t eat any food as it rots in the stomach.
.
Middle school readers will enjoy the escapades of Nathan, his best friend Mookie and Abigail as one thing leads to another until the protagonist agrees to be a subject of the “Hurt Be Gone” experiment, which only makes his life more rotten. Fast-paced throughout, young readers will enjoy MY ROTTEN LIFE as it is fun to read while a strong message encourages the audience to stay positive.
Harriet Klausner
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment