Stupid Fast

Stupid Fast
by Geoff Herbach

From the publisher:
"I, Felton Reinstein, am Stupid Fast. Seriously. The upper classmen used to call me Squirrel Nut, because I was little and jumpy. Then, during sophomore year, I got tall and huge and so fast the gym teachers in their tight shorts fell all over themselves. During summer, three things happened all at once. First, the pee-smelling jocks in my grade got me to work out for football, even though I had no intention of playing. Second, on my paper route the most beautiful girl I have ever seen moved in and played piano at 6 a.m. Third, my mom, who never drinks, had some wine, slept in her car, stopped weeding the garden, then took my TV and put it in her room and decided she wouldn’t get out of bed.

Listen, I have not had much success in my life. But suddenly I’m riding around in a jock’s pick-up truck? Suddenly I’m invited to go on walks with beautiful girls? So, it’s understandable that when my little brother stopped playing piano and began to dress like a pirate I didn’t pay much attention. That I didn’t want to deal with my mom coming apart."

This is an amazing story with wonderful characters and heart-wrenching issues. It would be wonderful for reluctant boy readers and yet, I cannot recommend it because of the horrible language - serious cussing and hard profanity. It is 311 pages and I marked 262 objectionable words or phrases - and that was not counting the gross vulgarities from the boys in the locker room and such. Not to mention the use of the word "retard" or "retarded" over and over again. We are very conscious of that word in our school and I was appalled at the constant use of it in this book. Do I need to go on another rant? Yes, that might be the way teenagers talk today, but why do that speak that way? Because that is what books like this and other media outlets are teaching them is normal or even cool. Why ruin this amazing story with language like that? It didn't get the point across any better. I understand that in moments of great stress or anxiety, some words may occur, but having them just be a part of speech for a 15 and 13 year old? No, no and no! It just makes me sad because this book could have been extraordinary. 

Areas of concern:
*Aforementioned bad language on practically every page.
*Vulgarities from teenage boys.
*A family dealing with severe mental illness.
*A small boy finds a parent after they committed suicide.
*Father issues (I don't want to give too much away)
*A teenager tries to kill another teenager and there are literally no consequences.

Suggested Ages:

Publisher's Weekly - Ages 12+

School Library Journal - Grades 7+
(*Mrs. Duke strongly disagrees with those recommended ages!)