I'm a sucker for novels with cool, one-word titles. (Think "Rules" and "Peak") I also love Oreo cookies. So the bright blue cover of "Slob" grabbed my attention immediately.
At first I thought this was just a hilarious, yet poignant, look at an overweight kid trying to survive middle school--and I loved it then. Deeper in, I realized that this book is about so much more--loss, grief, loyalty, and the misleading way things look sometimes. I'm only sorry I devoured this wonderful novel in one day. Now there's no more left, and I have an empty feeling in my gut that Oreos won't fill.
I loved Owen, a quasi-genius, from the start. He says things like, "You should never let stupid people know that you know they're stupid. Particularly when they are your gym teacher." He talks directly to the reader, a la C.S.Lewis, "I'm sure you've noticed that a lot of books start out with some kid's first day at a new school. You can see why, of course. It makes for great suspense." From page one I cared what happened to Owen, and I felt for him. His cruel, old-school gym teacher reminded me of some of the coaches from my own middle school. Let's just put it this way: I remember overhearing snippets from the boys' side of the sixth-grade gym and being supremely glad I was a girl.
A few chapters in, I realized that Owen had so much more to deal with than his weight. His weight, in fact, was just a symptom of bigger, more heartbreaking problems. Don't worry, though, "Slob" never turns into a pitty party. Owen's wit and inventiveness get him through some tough times.
I'll be reading this book aloud to my class. (Yes, it is that good.) What are you reading?
