11/01/2013
Gr 7–10—The third installment (Sourcebooks Fire, 2013) in Herbach's "Stupid Fast" series follows Fenton Reinstein as he attempts to tackle his demons as deftly as he performs on the football field. An unlikely athlete, Fenton experiences a meteoric rise to high school stardom after a growth spurt embues him with incredible speed. Unfortunately, the adoration of his classmates, his coach, and even the governor isn't enough to erase the pain of his father's suicide. After he befriends a freshman in an effort to "justify his existence," Fenton grapples with alcoholism, heartbreak, and his "mortal coil" in an effort to not to end up like Hamlet or his Dad. Narrated expertly by Nick Podehl, the audiobook works nicely as the end to the trilogy as well as a standalone. Podehl's fantastic grasp of inflection and teenage angst makes for an entertaining and oftentimes gut-wrenchingly painful listen. While younger students and sports fans will be lured in by this tale of a teenage breakdown, those interested in true-to-life fiction may find some scenarios fantastical.—Shanna Miles, South Atlanta Educational Complex, GA
