I picked up this book purely because it was mis-shelved and on the day that I found it I think that I was feeling a bit like I needed a sign of some sort. Books make fabulous signs. I read the first couple of pages at my desk and then took it home with me. You may recognize the name Rob Thomas, the creator of Veronica Mars, but I didn't. This was nothing more than a short book with a strange name in the wrong spot on the shelf.
It was great.
It's the early 90's and I got a healthy dose of nostalgia from that. Steve is living in San Diego with his mother, her new husband, and his sister. When we meet Steve, he is in danger of not graduating due to being short an English credit. His guidance counselor, Mr. DeMouy, offers to make him a deal. He can make up his English credit by writing 100 pages about anything he wants. DeMouy has seen Steve's transcripts and knows that he was pulling straight A's when he lived in Texas, that he was smart enough to be a National Merit finalist. Steve doesn't have to tell him what happened, he just needs to write. Steve agrees and ends up telling the story of his Sophmore and Junior years in Texas.
Back in Texas, Steve lived with his father, worked at the Cineplex after school, and had friends. His best friend, Doug, has a $500 bet with his father that he will appear in the year book and so they form a club, The Grace Order of Dadaists or GOD, with no intention of it going anywhere. Instead the group widens their social circle and together they work on a number of dada inspired school projects. It's through this club that Steve meets Dub, short for double-u, short for Wanda, who he falls for almost immediately.
Steve's story bounces between the past and the present. He writes his paper about what happened in Texas and struggles to make something of San Diego. He's sarcastic and the antics of GOD are entertaining. This was definitely worth the read.
-RYQ
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