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Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Monmouth Public Library | YA Fic Lubar, D. 2016 | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Character, Driven is a powerful and hilarious coming-of-age novel for young adults by acclaimed author David Lubar.
With only one year left of high school, seventeen-year-old Cliff Sparks is desperate to find a girlfriend and "come of age." But he's never had much luck with girls. So when he falls for Jillian, a new classmate, at first sight, all he can do is worship her from afar. At the same time, Cliff has to figure out what to do with the rest of his life, since he's pretty sure his unemployed father plans to kick him out of the house the minute he turns eighteen. Time is running out. Cliff is at the edge, on the verge, dangling--and holding on for dear life.
"Readers will giggle and guffaw at Lubar's trademark humor, while their heartstrings are tugged and feelings are tied in knots. This exquisitely crafted coming-of-age novel gets down and dirty--and even rebellious--without sacrificing honesty, thoughtfulness, or respect." -- Booklist , starred review
"Readers will relish clever wordplay, fantasies, and a major secret. In a genre full of barely likable teenage protagonists, Cliff is a charmer, and readers will be cheering him on to finally come of age. Cliff is a character driven to fulfill his quest, and readers will be with him every step of the way." -- Kirkus Reviews , starred review
"Filled with wordplay and moments of wry observation and revelation, this contemporary coming-of-age-novel follows the trials of a big-hearted teen who suffers some hard knocks. . . . Cliff's humorous perspective on his predicaments doesn't lessen their sharp impact." -- Publishers Weekly , starred review
"At the center of this hilarious offering is an adorably awkward protagonist. Cliff's first-person and sometimes second-person narration, rendered in an affable, funny, and talkative tone, will suck readers into his life story immediately... Cliff breaks the fourth wall often, adding rich layers to this creative work of metafiction. Lubar plays with tropes expertly, crafting a deeply relatable young man whom readers won't soon forget. VERDICT A fascinating and inspired novel for sophisticated readers." -- School Library Journal , starred review
Author Notes
DAVID LUBAR created a sensation with his debut novel, Hidden Talents , an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. He is also the author of True Talents , Flip , Extremities , the popular Weenies short story collections, and the Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie series, which has been optioned for TV. He lives in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 10 Up-Cliff awkwardly courts the girl he longs for, deals with his bitter father's growing resentment, and wonders what lies in store for him after graduation. Putting a dramatic spin on the typical coming-of-age story, Lubar sends his achingly funny, wholly original tale veering into the realm of metafiction and performs a literary sleight of hand that will shake readers to the core. © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Filled with wordplay and moments of wry observation and revelation, this contemporary coming-of-age-novel follows the trials of a big-hearted teen who suffers some hard knocks. The opening sequence, depicting a violent brawl between high school senior Cliff Sparks and his father, will draw readers in, but Cliff quickly admits the incident is a lie. "Do I have your attention? Good.... Nobody wants to explore new lands with an untrustworthy guide. But I'd hate for you to leave so soon after we've met," he tells readers. Lubar (Sophomores and Other Oxymorons) goes on to depict more everyday yet heart-wrenching examples of Cliff's victimization by bullies, rejections by girls, and awkward errors in judgment, all while juggling two jobs to replenish his dwindling college fund, which his father has dipped into since losing his job. Cliff's humorous perspective on his predicaments doesn't lessen their sharp impact, and readers will breathe a sigh of relief when Cliff is viewed to be worthy of at least one girl's love. However, contentment is short-lived-the novel throws a final strong punch that will warrant a re-examination of events to separate fact from fiction. Ages 13-up. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Cliff is a normal senior suffering from the angst of: 1) love-at-first-sight; 2) having no idea what to do with his life after graduation; and 3) probably getting thrown out of the house by his callous, unemployed dad when he turns eighteen. Lubar's sympathetic protagonist, entertaining metafictive devices, and pitch-perfect teenage-male voice deliver an honest, amusing take on a difficult time in life. (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Eighteen-year-old Cliff Sparks promises "one sweet-ass mother lode of a gripping tale" of his times at his New Jersey high school. "I'm going to spin a tale," Cliff tells readers. Though his is a character-driven tale, he doesn't feel up to hooking readers with his charisma and charm. Yet without a plot to pull the story along, he is all readers have, and he proves to be a character readers will want to spend time witha funny, smart, nice boy telling his story with spirit and panache, sometimes lying, sometimes even bursting out of his story to "raise your disbelief from the dead." He is an ordinary teenage boy, though on the bookish and artistic side, with a single-minded infatuation with Jillian and her breasts, and "coming of age" in his take on the classic theme means losing his virginitypreferably with her, but he's flexible about that. Not much really happensthere are few Cliff-hangers, so to speakbut readers will relish clever wordplay, fantasies, and a major secret. In a genre full of barely likable teenage protagonists, Cliff is a charmer, and readers will be cheering him on to finally come of age. Cliff is a character driven to fulfill his quest, and readers will be with him every step of the way. (Fiction. 13-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* With high-school graduation drawing near, Cliff stands at the precipice of his future, uncertain which way to jump. Yet he knows he has to do two things before the end of his senior year: lose his virginity and get Jillian, the new girl, to notice him. But that's not everything crowding his proverbial plate because life isn't that simple. His unemployed father threatens to kick him out when he turns 18 unless he contributes to the household, so Cliff works two part-time jobs and shelves the idea of college for the time being. His only havens are his closest friends, books, and art. However, one day he's forced to dial 911, and life as he knows it changes. The most alluring feature of this book is the effective way Cliff breaks the literary fourth wall to share truths and admissions with the reader. Readers will giggle and guffaw at Lubar's trademark humor, while their heartstrings are tugged and feelings are tied in knots. This exquisitely crafted coming-of-age novel gets down and dirty and even rebellious without sacrificing honesty, thoughtfulness, or respect. It wouldn't be fair to reveal whether he gets the girl, but readers will certainly fall for Cliff and find support in his trials and tribulations.--Fredriksen, Jeanne Copyright 2016 Booklist