Spurt

January 30, 2017
By eighth grade, Jack Sprigley expected puberty to be in full swing. Instead, the 14-year-old is “stranded on Pubeless Island,” and his obsession with his absent hormones drives a wedge between him and his friends. Then, Jack is contacted by Bigwigs, a reality TV competition he previously appeared on that wants to film him for a reunion episode. As Jack attempts to fake the physiological changes that have been slow to arrive, his narrative overflows with body humor and boldly tackles teenage insecurities. However, Jack’s hasty evolution from a wannabe cocky kid to a compassionate, altruistic friend is not particularly believable; readers may struggle to get excited about a protagonist who kicks his grandmother out of her apartment so he can live there and who manipulates a popular older girl into being his fake girlfriend for the show. Though Jack’s father’s death is brought up, it’s never fully explored as a catalyst for Jack’s behavior. In the end, it’s not entirely clear what Australian author Miles wants this book to be: a funny book about puberty or a coming-of-age tale about a kid learning to accept who he is. Ages 11–14.