YOUTH IN REVOLT (C.D. Payne) - January 25/10

Though I'm still not sure if this counts as a stand-alone book, Youth in Revolt is an extremely entertaining account of one summer in the life of an almost absurdly verbose teen. Nick Twisp is as original a protagonist as I've encountered in quite some time, and his would-be relationship with Sheeni is certainly quite compelling. Armed with a host of quirky supporting characters - Lefty, Wally, etc - Youth in Revolt is a breezy read that's admittedly at its best in the sequences revolving around Nick and Sheeni's short-lived relationship. ***1/2 out of ****