Review Detail

Reader reviewed by bookworm9

Ben has spent his life as a loner, convinced that having cerebral palsy makes him a loser that no one will want to associate with. He spends a lot of time at the movies, where he runs into Colleen, a drug addict from his high school. Despite being high, Colleen acts friendly towards Ben on numerous occasions, and he falls for her hard. With Colleen giving him confidence and a new neighbor showing him the technical aspect, Ben sets out to make a documentary about high school life, and is surprised to learn how he is perceived among his classmates. Maybe he doesnt have to be just a spaz after all . . .

This was an interesting coming-of-age story, and Ben is an endearing narrator, although Koertge keeps him flippant and naïve rather than delving deeper into his character. Colleen is even more disappointing, as she serves as a vehicle for Bens growth rather than as a true characterK.L. Going did much better with the drug addicted character in her Fat Kid Rules the World than Koertge does herealthough admittedly the ending of Stoner & Spaz is more realistic than Fat Kid. Despite its flaws, this book was a fun read.