Carter Finally Gets It

( 22 )

Overview

Meet Will Carter, but feel free to call him Carter. (Yes, he knows it's a lazy nickname, but he didn't have much say in the matter.)

Here are five things you should know about him:

1. He has a stuttering problem, particularly around boobs and belly buttons.

2. He battles ...

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Carter Finally Gets It

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More About This Book

Overview

Meet Will Carter, but feel free to call him Carter. (Yes, he knows it's a lazy nickname, but he didn't have much say in the matter.)

Here are five things you should know about him:

1. He has a stuttering problem, particularly around boobs and belly buttons.

2. He battles Attention Deficit Disorder every minute of every day unless he gets distracted.

3. He's a virgin, mostly because he's no good at talking to girls (see number 1).

4. He's about to start high school.

5. He's totally not ready.

Join Carter for his freshman year, where he'll search for sex, love, and acceptance anywhere he can find it. In the process, he'll almost kill a trombone player, face off with his greatest nemesis, suffer a lot of blood loss, narrowly escape death, run from the cops (not once, but twice), get caught up in a messy love triangle, meet his match in the form of a curvy drill teamer, and surprise the hell out of everyone, including himself.

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Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

"All I think about is girls, and I don't do anything about it," laments Carter at the beginning of this true-to-life, edgy and often hilarious debut novel. The first-person narrative nails the voice of an earnest-and hyper-active-teen starting freshman year with big aspirations and considerable anxiety. Carter's priority is finding a girlfriend, a mission he comically bungles at numerous junctures-"This isn't Queer Eye. Back off, you stalker!" he chastises himself after drowning a girl in compliments. In one telling scene, Carter attends his first high school party, confident that this will be the night he'll have sex, yet scales back his expectations dramatically as he tries to fight back tears when a senior steals his bike ("No, no, no crying! There's kissing to be done"). Carter's trials and triumphs in sports also come into play, as does his rapport with his caustic older sister and oafish friends. Crawford, an actor, stages an unexpected, affecting finale in which Carter finds confidence and fulfillment in an unlikely role: the lead in the spring musical. Teenage guys will totally get this. Ages 13-up. (Apr.)

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Children's Literature - Sharon Oliver
Whether Will Carter actually ever really gets it is up for debate, but author Crawford has done a spectacular job of channeling his inner 14-year-old in the writing of this book. Unsure of his readiness to enter high school, Will bemoans his boring nickname (i.e., Carter), fears the ginormous upperclassmen and wonders how he will ever stay on track with his ADD. Carter's concentration problems are additionally impacted by his new focus on boobs, butts and belly buttons. Formerly chubby Abby catches Carter's attention, but he derails his success with her by accidentally asking another girl to a dance. He unintentionally takes on the school bully and, although he prevails, this does not quite bring him the reputation he hoped for. Just as he thinks he is on the right track with a girl, he is dumped at the school dance by his middle school crush. Carter also must deal with a slightly demented older sister trying to give him advice about girls. Searching for success on the football field and in drama class, Carter continues his pursuit of the unfathomable female. While this book is light on plot, readers will laugh out loud at Carter's antics and feel his pain. It is a great selection for boys who will certainly relate to Carter and his issues. Some rough language relegates this novel to high school and YA collections, where it will surely be appreciated. Reviewer: Sharon Oliver
School Library Journal
Gr 8–11—Will Carter, nicknamed Carter, is a bundle of confusion as he begins high school. He's pretty sure his stutter will keep girls away and his ADD will make it difficult to be successfulcess in the classroom or where it really matters—on the ball field. But when his older sister gives him advice on how to pick up girls—and not embarrass her—Carter lands a date with Abby. He sweetly stumbles into romance and, of course, quickly screws it up. What makes this story so fresh is that Carter begins as a popular guy—he has friends, girls like him, and he's good at sports—but deep down he is insecure. Carter bumbles his way through the school year and into and out of one funny situation after another. Narrator Nick Podehl turns in a brilliant performance. He takes the humorous dialogue of first-time YA author Brent Crawford's story (Hyperion, 2009) and raises the bar to hilarious, using exaggeration, pauses, and pitch to great effect. Constant mild profanity, lots of locker-room humor, and Carter's fixation on sex make this a choice for older teens. Crawford has gotten it just right. Let's hope there is a sequel.—Tricia Melgaard, Centennial Middle School, Broken Arrow, OK
Kirkus Reviews
Freshmen firsts: hookups, heartaches, humiliations. Though 14-year-old Will Paul Carter flopped during his last high dive of the summer, he's still looking forward to a madcap school year with hot chicks and honorable competitions. Dating isn't as easy as his sister suggested, however, and his subpar baseball skills keep him off the team with his cohorts. Instead, Carter takes to the stage and gets the girl and the glory as a thespian instead of a jock. Endowed with an infectious narrative voice, Carter builds up readers' energy, though the manic behavior wears thin occasionally. His focus bounces from unrelated topic to unrelated topic between chapters, but the disjointed flow is natural and underscores the character's Attention Deficit Disorder. Awkward humor abounds, from a fast-forward porn tape to speed leg-shaving to nervous bowels, and teen guys will love the opportunity to laugh at their best friend while avoiding embarrassment themselves. Crawford avoids moralizing, while nicely balancing toilet humor and developing social maturity. (Fiction. YA)
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781423112471
  • Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
  • Publication date: 5/4/2010
  • Pages: 320
  • Sales rank: 149,164
  • Age range: 13 - 17 Years
  • Product dimensions: 5.40 (w) x 8.20 (h) x 0.80 (d)

Meet the Author

Brent Crawford was born in Kansas but moved to LA and then New York to pursue an acting career. He has worked in theatre, film, TV, and commercials (check him out on IMDB.com). He's written numerous plays and scripts, as well as waited tables, bartended, sold hardware and clothing, worked construction, and even dumped airplane toilets (where do you think it goes?). He's now a full-time writer, back in Kansas.
This is Brent's first young adult novel.

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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 22 )
Rating Distribution

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(13)

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(8)

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 22 Customer Reviews

  • Posted September 14, 2009

    more from this reviewer

    I Also Recommend:

    Twisted

    Hilarious!!!!

    This book was freakin' hilarious! I found myself laughing out loud alone while reading it. It was so cleverly written and wonderfully witty. Will Carter is definitely real to me, like a real live living breathing person, not just some character in a fiction novel. Although I'm female, I could just FEEL this poor boys angst as if it were my own. I myself have always wondered the inner workings of a young teenage boys mind... and the thought process and misadventures of Carter was just so much fun to read. You find yourself cheering for him to succeed and hang your head down in shame when he screws up. Even though this story was told from a teenage boys perspective, young females will still be able to take away something from Carter's story. Because ultimately, this story is about finding your place in the world and being OK with who you are and what you can and cannot do. A true coming of age story at its core... I very rarely say this... but I would love to see this turn into a movie and brought to life. I can't wait to see what else Brent Crawford brings to the table!

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 24, 2012

    Wicked Awesome

    Every single chapter gave me a surge of greatness and left me laughing.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted October 3, 2012

    Highly Recommended

    I personally love this book because it is a easy read. I also think the author really gets how a guy in highschool thinks. Once i pick up this book I cant stop reading. This book is a addiction. I am personally going to be upset once I finish this book. This is the best book I have ever read.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted February 7, 2012

    A really fun read!

    Was searching high and low for a good book and stumbled across this one. It was a quick read and a lot of fun! Carter is a great character as are his friends and the girls in his life. Abby seems like such a sweetheart and has to put up with Carter's shenanigans! Can't wait to read the next installment and even just found out there is going to be a 3rd book later this year!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 24, 2011

    AWESOME BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    All I have to say, is that this book is definitely one of THE BEST BOOKS that I have EVER read, and if you know me, you know I've read many. This has definitely has made my top three (including the sequel)! I just hope others read it and enjoy it as much as I did. This book is funny, insightful, and everything else you would want a book to be. Any teenager like me, or maybe even an adult reminiscing about when they were younger and all the crazy things they did, would LOVE this book. I even tell my friends about parts in the book and make them laugh. I didn't even want to return the book to the library it was so good! This book is amazing, it should be one of those required readings for school or something! haha, yeah I know, i'm babbling, but that reminds me of a certain someone......hahaha

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 4, 2013

    Hevlikes bbbbbbbboooooooobbbbbbbbsssssssss

    Hoes

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted May 14, 2010

    Crazy Fun!

    This book is really great. it makes you laugh throughout the whole time. i actually read it in one day and loved it. my friend would even ask me to read the book out loud to her when i was reading it around her so she could hear the story and laugh at all the insane things carter would do. i would reccommend this story to anyone who is looking for a laugh and for a witty book. Whenever im sad i can always read a part of that book and count on it to make me laugh. great book totally worth reading

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  • Posted April 24, 2010

    Hilarious

    Echoing what an earlier reviewer said, this book resonates with people of any age. It is the story of 14-yr-old Carter as he navigates his freshman year. I laughed out loud nearly the whole way through and kept showing excerpts to my husband, family, and friends. It made my high school experiences suddenly make much more sense! My husband assures me that the thoughts Carter experiences are real.
    My only issue was the book was how Carter and his friends objectify girls as a vehicle of sex. Only towards the end of the book does Carter really begin to see Abby as more than boobs. Though the book is probably true to the way boys think, I believe that there needs to be conversation with these boys to make sure they "get it".

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  • Posted August 20, 2009

    more from this reviewer

    Reviewed by Sarah Bean the Green Bean Teen Queen for TeensReadToo.com

    Carter is a freshman. He'd like to find a girlfriend but he stutters around boobs and belly buttons. Carter will maneuver through a freshman year of sports, jocks, bullies, rivals, first love - and finally getting it.

    This book is hilarious! Seriously, pick this one up!! Brent Crawford has captured the awkwardness of adolescence and made it a fun read. I couldn't stop laughing.

    I think this one would be a great read, but I loved the narrator for the audiobook. I had seen the book around, but a co-worker told me to listen to the audio and I'm so glad I did.

    The story goes through Carter's freshman year, and the way narrator Nick Podehl captures Carter's voice is so perfect and makes this one a really fun listen. Check out the sample audio. CARTER FINALLY GETS IT is one of my new favorite audiobooks and must-haves for those new to trying books on CD (and of course long time fans, too).

    The thing I liked most about this one, aside from the great narration, is that Carter is easy to relate to. He plays sports, but he's not really a jock. He goes after girls, but he's not the smooth, popular guy. He joins the school musical, but he's not a drama nerd.

    Even though this one is about a fourteen-year-old boy and told from his point of view, it has lots of female appeal, too. Anyone (and any age) can relate to Carter - we've all been freshman, we've all competed for something, and we've all had that first love.

    I highly recommend this one. If you're thinking of reading it, try the audiobook - you won't be sorry!!

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    Posted September 18, 2010

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