Permanent Record

by Leslie Stella Narrated by Nick Podehl

Overview

Being yourself can be such a bad idea. For 16-year-old Badi Hessamizadeh, life is a series of humiliations. After withdrawing from public school under mysterious circumstances, Badi enters Magnificat Academy. To make things "easier", his dad has even given him a new name: Bud Hess. Grappling with his Iranian-American identity, clinical depression, bullying, and a barely bottled rage, Bud is an outcast who copes by resorting to small revenges and covert acts of defiance, but the pressures of his home life, plummeting grades, and the unrequited affection of his new friend, Nikki, prime him for a more dangerous revolution.

Strange letters to the editor begin to appear in Magnificat's newspaper, hinting that some tragedy will befall the school. Suspicion falls on Bud, and he and Nikki struggle to uncover the real culprit and clear Bud's name.

Permanent Record explodes with dark humor, emotional depth, and a powerful look at the ways the bullied fight back.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Adult fiction writer Stella's first YA novel smartly tackles ethnic and social prejudice while introducing a remarkably strong underdog: 16-year-old Iranian-American Badi Hessamizadeh. Following Badi's destructive behavior at a public school (a result of being targeted by bullies post-9/11), Badi's father transfers him to Magnificat Academy and changes his name to Bud Hess, in hopes that he will clean up his act. Badi's depression, anxiety, anger, and compulsions make fitting in a challenge, though he does befriend two fellow outsiders, Nikki and Reggie. When Badi refuses to participate in the school's chocolate bar sale (he sees it as "forced labor"), and anonymous, antagonistic letters start appearing in the student newspaper, he is assumed to be the culprit and again becomes the victim of bullying. Readers will be absorbed by the mystery of the letter writer, as well as the tension surrounding acts of sabotage leading up to homecoming, but it's Badi's sardonic narrative that makes the novel crackle. Behind his nervous distrust of the world is a burgeoning resilience, depth of character, and commitment to battling injustice. Ages 14–up. Agent: Lucy Child, Aaron M. Priest Literary Agency. (Mar.)

From the Publisher

...an edgy, discomfiting attack on post-9/11 nerves and prejudices.” —Kirkus Reviews

“The draw here is the protagonist’s voice, with its mix of teenage angst, grown-up anxieties, and deep-seated anger.” —The Horn Book Magazine

“Permanent Record is one of my Favorite Books Read in 2013; and those who love The Perks of Being a Wallflower will also love this story of an outsider trying to find his way in the world.” — Liz Burns, A Chair, a Fireplace and a Tea Cozy, an SLJ blog

“A poignant and compelling tale of a unique high school outcast, told in a searing and memorable voice.” —David Klass, author of You Don’t Know Me

“Smart, funny, and psychologically complex. Leslie Stella is a brilliant writer, and her debut as a writer for teens is a dazzling achievement.” —Julianna Baggott, author of Pure

“[Badi’s] realization that everyone, no matter how cool or popular, has problems and deserves respect is an important one.” —Sarah Hunter, Booklist

School Library Journal - Audio

★ 10/01/2013
Gr 9 Up—In present day Chicago, an Iranian-American teenager is forced to transfer schools after repeated occurrences of bullying drive him over the edge. Fresh off a suicide attempt, Badi tries to begin anew at Magnificat Academy. At first things aren't so bad. He even makes a friend turned love interest, but when an anonymous writer begins sending letters to the school paper predicting a school tragedy, Badi quickly comes under suspicion. His depression, thinly veiled rage, and knack for explosives all make him look guilty. But in a post-9/11 world, it's his skin tone that really puts him under the microscope. Stella has written a dark, humorous, realistic novel (Skyscape, 2013) about the effects of bullying on teen life. The depictions of racism and living with depression are skillfully presented, making it easy for listeners to relate to the situations. Nick Podehl's narration is masterful. Each character comes to life with a vibrant energy that makes it easy to differentiate one from another. Stella did not write Badi as an overwhelmingly loveable character, and Podehl's interpretation of him remains true to those intentions. Teens can learn a great deal from the 16-year-old's experiences, and the novel is a must-have for all school or public libraries.—Jennifer Furuyama, Pendleton Public Library, OR

Kirkus Reviews

"I'm just Bud Hess, transfer student, underachiever, nobody." Badi Hessamizadeh is clinically depressed, on the rebound from a suicide attempt and subject both to crippling panic attacks and fits of rage after years of ethnic bullying. Now, he's trying for a fresh start with a new name (arbitrarily changed by his well-intentioned but overbearing father) and a new high school, Magnificat Academy. It's not to be, as (in overt homage to a certain YA classic) he refuses to sell chocolate bars and so not only earns a restroom beating, but becomes a target of widespread suspicion when, coupled with rumors of his past, anonymous threatening letters begin to appear in the school paper. Playing out her crossover as a dark comedy, adult author Stella (Unimaginable Zero Summer, 2005) further stacks the deck by giving her Iranian-American protagonist a penchant for making lists of enemies, constructing small explosive devices and other provocative acts. She also outfits him with new friends who stubbornly like him despite both his issues and a preference for pranks that annoy the cast's largely clueless adults but put only him at risk. Despite characters exaggerated to the point of caricature, an edgy, discomfiting attack on post-9/11 nerves and prejudices. (Fiction. 14-18)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940172378997
Publisher:	Brilliance Audio
Publication date:	03/05/2013
Edition description:	Unabridged

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