"Vlahos captures both the worst and best of society . . . Numerous laugh-out-loud moments and beautifully drawn characters make for a powerful journey that will leave a lasting imprint on readers." - starred review, Publishers Weekly
"Compelling and complex . . . A thought-provoking, moving story with wicked humor and madcap action." - VOYA
"An unsettling rumination on the spectacle of tragedy." - Kirkus Reviews
"Vlahos artfully blends the whimsical and the poignant . . . An achingly funny satire that will appeal more to . . . sophisticated teens." - School Library Journal
"Vlahos successfully (and with vicious humor) takes . . . chances: telling some of the story from the perspective of the tumor; dealing with questions about the sanctity of life; and exposing the toll cancer takes on both patient and loved ones . . . Bold, biting fare often so dark you sometimes want to look away. But you can’t." - starred review, Booklist
"A multifaceted send-up of contemporary cultural life and values regarding the right to die and the spectacle of personal tragedy. . . . The narrative structure and tone compel interest, humor, judgment, and righteous anger, and readers will be left with much to discuss." - BCCB
"A weird, sardonic delight with the shape of an allegory and the heart of a joyful song." - Brenna Yovanoff, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of THE REPLACEMENT
"Surprising, original, political, and deeply affecting . . . It is one of those rare works of art that keeps you guessing up to the very last page." - Leila Sales, author of THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE
"It will tear you apart, and yet it's an absolute joy." - Adi Alsaid, author of LET’S GET LOST and NEVER, ALWAYS, SOMETIMES
"Vlahos balances a precarious, heartbreaking, and wholly 21st-century premise with a compulsively readable and well-plotted story." - Janet Geddis, Avid Bookshop, Athens, GA
"Once again, Vlahos strikes all the right chords . . . You know these people and you want to know what happens to them beyond the story." - Paul Hanson, General Manager at Village Books in Bellingham, WA
"Len Vlahos has pulled off a brilliant exploration of intimacy in modern society . . . [H]umorous, while being poignant and haunting at the same time." - Allison Hill, CEO of Vroman's Bookstore and Book Soup in Southern California
"A wry, stylish tale." - The New York Times Sunday Book Review on THE SCAR BOYS
"Distinguished in every way." - starred review, School Library Journal on THE SCAR BOYS
"Etches its way onto the heart and leaves a mark." - Kirkus Reviews on THE SCAR BOYS
10/01/2016
Gr 9 Up—When Jared Stone is diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, he decides to sell himself on eBay in order to provide for his wife and teenage daughters. Though the auction is quickly shut down, he attracts the attention of a sanctimonious, power-hungry Catholic nun; a teenage girl hoping to save him; a bored, sociopathic billionaire; and a soulless executive who will pay the family five million dollars in exchange for participating in a reality TV show broadcasting the last few months of the man's existence. The Stones agree to the TV deal, but Jackie, Jared's perceptive 15-year-old daughter, soon goes rogue, using every power at her disposal to expose the manipulative machinations of the television network. The author (The Scar Boys) incisively skewers reality TV, the Internet, celebrity culture, and religion, but he's equally adept at exploring the emotional lives of his characters; the bond between Jared and Jackie is especially rich. Describing the responses and experiences of the tumor, called Glio, who gleefully feasts upon Jared's most cherished memories, Vlahos artfully blends the whimsical and the poignant. While the prose is accessible, the premise (the fear of being unable to take care of one's family) and the focus on so many adult characters make this a candidate for a more mature audience. VERDICT An achingly funny satire that will appeal more to grown-up consumers of YA and sophisticated teens, especially fans of A.S. King or Aaron Starmer.—Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal
2016-09-19
The members of a white, all-American family become the reluctant subjects of a reality TV show recording father Jared Stone's rapid decline from a brain tumor. Disoriented after receiving the news that he has an inoperable high-grade glioblastoma multiforme in his brain, Jared concocts a desperate plan to ensure the financial stability of his family after his death. He auctions his life on eBay to the highest bidders to do with him what they please, forgetting, in his tumor-addled confusion, to consult his family about his plans. What follows is a tragicomic romp through Jared's last months, related through the perspectives of the figures who have a vested interest in his life, from his family to the bidders (a motley assortment including a Catholic nun, a callous television executive, and a teenage gamer) to Jared's tumor itself, anthropomorphized and nicknamed Glio. The resulting reality show aggressively impinges on the privacy and dignity of the Stone family, as Glio gleefully consumes Jared's most cherished memories. Amid the chaos, Jared's quiet older daughter Jackie finds the courage to fight back by staging a behind-the-scenes show of her own. Vlahos' deadpan third-person narration amuses, but it also distances readers from the characters' emotional lives. Ironically, it is Glio who shines through most vividly as he tragically devours Jared's world. An unsettling rumination on the spectacle of tragedy. (Fiction. 15 & up)
