Grasshopper Jungle

This week I read Grasshopper Jungle, by Andrew Smith. I love this book. It is hilarious, well written and interesting. The story, while seemingly very straightforward, has a lot more depth and meaning than may be apparent in the front flap of the book. This book is about a boy named Austin Szerba, a polish boy who lives in a rural Iowa town called Ealing. One day, Austin and his best friend Robby Brees accidentally unleash an army of giant, bulletproof grasshoppers, who only want to do two things. These grasshoppers are bent on destroying the world. While the number of grasshoppers increases, Austin must struggle through his emotional and hormonal needs and confusions. This book is amazing. It is well written, and had me sitting on the couch, holding a book, and laughing my butt off. It is pretty mature, if you didn't get the clue from "hormonal needs", and may make some people uncomfortable. There is much smoking, some drinking, lots of cursing, and much sexual thought. These are part of what makes the book so hilarious and quirky. This book is a very worthwhile one to read, and is one of my favorites. Please read it.