Skip to main content

GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE by Andrew Smith



copyright date: February 2014
primarily marketed for: young adults (high school)

Reading Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith felt like being let in on a secret. 

The flap copy had me completely baffled as to why I wanted to read a book about an unstoppable army of hungry, horny, giant praying mantis creatures.  However, after reading Winger, I was sure Smith’s writing would be brilliant, and the buzz amongst my social media connections was that the book kept people thinking long after they finished reading.  There was no way to know for myself other than to jump right in and start reading, to hear the secret firsthand. 

From the very start I was equally shocked, amused, and charmed by Austin Szerba and his friend Robby Brees. They are pretty typical teenage boys living in a small town in Iowa.  Austin is struggling with typical teenage boy things, like confusion over his feelings for his girlfriend and his best friend, who both happen to be in love with him.  He is also dealing with family issues, including a depressed older brother who was recently injured in Afghanistan.  An additional challenge, or perhaps a means of coping with the challenges he faces, is his sense of connection to the men who came before Austin in the Szerba family history. 

All of these strands of Austin’s existence intertwine as a plague strain is accidentally released, causing humans who come into contact with it to turn into unstoppable hungry, horny, giant praying mantis creatures.

Although it is at this point that the story sort of becomes about it being up to Austin and Robby to save their town, their world, and themselves, Grasshopper Jungle is so much more than an epic battle between boys and beasts. 

The secret to this book is not in the story it tells, but rather the secret lies in how the story is told.  The secret is in the voice of Austin Szerba, in his history.  The secret is the lambent craft of Andrew Smith.
Labels:

Comments

  1. Deb DayApril 16, 2014 at 6:12 AM

    Loving this book! My students watch me read it in class every day just to see my reaction and hear me read whatever it was that made me laugh (I'm not sure I could do the whole book as a read aloud!)

    ReplyDelete
  2. elsieJune 4, 2016 at 1:25 PM

    Would you like a signed copy of this book? I will bring it and others to All-Write.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Christy Rush-LevineJune 4, 2016 at 9:16 PM

      Yes, yes, and yes!! Another fabulous reason to look forward to All-Write!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

TAKE WHAT YOU CAN CARRY by Kevin C. Pyle

copyright date: March 2012 primarily marketed for: young adults (12 and up) Despite the fact that the teacher in me sees so many lesson possibilities in Kevin C. Pyle’s graphic novel Take What You Can Carry , you should read it simply for the grace of its stories.   The artwork is as striking as the stories it tells.   Using artwork in two different colors and styles, Pyle tells the stories of two teenage boys living years and miles apart.   And yet, he communicates the universality in their experiences.   One boy is a Japanese American forced to move into an internment camp during WWII.   His family struggles to maintain their dignity and sense of peace under unbearable conditions. The other is a rebellious boy with an attitude whose reckless behavior causes him to wind up in trouble with the law.   To make amends, he finds himself completing community service hours in the most unlikely place.   I found my...
1 comment
Read more

THE SEA IN WINTER by Christine Day

  release date: January 5, 2021 primarily marketed for: Middle grades The Sea in Winter  by Christine Day is a gift to its readers. It is a book of quiet strength with much to offer.  Maisie is a ballet dancer who feels most herself when she is at the dance studio. However, at the start of this story, Maisie is coping with a serious knee injury that prevents her from dancing long-term. She misses her friends from dance and struggles to maintain those connections when she is no longer part of the dancing life they shared.  When her mom and stepdad plan a road trip to the Olympic Peninsula to visit sites of familial and cultural significance, Maisie stubbornly overworks her healing knee. She is determined to heal and return to the studio  faster than expected. Although her knee is the only focus of Maisie's wellness journey, it turns out there is more to healing than physical fitness.  Maisie is a quietly compelling character, but I was surprised to find myse...
Post a Comment
Read more

THE GREATEST SUPERPOWER by Alex Sanchez

copyright date: January 1, 2021 primarily marketed for: middle grades The Greatest Superpower  by Alex Sanchez is a gem. I was in a bit of a reading slump until I picked up this book, thanks to NetGalley .  This middle grades book is about comic book loving Jorge who is navigating his parents' divorce and his first crush on a girl. Jorge's parents not only announce they are getting divorced, but his father also reveals to Jorge and his twin brother Cesar that she is transgender and wishes to live as her true self.  Although this announcement is a confusing surprise to Jorge, his love for his father ultimately trumps all. Cesar, however, is angry at their dad and works to prevent Jorge from sharing the truth with his friends.  In the midst of the changes in Jorge's family life, he and his friends are trying to invent a new superhero for a comic book contest. When Jorge blurts out the idea of the superpower to gender-shift, his friends jump on board.  Conversatio...
Post a Comment
Read more