Grasshopper Jungle, by Andrew Smith

Grasshopper Jungle, by Andrew Smith, was about a boy named Austin Szerba, his best friend, Robby Brees, and his girlfriend, Shannon Collins, who all live in the small town of Ealing, Iowa. Throughout the book Austin explains to the reader about his Polish ancestry, how his family eventually got to live in Iowa, all the while struggling with his own identity and feelings toward Robby and Shannon. If that wasn't enough for him, after their confrontation from of group of boys from Hoover, Robby and Austin have to deal with the plague they let loose that turns ordinary people into six-foot tall carnivorous monsters.

Overall I enjoyed the book very much, it was interesting and unlike anything I have ever read before. There humorous parts throughout the book and I enjoyed the characters since they were well developed and changed a great deal. The author's writing was fluid and in my opinion he did a great job of combining the main character's past with what was already going on. It was an amazing well written book, and I'd recommend this book for teens and young adults who are interested in science fiction and apocalyptic books.

Reviewed by Lusine M., Grade 8

Glendale Central Library