Stranger Than Fanfiction

February 20, 2017
In Colfer’s (the Land of Stories series) first YA novel, four Illinois teens join the 20-something star of their favorite TV show, Wiz Kids, on a road trip. Topher Collins never expected Cash Carter to respond to his invitation to accompany him and three friends on their post-graduation tour of tourist attractions between Illinois and California, and he certainly didn’t expect Cash to be so reckless and candid. As the five veer from their carefully planned itinerary, hidden truths emerge, threatening to ruin their friendship, but eventually bringing them closer. Colfer touches on sexuality, identity, familial expectations, and acceptance through his characters, but many discussions feel rushed and deserving of deeper consideration, including when one character comes out as transgender. Attempts to make the characters relatable can turn cringe-worthy; during a confession while high, Topher confesses that he once dosed his younger brother, who has cerebral palsy, with cough medicine in order to sneak out and watch an episode of Wiz Kids. The book succeeds as offbeat escapism, but it doesn’t adequately address the serious topics it introduces. Ages 15–up.

June 5, 2017
In Colfer’s YA novel, four teenagers, diehard fans of the sci-fi TV show Wiz Kids, embark on a road trip and get the surprise of their life when the star of the show, Cash Carter, accepts their invitation to join them. They are disconcerted when Cash turns out to be more troubled, reckless, and cynical than the heroic character he plays on TV, but his blunt truth-telling brings up secrets the four have been keeping from each other, and his devil-may-care attitude encourages them to loosen up, have more fun, and take more risks. Author Colfer narrates with a lighthearted, engaging tone that brings out the humor and evokes sympathy in the more poignant moments. He deftly differentiates the characters’ voices. It’s a fun listen that will appeal to teens as well as anyone who is involved with online fandom communities. Ages 15–up. A Little, Brown hardcover.

February 15, 2017
A young, white television star breaks away from Hollywood to go on a cross-country road trip with four of his biggest fans.Cash Carter, with his good looks and celebrity status as the lead on the wildly successful television show Wiz Kids, seems to have it all. The only problem is that he is miserable. Tired of feeling that he has no control over his life, he answers a fan letter inviting him to accompany four friends on their pre-college road trip from Illinois to California. While Colfer has some good insights into the realities of dealing with fame, this latest novel is a paint-by-numbers coming-of-age story with cringeworthy dialogue and a cast of stock characters whose racial and sexual diversity feels forced and provides little three-dimensionality. Every character-stereotype box is checked, from the mixed-race closeted preacher's son to the Japanese-American girl whose father barely understands English and is intent on pushing her into Stanford. The author clearly understands the downside of becoming a young TV sensation but struggles to translate that experience to Cash's character in a way that generates empathy. The supporting characters have their own struggles but are off on their road trip before those can resonate with readers. The novel's best scene is when Cash helps the closeted character accept himself. A standard novel about being true to who you are. (Fiction. 15-17)

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April 1, 2017

Gr 10 Up-Steeped in pop culture references, this work tells the story of four friends, Topher, Sam, Mo, and Joey, who just graduated from high school and are about to embark on a two-week-long road trip from Chicago to California as one last hurrah before heading their separate ways. The common thing that has united them since adolescence is the popular show Wiz Kids. The friends regularly got together to watch the weekly episodes and have a shared sense of admiration for the star of the show, Cash Carter. The book opens with a chapter about rebellious Cash, who is going out of his way to do anything other than what his producers and costars would like. The production team would not like to see his recreational activities publicized, so Cash is immediately presented as the bad boy. Readers learn the history of the foursome and how they came to be friends before embarking on the cross-country rite of passage. These chapters go into more depth about each of the individual characters and their secrets. As avid computer and social media users who often send Cash fan mail, the four decide to invite him on their road trip. Cash responds with two words: "What time?" This quick read touches on many current trends, using teen jargon and references while also tackling identity issues of gender, race, and sexuality, among others. The characters all have absent parents, who neither understand nor listen to their kids. This title evokes a reality TV show, complete with teen angst and poor decision-making. VERDICT An additional selection.-Jessica Lorentz Smith, Bend Senior High School, OR

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2018
Cash Carter, star of a hit TV show, accepts the offer from four super-fans who invite him on a cross-country road trip; along the way, the slightly older Cash alleviates all the teens' problems with sage advice. The important issues of diversity actor/author Colfer addresses would be welcome if it didn't seem like he was talking down to teens in this poorly written dramedy.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)