The end of the world has come. And Austin and his best
friend Robby accidently caused it. They didn’t mean to let the town bullies
sneak into their boss’s creepy office and release a plague. Or to find a secret
bunker underneath Austin’s girlfriend, Shann’s, house. And that kiss on the
roof of the antique mall wasn’t supposed to happen either. Not to mention the
Unstoppable Corn… But here the three friends are, in the middle of godforsaken
Iowa, with hungry, horny, six-foot-tall praying mantises over-running the town.
There’s no way they can stop it, so they might as well cope (and survive) the
best they can.
This was an awesomely weird story, and I loved every single
moment of it. I only read it a few weeks ago, but I already want to read it
again. Even though it features monsters right out of a B-rated horror flick, I
can’t use any other word but “literature” to describe what I found within
Grasshopper Jungle. This book is so freaking complex. Austin is the narrator,
but we hear about Austin’s grandfather and his talking nightingale, and how the
bugs are multiplying too. He’s kind of a semi-omniscient narrator, which goes
along with him being a budding historian. At times, due to this style of
narration, I’m reminded of Vonnegut’s writing – something I first heard from
author A.S. King (who will also be at the Festival this year!) when she came to
talk at the TBF Read-a-Thon back in October. I also really love how Austin tries
figure out his sexuality and to understand himself during the novel – not
exactly a coming of age novel, but still… It holds the important message of
discovery in any circumstances. Above all, Andrew Smith’s writing is gorgeous
and refreshing, even when what he’s writing is vulgar, odd, or straight-up
weird – it’s all described and explained in a signature, detailed manner, which
adds to half of the fun while reading it. I LOVED Grasshopper Jungle, and I’d
strongly recommend it to readers who like sci-fi, literature, and dystopias.
(And even if it seems strange, just stick it out – it’s worth it!) I cannot
wait to meet Andrew Smith at TBF this year!
Happy Reading!
Elizabeth
Try watching the Grasshopper Jungle book trailer too, and check out our interview with Andrew Smith!
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