Title: Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie
Author: David Lubar
F/NF: Fiction
Genre: Realistic fiction, more than a hint of romance, self-discovery
Colors: Gold, purple, light pink
Humor: Oh, definitely. Presented in a rather informal way, but not vulgar.
Stereotypical? : Well, yeah. But the zinger is that it takes a classic high school setup (awkward boy is friends with cute girl, they become BF/GF, happy ending) and turns it on its head in an imaginative and entertaining way.
Originality Rating: Out of ten, this gets… a six-point-five.
Imagery Level: Not hugely high… the book focuses on character development and personality rather than vivid imagery. Out of ten, this gets a three. But the twist on the plot and character relationships (even if they are a little shallow at times) is simply lovable.
Lexile? : Decent. Some vocabulary is thrown in to give that pop quiz feeling, but not enough to make the book unlikeable. So win-win, I guess.
Sarcasm: Yeah. But the story has more romance towards the end, and loses that somewhat bitter/lonely tone. Not that this tone is overpowering or annoying. But it does add some flavor to this. And the journal/letter entries to a major character (all right, it’s actually his unborn sibling, due in a few months) are chock full of epithets.
Conclusive? : Yup, the ending ties enough of the plot lines together to create a happy, if flawed (perfectly) conclusion. Yes, this story is perfectly flawed. It has enough open plot threads that the author might write a sequel if he wanted to, and leaves just enough to the imagination of the reader to dream of a sophomore year.
And now, the review. Remember, there will always be spoilers in the main review. So skim if you prefer that or just read my quick review (spoilers mostly absent).
Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie is a decent book. It’s not going to win the Nobel Prize in Literature anytime soon, though it may be one of the more enjoyable books about high school. Our friend, Scott Hudson, is beginning his freshman year (as the title implies). And his former friend, Julia, will be attending the same school as Scott. Scott gets the idea that he can date Julia if he can only get close enough to ask her out. Yet time and again, circumstances stop him from ever getting that chance. And what’s worse, his closest friends are either leaving town or alienating him, and his mother is pregnant with a soon-to-be-born sibling. Soon, it seems there is nothing left for Scott to hold on to of his pre-high-school life.
And then the new girl, Lee, arrives, decked out in punk and gothic style. No one makes an effort to be friends with her. Except… Yup, except Scott. For all her quirks, Lee is a character who is cute in a far different way than most “high school” stories portray. Her practically fatalist and existentialist exterior belies a (mostly) friendly nature that she covers with inks and piercings (primarily to scare others). For a comparison, think Emily Osment in "The Haunting Hour: Don’t Think About It," except with say twenty to thirty piercings (earrings, nose rings, etc.). Got that mental picture? Well, factor in her choice of clothes and actions. Instead of trying to fit in at a new school, she chooses to be different and does not regret this decision, which shows something about her personality. And her strange quips (one-liners printed and directed to nobody in particular) serve to further her character development. The two become friends, and Scott continues to fruitlessly chase Julia. He also befriends one of the toughest people in the school, Wesley, who turns out to be a good person as well (though still extremely tough).
But when the dance approaches, Scott is faced with a dilemma. He wants to ask Julia, but realizes he has feelings for Lee too. And… this synopsis is finished. The book contains characters with little idiosyncrasies that define them. Scott feels like his life is falling apart, and getting a date seems a Sisyphean task. Julia, a sweet girl, seems to have everything a stereotypical love interest in a high school novel does- good looks, intelligence, and most importantly, a boyfriend who doesn’t appreciate her. Lee… is far too complex to explain in a single sentence. And Wesley is far more than he seems. (Cryptic, I know. No, he’s not a secret vampire. You people have been reading way too much Twilight.) And… will Scott figure out what he is meant to do? On a rather random and witty reference by the author (or perhaps an unintentional one, though this idea is unlikely), the school is named J.P. Zenger High, which I take to mean John Peter Zenger, famous in American history for his case of providing the truth against difficult circumstances (wrongly sued for libel, and who helped establish freedom of the press). Just randomly musing.
Oh, final score. Seven and a half out of ten awkward freshmen. For the wonderful plot, the curious cast of characters, and the little touches that make this book unique. And the interesting revelations at the end were a nice seal on the end of the book. Actually, this deserves an eight. My only concern was the dialogue, which sometimes didn’t do much to further the plot and was simplistic at times. But this is a good story, one to read when you feel uncertain or confused about who you are and where you’re going in life. It reminds you that sometimes, for all your efforts, things won’t go exactly as you plan. And sometimes, things will just work out. In a way that can only be described as flawed perfectly and perfectly flawed.
You know what, I’m going to leave High School Confidential for next time. Something to look forward to. And soon after, expect a very interesting post-apocalyptic tale; its title is a pun upon a classic catchphrase in disaster movies: “_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ may cease to exist…” Be back with another post soon! Keep checking. I’ll try to get new admins and reviewers if I can. Anyone interested, please leave a comment and email and I will try to respond quickly.
Keep reading,
~V
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