Ned Vizzini’s exploration of growing from boy to adolescence covers familiar territory. He fully admits he was the dorky kid, the shy boy, the one who played Magic the Gathering when other kids were learning how to score with girls, etc. (why aren’t these boys-to-men stories ever written by the popular kids?).

So what’s different? Not much. The book manages to be intermittently funny, mainly because he doesn’t shy away from embarrassing situations in which he was front and center. However, there’s not much that is new here. He finds that movies are mainly full of nonsense about school, girls, interactions with other teenagers (but dead on target when it comes to cops). He’s embarrassed to be seen with his parents. Girls are a mystery. Oh well.

Mr. Vizzini manages to show a few insights along the way (about how to apply to colleges, e.g.). Otherwise there’s not a lot to recommend this autobiography above others of its type.

written by a teen author - age 14