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Move over all you comedic writers, because a new force has entered the genre. Amber Kizer, a Washington state author, has blasted into the realms of excellence with her hilarious first novel, Gert Garibaldi’s Rants and Raves: One Butt Cheek at a Time.
Kizer’s book follows Gert Garibaldi (a hated name, given to her by her ancient parents) through a portion of her sophomore year in high school. Her experiences run the gamut (as do ALL sophomore girls) from the bliss of first love to the horror of getting your period at the same instant you have to stand in front of the class and give a presentation.
I found Gert’s interaction with her (slightly daft) parents dead-on; after all what do these oldsters know about the angst of teen life? Later, a visit to Victoria’s Secret changes part of that concept! I also loved the dynamics (and honesty) of Gert’s friendship with Adam, her gay best friend. Pals since forever, Gert and Adam share their fears and hopes about first dates and first kisses, while following the challenges to their friendship when a third party comes onto the scene.
From beginning to end, Kizer paints a picture a high school we can all imagine, including a sexy sex-ed teacher, a driver’s ed instructor who has to bring a portable oxygen tank along on the rides, and a princi-PAL! who wants to grade students on how much they weigh! I loved, too, Kizer’s side-splitting humor; if anyone can capture a teenage girl’s inner thoughts, this author can! There were several spots in the book that had me in stitches, including the title of Gert’s English paper that compares and contrasts Edgar Allan Poe and Ernest Hemingway: The Crackhead and the Suicidal Alkie.
Was high school ever like this? Absolutely!
Kudos to Amber Kizer’s first novel–and the first in a Gert Garibaldi series. Keep ‘em coming!
Read an in-depth interview with Amber Kizer.
Stumble it!
