The Accidental Genius of Weasel High by Rick DeTorie

This book was sitting on top of the young adult section at the public library and it called to me.

There was something about the style of it that attracted my attention. First off, it was written in Internet-like blocking, meaning that the paragraphs were not indented and there were spaces between each one. Just like this blog post. Secondly, the narrative of the book was reinforced with cartoon illustrations.

I enjoyed the book and whipped through it rather quickly, but I have to admit that I am not overly impressed with it. I have no idea what the title refers to. The main character seems a little oblivious. If there is a genius in this book, it’s not him.

I like the fact that he is an aspiring filmmaker. He has his eye set on a rather expensive video camera and is determined to get it. His best friend is a girl that he has known forever, he has an annoying sister, and pretty much lives an average life.

The two things that attracted me to the book didn’t pay off in the story whatsoever. There really wasn’t a practical purpose to the block paragraphs. The cartoons didn’t need to be there. And as such, these things just seem to be gimmicks. They didn’t enhance the story or my enjoyment of it.

I wish I could recommend this one, but I can’t. I feel like I accidentally read this.