Burger Wuss [Turtleback]

M. T. Anderson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2002

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Hoping to lose his loser image, Anthony plans revenge on a bully which results in a war between two competing fast food restaurants, Burger Queen and O'Dermott's.

--This text refers to the School & Library Binding edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

It looked to be a love story for the ages. They first met as she was handing over his order of a Big O sandwich, six-piece nuggets, small fries, and a medium chocolate shake. He had exact change. They spent a magical night together with a gang of young rebels, traipsing through town on a mission to correct grammatical errors in street signs and graffiti ("Drive Slowly"). But just when it seemed things couldn't be better, tragedy struck. Anthony caught his beloved Diana making out at a party with another guy. And what's worse, he was a high school graduate from the neighboring town, hailing only by his last name: Turner. Now Anthony must devise a vengeful plan by which he can humiliate his humiliator and win back his girl.

M.T. Anderson, author of the darkly comic suburban vampire tale Thirsty, here turns his attention to the of-this-world horrors of high school romance and minimum-wage drudgery. The result is a hugely funny, fast-paced romp through teen angst. Passages describing the O'Dermott's experience (the fast-food joint where Turner works and where Anthony gets a job as part of his evil plot) are spill-your-soda hilarious--obviously the words of someone who has lived the nightmare. Anthony laments, "It was hard not to feel ugly. Crusty. Doped. My fingernails were black. My shirt was stiff. My hair hung flat. My skin was shellacked with ambient lard." Not to mention the fact that he works side-by-side with his nemesis, his two best friends have fallen in subverbal saccharine love with each other, and his only hope is teaming up with Shunt, the vegan, anarchist grill cook. As Anderson clearly understands and as Anthony notes (while mustering the courage to kiss his archenemy's girlfriend), "There is a certain ferocity you need, to be a teenager in America." Indeed. (Ages 13 and older) --Brangien Davis --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

In a world where every teenager works at one fast food chain or another and likes it, Anthony just doesn't fit in. His first real girlfriend has dumped him for a meathead named Turner who works at O'Dermott's, so Anthony plots revenge. He gets a job at the restaurant and embarks on a complicated plot to pit the kids from Burger Queen against the kids from O'Dermott'sAand thereby draw the BQ wrath down on company-man Turner's head. Like Anderson's Thirsty, this book is a burlesque of teenage angst and conformist culture; the vacuous foundation of the vicious rivalry between the two food chains is underscored by a caustic portrayal of Anthony's two best friends, giddy with their own puppy love. They call each other "Ricky Licky" and "Jennster Junebug," have eyes for no one else, and then, after finally having intercourse, break up over a movie rental. Anarchist vagabond Shunt is Anthony's partner in his anti-conformity crimes: "I'm Shunt," he says, on Anthony's first day at work. "Welcome to corporate hell. Start screaming now." Although the ending is a little suddenAand although Anthony's long delay in realizing that a girl can't be "stolen" makes him seem like a bit of a meathead himselfAAnderson's witty tale of a lovelorn boy and his corporate antagonists is both a tasty read and a stinging satire. Ages 14-up. (Aug.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Turtleback
• Publisher: Demco Media (February 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0606225390
• ISBN-13: 978-0606225397
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,436,740 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

M. T. Anderson is the author of The Game of Sunken Places, Burger Wuss, Thirsty, and Feed, which was a finalist for the National Book Award, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book and the winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Fiction. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A book with a side order of laughs, please..., August 17, 2001

By 

Dianna Johnston "Compulsive Reader" (Joplin, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Burger Wuss (Paperback)

Ever since I read Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging, I've been on this fantastic young adult novel kick and stimulated quite a few forgotten memories in the process. Well, the trip down memory lane has only gotten better with my most recent find, Burger Wuss. As a former teenage employee of a major fast-food chain, I can definitely relate to some of the most hilarious antics I've ever read in a book.

Burger Wuss is not just about fast-food. It's about being a teenager and falling in love, then having your dreams squashed by someone bigger and better. And it's about revenge. Sixteen-year-old Anthony has hatched this devious plan of payback after getting his girlfriend, Diana, stolen by school bully, Turner. And what better way to put the plan in action then getting hired at Kermit O'Dermott's -- the exact place where Turner works. And for good measure, throw in a little rivalry with the other burger joint in town, Burger Queen; a whacked out employee named Shunt who's made it his main goal in life to undermine the fast-food chain; a too-serious boss, Mike, who spouts corporate lingo and upbeat team spirit pledges at any given moment; and two best friends, Rick and Jenn, who have found love with one another on a totally nauseating level. Burger Wuss is a hilarious and sarcastic spin on love, hamburgers and getting even.

M.T. Anderson has written an easy-to-read, clear and concise novel. The perfect teen angst novel that everyone can relate to, especially those who have been there, done that. And not just for kids -- take it from me, grown-ups will love this story and all it can do for them. Sit down, relax and enjoy this funny spoof of a book.

26 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A hilarious book., December 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Burger Wuss (Hardcover)

By the end of the first chapter I was laughing so hard, I had tears in my eyes. This is definitely the funniest book I've read in a long time--I highly recommend it.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good intentions but lots of problems, October 18, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Burger Wuss (Paperback)

I read a lot of young adult novels even though I'm in my thirties. While this one has a lot to say, there are some problems in the telling that take away a lot of the story's value.

Anthony has taken a job at fast-food restaurant O'Dermott's (a thinly-disguised McDonald's) because he wants revenge on Turner, who "stole" Anthony's girlfriend. Turner turns out to be even more of a jerk than Anthony realized, and so Anthony comes up with a master plan of revenge in conjucntion with co-worker Shunt, who is on a one-man anti-fast-food crusade. The plan involves angering their long-time rivals, Burger Queen.

While Anthony's "voice" is distinctive, much of the book is not believable and there are few characters to admire, with perhaps Shunt being the main exception. Anthony's former girlfriend correctly tells Anthony she wasn't anyone's to "steal", but aside from this she behaves in typical teenage sheep-follows-the-crowd fashion. Stacey, Turner's girlfriend, openly admits that Turner is a jerk but doesn't seem to want to do much about it. Rick and Jenn, a cooing-lovey-dovey couple, turns out to be idiots as well: Rick admits the secret to getting girls is getting them drunk, and essentially tells Anthony that his lack of pawing girls is what lost him his girlfriend. In other words, treat girls with respect and they'll think you're a wuss. I don't think the author is espousing this view, but neither is Anthony proven right in his view that respect is the way to go.

All in all, a good effort but unsatisfying and disappointing in several regards.