wtf [Paperback]

Peter Lerangis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 10, 2009

ONE PLAN, TWO PARTIES, SIX PLAYERS:

Jimmy: the driver

Cam: the connect

Byron: the know-it-all

Waits: the supplier

Reina: the conscience

MC: the crasher

ONE FRIDAY NIGHT these six will test their limits to the extreme. Some are driven by lust, others by greed. One just wants to have fun, and another desires to be free. If everything goes as planned, they all get what they want. But within twenty-four hours, bones will break, bodies will touch, hearts will race, guns will be drawn, and everything will go oh so very wrong....

Editorial Reviews

Review

When a deer crashes through a windshield, it is only the first of many inexplicable (or "wtf") moments experienced during a long night in New York City for six teens from a prep school involved in a drug sale destined for disaster. That the "drugs" are really generic aspirin and that several want out of the business makes the evening even more surreal. Relationships shift and change as much as the narrators and the time frame -- each chapter identifies the narrator and the date and time, and there are some flashbacks and peeks ahead to keep readers on their toes. The patchwork image on the cover hints at plot points, and teens will be eager to see how Lerangis stitches them all together. The title reflects the hip and foul language of the very believable, smart urban teens, and the event-filled chases through the streets of Manhattan will remind readers of Rachel Cohn and David Levithan's Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist (2006). An epilog provides details about what's next for each of these memorable characters. -- Cindy Dobrez --Booklist, October 15, 2009

About the Author

Peter Lerangis is the author of over 140 books for early readers through teens, including The Sword Thief, in the New York Times bestselling series, The 39 Clues. Peter lives in NYC with his family.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse; Original edition (November 10, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416913602
• ISBN-13: 978-1416913603
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #545,813 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #58 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Teens > Social Issues > Drug Use & Abuse > Fiction
  • #59 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Issues > Drugs

More About the Author

Peter Lerangis's books have sold over 4.5 million copies and been translated into 28 languages. Titles include THE SWORD THIEF, THE VIPER'S NEST, one-fourth of VESPERS RISING, and the upcoming THE DEAD OF NIGHT (in the N.Y. Times bestselling series, THE 39 CLUES); the novel SMILER'S BONES (a N. Y. Public Library Best Book for Teens); the SPY X series; the YA thriller WTF; and the upcoming YA novel SOMEBODY, PLEASE TELL ME WHO I AM, written with Harry Mazer. He'll gladly recite the rest of the list if you ask nicely. He's also performed on Broadway, run a marathon, rock-climbed in Yosemite during a 6.1 earthquake, and, with his wife, sprouted and grown two sons in NYC. At the moment he's moving his car for alternate-side-of-the-street parking and will be right back. (Meanwhile, for a longer bio, see http://peterlerangis.com/about-peter/bio/.)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Ultimate Mental Junk Food, May 20, 2010

By 

Ann-Kat @ todayiread.com (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: wtf (Paperback)

THREE QUICK POINTS
* Point 1: This is the ultimate in mental junk food. It's like a McD's Big Mac with extra cheese and special sauce with bacon piled on top and no lettuce or pickles.

* Point 2: It never slowed down. It felt like being trapped in the passenger seat of a high octane sports car with a brick on the accelerator.

* Point 3: Darkly comical. It's the kind of comedy that when you laugh you wonder whether or not you were supposed to and if it makes you a bad person because you did.

SHORT SYNOPSIS
'wtf' recounts the shenanigans of six prep school teenagers involving a car accident with a deer, drug deals gone wrong, and horny couples hooking up in front of strangers, all over the course of one night.

MY THOUGHTS
I'll admit that I had no idea what to expect from this book--the back cover blurb was ambiguous enough to keep me in the dark, but intriguing enough to pique my curiosity.

From the first page the story flies and never really slows down. This equates to a fast read--easily done in a single sitting--but the downside is that it leaves little time to process or digest the unfolding story and that can lead to a feeling of overwhelm.

Each chapter is time-stamped and alternates between the perspectives of the individual students. It's very much like watching a movie put together in short vignettes. And although there was plenty of action, it wasn't the typical bombs exploding or rapid fire shoot-outs; it was more *quirky* action.

To give an example, there's a scene where one of the guys needs to get something out of a dead deer's mouth. When he gets back to the scene of the accident, he spots someone loading up the deer and driving away. He follows and right when he thinks he's going to get what he needed, he's looking down the barrel of a shotgun. (You're probably trying to process the part about something being stuffed in a dead deer's mouth, huh?)

While the book pushes you forward, it reveals how each of the characters are connected. There was even a dark twist at the end that tied everything up, but the happily-ever-after style ending felt unnatural.

As far as quick fun reads go, 'wtf' gets the job done. It truly is a romp. Just don't expect any compelling character development or an earth-shattering plot. You'd probably enjoy this book if you enjoy movies in the style of Ocean's Eleven, Snatch, Pulp Fiction, or Get Shorty.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Edgy & Original, December 23, 2011

By 

E. Kristin Anderson "EKAnderson" (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: wtf (Paperback)

Told from alternating perspectives, WTF is the story of one night gone horribly wrong. Each of the five characters has a story to tell - why they are at the party or the club or in the car crash that kicks off the book. At first, no one's story seems to line up with the others' - how are a drug dealer, a waitress cramming for the SATs and a speech team nerd connected? From the Mafia to a party in Westchester, all the hihg-and-lowlights of the New York party life are present and accounted for in this fast-paced romp of a novel. If you're looking for something edgy and original, WTF is a great pick.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!, June 17, 2011

By 

Shandy L. Kurth "SLK" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: wtf (Paperback)

I loved this book! It was fast paced and funny. You felt for the characters as they slipped and slid their way through the city trying not to get killed on their way to keep their names clean. The characters drew me in from the begining. Hilarious at some turns and unpredictable. I would certainly recommend!