Maureen Fergus.  Exploits of a Reluctant (But Extremely Goodlooking) Hero
Kids Can Press  $19.95  ISBN 978-1-55453-024-3  215 pg.
Reviewed by Keegan, Age 14

“Diaries are for girls,” I replied. “And did you forget about my genetically weak wrists?” I pointed out that I’d never be able to grip a pen for long enough to put my many opinions to paper.

“Here,” she said, thrusting a tape recorder at me. “Try speaking your mind to this instead of to the various adult authority figures in your life. Think of it as a journal for the weak wristed.”

A young teen that only wants to slack off and eat junk food is forced to move away from all he’s ever known, so that his father can take over ‘The House of Toilets’ store in Regina. When he arrives, he learns of a fight between the rich and poor that is jeopardizing a soup kitchen whose only wish is to feed those who can’t afford it. When the boy is forced to volunteer at the soup kitchen, he finds out his new best friend is poor. Then, when the town decides to take away the kitchen’s funding, he decides to take a stand and do something he’s never done before. Hard work.

Exploits of a Reluctant (But Extremely Goodlooking) Hero ends too soon for me. You never find out the main character’s name, but that’s not as important as one would think. The book is written as a tape recorder diary of the main character, which is one way of writing a book that I’ve never come across before. I think it is a unique way to write a book and I have no regrets about reading it. Although you don’t get the same amount of description that you would get from a typical novel, it’s a great book to read when you need a few laughs. It keeps you captive with its humorous plotline, where you can easily picture the main character as a real person. Overall I think the book was great.

I would recommend it to kids 13 and up because there is some content not meant for younger readers.

This reviewer gives Exploits of a Reluctant (But Extremely Goodlooking) Hero four stars.