Rats Saw God
by Rob Thomas
Realistic Fiction
* * * * Stars (Great!)
Steve York is in danger of failing life, but he doesn’t care. He’s worked hard to escape his past – to forget and distance himself from what happened in Texas. His high school guidance counselor, DeMouy, however, reminds him that he once was a good student, and that there’s still time to turn things around. In order to do that Steve has to pick up an English credit, which DeMouy will give him, provided Steve writes something worth reading. After some hemming and hawing, Steve finds the only thing he can write about are the events that led him to where he is now. He’ll have to remember GOD (Grace Order of Dadaists) and Dub (Wanda), and all of the things he’s been in flight from (his dad, the Truth, despair). This is what first love looks like – awkward, painful, exhilarating, devastating. Contemporary when it was written, now it could be called historical! A long-time favorite and realistic to the bone.
Reviewed by YA Librarian
