Waiting on Wednesday: Grasshopper Jungle

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases.

Grasshopper Jungle

by Andrew Smith

Coming February 11, 2014

Dutton Juvenile

Summary:

In this truly shocking, grotesquely original coming-of-age, end-of-the-world novel, sixteen-year-old Austin Szerba interweaves the legacy of his family’s history in Poland and immigration to the United States while narrating the story of how he and his best friend brought about the end of humanity and the rise of an army of unstoppable, human-sized (six-foot-tall) praying mantises in small-town Iowa.

To make matters worse, Austin's hormones are totally oblivious; they don't care that the world is in utter chaos: Austin is in love with his girlfriend, Shann, but remains confused about his sexual orientation, stewing in a self-professed constant state of maximum horniness, directed at both Robby and Shann. Ultimately, it's up to Austin to save the world and propagate the species in this sci-fright journey of survival, sex, and the complex realities of the human condition.

Why I want it:

I want it for Andrew Smith. That's it. If I sound like a broken record singing Winger's praises these last few months, it's because that book meant so much to me. I will always cherish my experience at TLA 2013, and two of my fondest memories will be 1. Simon & Schuster VP Justin Chanda shoving Winger into my hands and telling me that if I read one book, that was it; and 2. meeting Andrew and talking to him for a few short moments about his book. I had not yet read it so I wasn't able to tell him in person how special it is, but I think the plethora of posts I've done about Winger might convey my adoration. You know that moment when you read a book so amazing that you swear on the spot that you'll read every book ever written by that author? Yeah. I had that moment. Dear Dutton, I can haz grasshopper?

Why I think you should want it:

Winger was the kind of book that had the ability to change lives in addition to being hella funny. That is so rare to find. Andrew is enormously talented and has a wicked way with portraying confused and amusing male protagonists. If nothing else, pick up this book just for the fact that it's an end-of-the-world kind of story about giant praying mantises. I mean, that's gold right there. Everyone wants to go nuclear holocaust or zombie apocalypse or alien invasion or disease outbreak, but have you ever heard of enormous bugs in ya? Okay, not counting that one time in The Little House on the Prairie (technically, I think it was Plum Creek. Correct me if I'm wrong). Guys. Talented writer + giant bugs = sure to be a good time.