Lots of fun, and I loved the voice and writing!

I’m gonna go with three solid stars on this book: and there’s a reason for each one. The two stars that are missing are for Norris’ general personality- man was not an easy character to like or read. However, there was a lot of good in this book:

1st Star
Norris is really, really mean. Like, just generally a very awful person, with very limited empathy for people, and this only slightly changes within the last twenty pages of the book. And even that is questionable. BUT, this star comes from how I love that the other characters don’t just let it go. He isn’t magically forgiven by all of them by the last page. He doesn’t get the girl. I’m glad that the author held Norris accountable for all of the ridiculousness that he forced everyone else to go through.

2nd Star
The writing in this book is very enjoyable. As much as I disliked Norris, I found myself surprisingly excited to read this book as I was reading it. I was glued to the pages and couldn’t stop because it was such a fun read.

3rd Star
This might sound a little odd, but I found myself really liking the author as a person, especially after (shockingly) reading the acknowledgements. He’s a guy who seems to really care, and he imbued a lot of heart into this book- he dealt with racial issues, familial problems, mental health, and societal expectations. And to me, that counts for a whole lot.

I want to be friends with Norris!

I just adored this book. It was fun to read, an interesting and unusual (for me) perspective, with an engaging writing style. I'd love to read more like this.

Though when did I stop empathizing with the hero/heroine and start empathizing with their mothers??

An interesting perspective on the quintessential high school experience given by a main character who is frankly nothing more than a glorified ass.

The story is told from Norris point of view so we progress in the story at his pace, and discover the other characters as he does. He is witty and snarky, and the idea of the notebook to jot down his thoughts or whatever he wanted when he arrived in his new school was a great idea. It truly feels like a field guide ;) Norris has a strong opinion on everything and well... everyone. It was meant to go wrong at some point, this point being prom.
I have to say that once again, I LOVED the Mom in the book. Love me some good parenting figures in books.
This book taught me that everything is a matter of perspective and that we can change our mind once we learn that there are two sides to every coin.
I got a plot scare when the story goes in a direction that I did not really see coming but that I firmly did not like. The ending was... bleh. However, I enjoyed two-thirds of the book very much and it makes up for it.

3.5 stars.
Norris is upended from his life in Canada to Austin, Texas where its hotter than hell and no one knows the Habs. Norris's mom got a new job as a professor at UT after his dad left them for another woman and their new baby. But Norris promised his mom that he'd try. He spends the first few weeks at Anderson a High just roaming the halls during lunch. His sarcastic black French Canadian tongue earns him a reputation. Suddenly, he realizes that he is making friends. Maddie although a cheerleader got him a job at her family restaurant. Liam answered a call for friendship. Aarti is mysterious and amusing artist who may be out of Norris's reach but who knows? Norris's adventures will make you laugh, cry, and even swoon a little.

Things I liked:
- I LOVE all the Texas references. Yes, it does really get that hot in the summer.
- I love all the academic references. His mother is a professor, and I love reading about professor life.
- I LOVE all the French references. Now that I'm learning French, I love when books have French in them.
- Norris is funny, snarky, and cynical.
- I love how each chapter starts off with "field observations" of people, places, or things. They are funny and clever.
- Maddie is so nice, sweet, and funny!
- Sad, unrequited love story lines are kind of my thing.
- The ending was great! It ended how I wanted to, and left things open for a possible sequel... (please!!)

Things I didn't like:
- When Aarti uses Norris at the party to get attention from her old fling.
- Aarti is awful. She uses Norris and leads him on. She doesn't care about him, but just wants him to make Ian jealous. And she constantly is running back to Ian whenever he snaps his fingers.

Best quotes:
-"Aarti's been messing with your head for months now, and... honestly? You deserve better." As someone who has been in this exact situation, I loved Maddie's honesty.

Other thoughts:
- Maddie and Norris belong together!

I knew I wanted to read this book once I opened the first page and read the dedication. Ben Philippe is so funny! I loved Norris right from the start. He is Canadian, he is black, he moves from Montreal to Texas, and is a typical but yet not typical teenager. His cynical and almost rude sense of humour made me laugh out loud so often. Mix this with his sharp intelligence and witty, observant nature and you have such a clever take on a field guide. But the best, best, best part of this story is that each of the teenagers featured in the book may at first seem stereotypical but with each chapter the layers are revealed and what you are left with is such a funny yet honest look at what it is really like to be a teenager in a pretty complex world. What we see on the surface is not always what lies underneath, such a great message. Readers who are looking for a funny read would really like this one. It has a little bit of romance and the setting of a big American high school which makes for a really relatable story. I am sure I will have no problem convincing kids they need to read this one.