Title: The Spectacular Now
Author: Tim Tharp
Summary: Sutter Keely lives in the Spectacular Now. He is the master of the party, navigating the whisky buzz and making sure that everyone around him is having an equally amazing time. As he finishes his senior year, he has no plans other than to keep chasing those drunken moments when he feels most alive and connected to the world. Who cares if he has no plans for after graduation or that his gorgeous girlfriend Cassidy just dumped him for a boring do-gooder athlete or that his best friend thinks it might be time to restrict partying to weekends only? As long as he has his flask, Sutter is good to go.
When nerdy good girl Aimee finds him passed out on somebody’s front lawn, Sutter decides to turn her life around by showing her the glories of living strictly in the moment. Their entanglement will force him to either learn from his mistakes and start caring for other people’s feelings or to continue his path of self-destruction. Funny, charming, irritating and devastatingly sad, Sutter Keely’s story will keep you turning pages until the surprising conclusion.
Who will like this book?: If you like intense stories with realistic endings, this is a great choice. Mature readers looking for stories about substance abuse. If you have a friend who drinks too much, this book will really hit home.
If you like this, try this: Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas. Another story with an unexpected ending, Inexcusable by Chris Lynch.
Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian