Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

At six feet, six inches tall and two hundred and fifty pounds, Cliff Hubbard's cruel school nickname is "Neanderthal." At home, his hateful dad continues the bullying, and Cliff blames himself for his brother's recent suicide. Then quarterback Aaron has a near-death experience and God commands him to enlist Cliff's help to improve their school. Sixteen-year-old Cliff's expletive-filled, sharply funny, and bittersweet coming-of-age narrative is completely captivating. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

All the tropes of YA fictionsuicide, depression, drug abuse, bullying, problems of race, class, and gender, high school cliques, and their ensuing dramaare exploited in this mildly entertaining novel.Sixteen-year-old Cliff is a basically likable teen, but with a passive mother, alcoholic father, and dead brother, he has issues to work through, not least of which is his size. At 6 feet 6 inches tall and 250 pounds, he's earned the unwelcome nickname "Neanderthal." When Aaron, one of Cliff's tormentors, returns to Happy Valley High School following a coma-induced change of heart, he insists that God has given him a list of tasks that he and Cliff must complete together. The boys' rapid change from animosity to friendship as they work on the list is convenient but unlikely. The romantic threads in the story are equally unrealistic, serving mostly as a way to introduce sexual fantasy into the narrative. All this is revealed in first-person narration and expletive-laced dialogue. Norton (Marrow, 2015, etc.) seems to be working too hard to be cool. Too much happens, too quickly to these stereotypical characters: jocks, stoners, computer nerds, airhead girls, and Jesus teens. A harsh principal and an English teacher who has lost his passion for teaching have similarly quick attitude adjustments.Teens who enjoy snarky commentary on high school life may be satisfied with these shortcuts, but Norton doesn't open any new doors to the high school universe. (Fiction. 15-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.