“So what do you want Jeremy? … I utilised quantum teleportation to mine other squips for information; I delved deep into my own human modelling engines; I planned driving routes, verbal one-liners and points of attack on the female body; I set you up with a girl to bring you here and a few back-ups in case you made mistakes, and I made sure they were all, hands down, the most gorgeous females in your limited universe. And you threw it all away. So what? What do you want?” – page 222
Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini
Normally, hearing voices in your head is never a
good thing but for Jeremy Heere, it is a dream that came true. As a nerdy
outcast in his high-school, he has no hope of ever becoming popular or dating
Christine Caniglia, his crush. He keeps count of the number of times per day
that he is embarrassed on his Humiliation sheets. Worst of all, it becomes
known throughout the school that he actually keeps this log. After failing
again to impress Christine, Jeremy hears of a secret mini-computer that he can
ingest to help him Be More Chill.
A pill-sized ultra-smart
supercomputer that you swallow, the squip is guaranteed to bring you whatever
you most desire in life. By coaching him on everything from what to wear, how
to talk and how to walk, the squip converts Jeremy from Supergeek to Superchic.
The squip puts him through a mental and physical transformation to change
himself from a nerd that everyone picked on to a popular teenager that people
'respected' (but did they actually respect HIM?). Following the squip's
directions on how to dress, speak, kiss, act and exercise, Jeremy rises above
his geek status and becomes, much to his surprise, popular. Naturally, as with
all technology, the squip has some bugs and it will malfunction. Unfortunately,
it is not like a computer where you can just bring it into the computer store
and tell them to fix it. It fails to comprehend human emotion and social
protocols. Jeremy is rude to people that he loves, he stole from several family
members, broke the law several times - all to achieve the status of 'popular'.
Is this a hero? Although he believes the answer is "yes"
during the initial phases of the squip, Jeremy soon finds out that his new rise
to popularity and acceptance is not as great as he had always dreamed.
What are the social consequences
for Jeremy? Has he destroyed the relationship with his family? Will he lose his
true friends? Will he lose Christine forever? Has the squip ruined his life
forever?
Author
Ned Vizzini is a well-known writer with many popular books, movies and
television shows in his resume. He wrote the novel that was adapted into the
blockbuster movie “It’s Kind of a Funny Story” (2010) starring Emma Roberts, Keir
Gilchrist and Zach Galifianakis. He is also a writer for the current television
shows Teen Wolf and Last Resort. Vizzini’s other popular young
adult novels include Teen Angst? Naaah… (2010) and The Other Normals (2012).
Be More Chill is a great book for young adults
with characters that are easily relatable as everyone has felt humiliated or
awkward at some time, especially as a teenager. The main character is very
realistic despite the strange alternate-universe situation in which he finds
himself. He quickly ascends from the bottom of the totem pole to the top,
making him a 'social hero'. However, the challenges and obstacles that Jeremy
must face are significant and potentially devastating. This would be a great
book for pre-teen and young teenage boys, but it would also be a good choice
for girls of the same age. With the real-life situations and humour integrated
throughout the novel, and is a great novel for anyone looking for a fun book to
read.
More books by Ned Vizzini:
- It's Kind of a Funny Story (now a major motion picture and based on the author's own experience)
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