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My Brilliant Idea (And How It Caused My Downfall)
My Brilliant Idea (And How It Caused My Downfall)
Reviewed by: Brooke Faulkner - McArthur Library, Biddeford, Southern Maine Library District
Review Date: August 4, 2016
Review
Serious goof-off Jack Dawson dreams up a fabulous idea for an app that he's sure will help students avoid being caught spacing out in class. To make it a reality, he needs to enlist the help of the only student at his high school with the coding know-how to help him create it. The problem is that she hates him and so Jack embarks on a hijinks-laden plan to convince her that becomes increasingly complicated with each step until the plot almost collapses under its own weight. Funny and snarky UK-flavored witticisms (the Scottish author is also a musician who was part of the rock band Belle and Sebastian) abound and will be appreciated by Anglophile teens. A lack of character development will distance readers, however, and this rift will only be widened by Jack's not entirely sympathetic persona. Die-hard fans of UK comedy may favor this one, but it's unlikely to garner wide appeal.
Overall Book Score: fair
About the Book
Author:
David, Stuart
Illustrator: ,
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Book Type: chapter book fiction
Genre: realistic fiction
Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12
Binding Type: trade edition
Binding Quality: fair
ISBN: 9780544699618
Price: 17.99