A Dream Within A Dream: Spurt Blog Tour: Guest Post, Review + Giveaway

http://www.jeanbooknerd.com/2017/02/spurt-by-chris-miles.html

Spurt
Author: Chris Miles
Genre: YA Contemporary/Humor
Release Date: February 7, 2017
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Description:

Balls and all!

Jack Sprigley isn’t just a late-bloomer. He’s a no bloomer: an eighth grader, and puberty is still a total no-show. Worse yet, he hasn’t heard from his friends all winter vacation. He assumes they’ve finally dumped him and his child-like body—until he finds out it’s much worse than that. His friends are now so far ahead of him that they’ve started dating. Jack is out of luck. But then he comes up with a plan to catch up and win his friends back. And his plan is perfect: he just has to fake puberty.

Praise for SPURT:

“Hilarious, addictive, brilliantly-warped... like Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen crossed with Diary of a Wimpy Kid” -- Stuart Gibbs, New York Times bestselling author of the Spy School series

“Funny, heartfelt, and likely to appeal to reluctant readers, especially boys on the cusp of puberty” --School Library Journal

“A refreshing take on body image, acceptance and the need to fit in. The novel’s moments of profundity are subtle yet powerful, and masterfully balanced with humour. Spurt is appealingly naughty.” --Books+Publishing

10 Favorite Books Read This Year

I’m an appallingly slow reader of fiction and when I do read fiction it’s often friends’ manuscripts, so this list probably reaches back a little further than ‘this year’, and is more ‘things I have enjoyed recently… ish’

1. The Boundless Sublime by Lili Wilkinson (YA thriller)

2. The Rest Of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness (YA)

3. Your Skirt’s Too Short: Sex, Power, Choice by Emily Maguire (non-fiction)

4. Spoiled Brats by Simon Rich (short fiction)

5. The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett and Jory John (MG comedy)

6. Attack of the Demon Dinner Ladies by Pamela Butchart (MG comedy)

7. The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry (literary fiction)

8. The Writers Room by Charlotte Wood (interviews)

9. The Magic Words by Cheryl Klein (writing advice)

10. Poking a Dead Frog: Conversations with Today’s Top Comedy Writers by Mick Sacks (reference)

Spurt is a contemporary young adult novel rife with comedy. Fans of the genre will surely enjoy it, and readers of the same age group as Jack will easily connect with his character and plight. This is certainly not my usual type of read and that plays a big part in my opinion of the book. While I found it mildly funny and full of embarrassing moments that almost every one can identify with, I wasn't able to really get into the story as a whole. I'm completely different than the main character, Jack, and although I sympathized with him throughout the novel, I couldn't really connect on the right level. The plot was both heartfelt and humorous, and sheds a realistic light on some of the struggles that young teens go through. Jack's antics and issues were endearing and fun, and I'm sure most readers are able to identify with at least some of the topics discussed throughout the story. It was a solid novel with great writing, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. Overall, I think fans of young adult, middle grade, contemporary, and humor fiction will really enjoy this book and should check it out.

Chris Miles has written several books for young readers in Australia. His short fiction and other writings have appeared in publications throughout Australia. He works as a website designer and developer, and in his spare time he indulges his love of Doctor Who, LEGO®, Dungeons & Dragons, and anchovies. He is a dog person (though not literally).