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Rats Saw God, by Rob Thomas, is a very unique read that I would recommend for all different age groups middle school/high school and up. It relates to teen issues that almost span both genders, which is not the normal for high-school books, and it has an interesting take on the psyche of the average high school boy. Perhaps what makes it different, though, from the normal high school cliché book, is that the protagonist, Steve York, switches from present to past tense to relate his issues, which are sometimes very normal, and sometimes not. On the more normal side is his infatuation with his girl-friend and going through his parents divorce. Also, as much as it isn't fun to admit, the fact that he is now becoming a burn-out is not exactly the abnormal situation for many teenagers. What is unique, though, is that his father experiences both media and political fame, while Steve himself doesn't care for the popularity aspects of school that most kids his age do. In fact, he is against showing off or being popular because he wants to spite his father. This aspect keeps the story fresh and doesn't let you get too comfortable with the plot and characters. It's laid out in a more simple manner than I have summarized it, but the basic idea of the book is following a burn-out in his memories to reach that point in time when he first took a turn down the wrong road, while at the same time trying to discover how he is going to go forward into the future. I would recommend it for anybody to read.
Review by: Chelsea Grimmer
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