The Haters by Jesse Andrews (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Haters by Jesse Andrews Karen Coats Andrews, Jesse The Haters. Amulet/Abrams, 2016 [336p] ISBN 978-1-4197-2078-9 $18.95 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 9-12 Wes and Corey are masters at hating on things, scoring high school cool points (at least in their own minds) with bitingly clever verbal critiques of music they used to (and secretly still do) kind of love. They are not amped to be in the least talented group at jazz camp, but they are intrigued by Ash, a girl with a guitar who refuses to conform to the jazz sound. After an epic jam session, she convinces them that they need to form a band, escape jazz camp, and go on the road, leaving their phones behind. Fortunately for the boys, Ash is as rich as she is bold and reckless, which keeps things from getting too risky as they take off without a plan. Fortunately for readers, Wes has a lively voice that moves smoothly between laugh-out-loud, self-conscious snark and candid, moving observations about feeling like a plan-B kid, adopted from Venezuela by parents who thought they couldn’t have children of their own. Ash is just as candid about Corey’s less-than-adequate oral sex technique and what she heard when Wes lost his virginity within her earshot. Her revelations somewhat mitigate Wes’ jealousy over Ash and Corey’s hook-up, which threatens to derail the band even before their first gig. The problem persists until Wes and Corey have it out during one fateful night involving a music commune, an unexpected betrayal, and an encounter with an angry man with a gun. The trio’s road trip thus has all the requisite coming-of-age moments, with virginities and illusions lost and friendships, courage, and self-awareness found. Fans of Frank Portman as well as Andrews’ own Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (BCCB 5/12) will thoroughly enjoy this stylish let’s-get-a-band-together-and-go-on-the-road fiction. Copyright © 2016 Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois