FROM THE PUBLISHER

Tom Henderson (a.k.a. King Dork, Chi-mo, Hender-fag, and Sheepie) is a typical American high school loser until he discovers the book, The Catcher in the Rye, that will change the world as he knows it. When Tom discovers his deceased father's copy of the Salinger classic, he finds himself in the middle of several interlocking conspiracies and at least half a dozen mysteries involving dead people, naked people, fake people, ESP, blood, a secret code, guitars, monks, witchcraft, the Bible, girls, the Crusades, a devil head, and rock and roll. And it all looks like it's just the tip of a very odd iceberg of clues that may very well unravel the puzzle of his father's death and-oddly-reveal the secret to attracting semihot girls.
Being in a band could possibly be the secret to the girl thing-but good luck finding a drummer who can count to four.
From the Hardcover edition.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

This witty, biting and wholly memorable debut novel by punk singer/musician Portman (the Mr. T. Experience or MTX) was born to be an audiobook. Hoppe nails the brainy, cynical yet likable tone of teen narrator and aspiring songwriter/band god Tom Henderson. And Portman gets to strike some creative chords by performing five original acoustic songs penned by Tom (and mentioned throughout the narrative) to close the recording. But Tom's music obsession aside, it's his sharp and often hilarious observations about the cruelty and inanity that pervade his daily life at Hillmont High that will have listeners entranced. In between fantasizing about semi-hot girls and dreaming up ideas for the band with his friend Sam, taking ridiculously easy AP classes in French and social studies/humanities, and dodging bullies and mean teachers, Tom starts to investigate the circumstances behind his detective father's mysterious death. A funny thing: all roads-in school and outside of it-seem to lead to that 1950s novel that elicits a cult-like worship among academic and hipster types, The Catcher in the Rye. A secret code written in his late father's copy of the Salinger classic only complicates matters on every level, but listeners will want to stick around for the conclusion, especially to hear Tom's glossary-replete with mispronunciations mocking his teacher, and a bonus interview with the author. Ages 14-up. (Apr.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

VOYA - Kathie Fitch

Losers Sam Hellerman and Tom Henderson have shared an alphabetical-order friendship for most of their years in school. The nerdy twosome now attends Hillmont High School, where they are tormented relentlessly by students and faculty alike. Tom and Sam make up mythical bands-complete with accompanying musicians, song lyrics and album covers-twenty-five bands to be exact. Catcher in the Rye is the mainstay of the Hillmont English Department, and Tom is totally against the "Catcher Cult." Leaving the book behind at school with an assignment due, he rummages through his deceased father's teen library hoping to find a replacement copy. When he does, he discovers messages, secret codes, and a funeral card tucked inside. So begins the mystery of unraveling the real cause of his father's death and who is the mysterious "Tit" who corresponds with his dad in the book's margins. At the same time, Tom is learning to attract hot girls while avoiding a loopy associate principal who runs a teen porn ring. Although the writing is very clever, the sentences ramble on. The sarcastic humor will appeal only to mature teens with an interest in 1960s novels, heavy metal music, oral sex, and random beatings. The denouement is too bizarre to be believable, and the included sketches and glossary of English words seem out of place in a work of fiction. VOYA CODES: 2Q 2P S (Better editing or work by the author might have warranted a 3Q; For the YA with a special interest in the subject; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2006, Delacorte, 352p.; Glossary. Illus., and PLB Ages 15 to 18.

School Library Journal

Gr 10 Up-Original, heartfelt, and sparkling with wit and intelligence, this debut novel tells the story of a 14-year-old outsider, Tom Henderson. For him, life is a series of humiliations, from the associate principal who mocks him to the popular girls who put him on their "Dud list." The teen takes refuge in music, writing songs, and inventing band names with his only friend, Sam. He looks for a copy of The Catcher in the Rye in a box of books left by his father, a detective who died under strange circumstances. Tom sets out to read each volume, decode the secret messages that he finds, and figure out who his father really was. The daily torments of life at Hillmont High School play out brilliantly in ways that are both hilarious and heartbreaking. Sexual references and encounters abound, and the language is frank-oral sex is a frequent topic, as is drug use by teens and adults-but none of it is gratuitous. The plot unfolds at a leisurely pace, with digressions on music, popular culture, high school customs, literary criticism, and general philosophical observations, but Tom is so engaging that most readers won't mind. He's intellectually far above most of his peers but still recognizably a teen in his obsessions. The plot's mysteries come together for a conclusion that is satisfying but doesn't tie up all the loose ends. This dazzling novel will linger long in readers' memories.-Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

A biting and witty high-school satire explores cross-generation mysteries and music. Tom "Chi-Mo" (short for "Child Molester") Henderson is used to being a nobody, and entertains himself by designing band names: Baby Batter, Oxford English, Tennis with Guitars. Every year Tom's teachers force him to read Catcher in the Rye, the book that changed their lives. Though Tom scoffs at what he calls "the Catcher cult," the book is about to change his life, too, if not in Mr. Schtuppe-approved ways. Tom finds his dead father's copy of Catcher in a box of old books, chock-full of margin notes and mysterious scribbles. Further investigation reveals murder, suicide and illicit sex comprising both current and 40-year-old mysteries. Tom investigates his father's past while forming a real (terrible) band, discovering blow jobs and surviving a skull fracture. He gains personal revelations that both reject and embrace his parents' generation and its Holden Caulfields, in a story richly flavored with 1960s cult novels and 1970s rock-and-roll. The open-ended conclusion is unexpectedly satisfying. (Fiction. YA)