Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong

Starred review from March 25, 2013
When the school budget only allows for either new cheerleading uniforms or funding for a robotics competition, students at Hollow Ridge High take matters into their own hands in this exuberant escapade. At the center of the story are Charlie and Nate, neighbors and childhood friends who have stayed close despite drifting into different cliques (Charlie is the captain of the basketball team, while Nate heads up the robotics club). Debut author Shen and illustrator Hicks (Friends with Boys) employ high school mainstays—neurotic nerds, hive-minded cheerleaders, oblivious parents, and a contentious class election—but put a fresh spin on them, aligning the book with more recent teen phenomena such as Glee rather than, say, the films of John Hughes. Shen’s plot ably balances drama, humor, angst, and robotic geekery, giving the book an immediate YA appeal, but one that’s broad enough to be enjoyable to older readers, as well. Visually, Hicks’s wide-eyed, inky b&w panels infuse the characters with real emotion and personality, capturing the book’s heartfelt youthfulness. Ages 12–up. Author’s agent: Diana Fox, Fox Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Bernadette Baker-Baughman, Victoria Sanders & Associates. (May)■

April 15, 2013
An unlikely assemblage of robot-builders and cheerleaders rally together for a common cause. Charlie and Nate have been friends forever, and even though Charlie is a quiet jock and Nate is the president of the robotics club, they remain friends against the high school grain. However, when Charlie's ex--coldly calculating cheerleader Holly--threatens to usurp precious school funds away from the robotics club so her squad can have new uniforms, Nate decides to run for student council president to ensure that the funds go to his club. Not to be outdone, Holly decides that Charlie will run against him. When the mud-slinging election goes too far, both sides find themselves without any school monies. They must then join together and enter a Robot Rumble contest in hopes of snagging a top prize. Shen's writing is spot-on and often laugh-out-loud funny. Hicks' modish art serves as an apt complement, with many panels deftly capturing deadpan looks where words would otherwise fail. Perhaps the only flaw in this truly enjoyable read is the overbusy panels during the Robot Rumble, which can be a bit confusing. Smart and funny; don't miss this one. (Graphic fiction. 13 & up)

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Starred review from July 1, 2013

Gr 6-9-The next student-body president will decide if the school will fund cheerleader uniforms or a robotics competition, and the cheerleaders are forcing the basketball captain to run against his friend Nate, the robotics club president. The line between jocks and nerds begins to waver, however, when the two warring factions enter a robot rumble for the prize money. The robot death matches are suspenseful and, like much of this novel, effectively illustrated with cinematic paneling and few words. Hicks's angular illustrations nod to manga and are wonderfully expressive: the haughty cheerleaders are truly chilling. Tweens, teens, and all robot fans should enjoy this good-humored play on the ongoing battle between jocks and geeks.-Lisa Goldstein, Brooklyn Public Library, NY

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from March 1, 2013
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* This story has everything: basketball, dastardly cheerleaders, a robot rumble, conniving geeks, a house party, family drama, student-council elections, and a tiny sliver of romance. Charlie, captain of the basketball team, and Nate, president of the Robotics Club, are neighbors and unlikely friends. When Charlie's ex-girlfriend, the captain of the cheerleading squad, pits Charlie against Nate for president of the student council in an aggressive bid to snatch Robotics Club funds for new cheerleading uniforms, dirty campaign tricks ensue, and friendships are tested. But, in a remarkable display of cooperation, everyone bands together to build a rumble-winning robot for prize money that will solve everyone's problems. Hicks' (Friends with Boys, 2012) black-and-white artwork perfectly captures heart-melting facial expressions, fast-paced basketball and robot-rumble action scenes, and Looney Tunesworthy comedic timing. Though the plot points are not all too surprising, it's the compelling, heady teenage emotional drama that makes this so touching. Charlie's anger over his parents' divorce and Nate's awkward attempts to console him are sentimental without becoming sappy, and the camaraderie that arises from their shared goal is genuine. The story's ample heart helps it transcend mere jocks-versus-geeks melodrama to become silly, earnest, and delightfully stirring all at once.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)