Stupid Fast by Geoff Herback

3.5 Stars

     Feldon knew he was weird.  His younger brother Andrew was obsessed with playing classical music on the piano.  His hippie mother, Jerri, insisted her children call her by her first name.  Feldon's father had committed suicide when Feldon was only five years' old.  Most of the kids at Feldon's school teased him for being scrawny and for being different.  To make matters worse, Feldon's best friend Gus was leaving for the summer and Jerri was making him take over his newspaper route.  Life wasn't looking too great for the fifteen year old.


Most of the kids at Feldon's school teased him for being scrawny and for being different.  To make matters worse, Feldon's best friend Gus was now leaving for the summer and Jerri was making him take over his newspaper route.  Life wasn't looking too great for the fifteen-year-old.


What starts out being a lame summer, however, turns out to be the best and worst summer of Feldon's life.  Feldon discovers he does have a talent.  He's fast.  He's not just quick on his feet and a strong runner - he's stupid fast.  It doesn't take long for others to notice.  Coach Johnson wants him to play Varsity Football.  Though Feldon has never played in his life, his speed and agility make him a force to contend with.  No longer scrawny, Feldon has a huge growth spurt and is now over 6 feet tall.  Once he begins lifting weight, he becomes even bigger and much stronger than many of the other players on the team.
Suddenly, Feldon finds himself in a different world.  Several of the town's popular high school athletes are now his best friends.  The most beautiful girl in the world,   Aleah, has moved into his friend Gus's house for the summer.  Despite Feldon's goofiness, she wants to be his girlfriend.


Everything is close to being perfect until Jerri loses it.  She begins drinking, hiding in her room, refusing to take care of herself or her family.  Andrew has even stopped playing the piano and starts dressing in black - acting as loony as their mother.  Felton just has to keep going.  He lies to himself that things will get better. 

Soon Feldon is unable to keep running – he has to face his problems at home even if he may lose the new better life he has created for himself.