The Kidney Hypothetical: Or How to Ruin Your Life in Seven Days: Or How to Ruin Your Life in Seven Days - Hardcover

Yee, Lisa

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0545230942 ISBN 13: 9780545230940

Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2015

Synopsis

Lisa Yee gives us her most fascinating flawed genius since Millicent Min.

Higgs Boson Bing has seven days left before his perfect high school career is completed. Then it's on to Harvard to fulfill the fantasy portrait of success that he and his parents have cultivated for the past four years. Four years of academic achievement. Four years of debate championships. Two years of dating the most popular girl in school. It was, literally, everything his parents could have wanted. Everything they wanted for Higgs's older brother Jeffrey, in fact. But something's not right. And when Higgs's girlfriend presents him with a seemingly innocent hypothetical question about whether or not he'd give her a kidney . . . the exposed fault lines reach straight down to the foundations of his life. . . .

About this title

About the Author

Lisa Yee's novels include Millicent Min, Girl Genius; Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time (an ALA Notable Book); the Bobby chapter book series, and most recently, Warp Speed. She is also the author of the American Girl books, Good Luck, Ivy, Aloha Kanani and Good Job, Kanani. Please visit her website at www.lisayee.com.

Reviews

Gr 7 Up—It all began when Higgs Boson Bing's girlfriend asked if he would hypothetically give her a kidney. Until then, Higgs (named after the infamous God particle) had everything: great grades, a popular girlfriend, and an acceptance letter to Harvard. Now with only seven days until graduation, everything is falling apart. He immediately loses his girlfriend and his best friend; he learns that his teachers and classmates never really liked him; and even his acceptance to Harvard is called into question. Yee starts strong with Higgs's situation immediately spiraling out of control. The underlying issue of Higgs dealing with his older brother Jeffrey's death, and subsequently trying to live up to Jeffrey's achievements, adds substance. The story begins to suffer when Monarch, a manic pixie goth girl, shows up. She merely serves as a device to help Higgs see the error of his ways and loosen up a bit. After her arrival, the story becomes a bit unfocused. The hijinks that ensue with Higgs and Monarch creates a laundry list of plot elements that tend to detract rather than add. Fortunately, the author redeems herself with a hopeful, yet not happily-ever-after ending that, while expected, is still satisfying. This is a story that has a few missteps, but still gets a lot right.—Kimberly Castle-Alberts, Hudson Library & Historical Society, OH

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

From THE KIDNEY HYPOTHETICAL: OR HOW TO RUIN YOUR LIFE IN SEVEN DAYS"I'm not even going to discuss this anymore. It's a hypothetical!" I said, glaring at Samantha. The conversation was making me even more nauseated than I already was."It's over, then," Roo said, sounding small."Well, thank god for that," I answered. The topic was stupid. Samantha Verve was stupid. The conversation was stupid. "Thank god?" Roo echoed. "Thank god, that our relationship is over?""Wha . . . ? No, I thought you were talking about the kidney thing–""It doesn't matter. You've ruined my life!" Roo shouted as she raised her hands to the sky. She was in the drama club and they were all like that. "Higgs Boson Bing, you are heartless. I could have died without your kidney." "I'd give you both my kidneys and my heart," Zander said.I couldn't hold back any longer."HIGGS!" Roo shrieked. "Gotta go!" Zander said, quickly retreating.It probably wasn't a good time to throw up, but then is there ever a good time for that?

Edition details

• Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0545230942
• ISBN 13: 9780545230940
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 272