Burger Wuss - Softcover

Anderson, M.T.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0763615676 ISBN 13: 9780763615673

Publisher: Candlewick, 2001

Synopsis

M.T. Anderson, author of the award-winning THIRSTY, cooks up a story of love and betrayal, with a side order of revenge—and serves it all with comedic relish.

Anthony has never been able to stand up for himself—that is, not until his girlfriend, Diana, is in someone else's arms. Then Anthony vows revenge and devises The Plan. It begins with getting a job at the fast-food restaurant where Turner (a.k.a. the guy who stole his girlfriend) happens to be a star employee. But when The Plan is finally assembled in this hilarious novel that PUBLISHERS WEEKELY called "both a tasty treat and a stinging satire," will Anthony's hunger for revenge be satisfied? And more important, will he prove he's not a wuss?

About this title

Review:

It looked to be a love story for the ages. They first met as she was handing over his order of a Big O sandwich, six-piece nuggets, small fries, and a medium chocolate shake. He had exact change. They spent a magical night together with a gang of young rebels, traipsing through town on a mission to correct grammatical errors in street signs and graffiti ("Drive Slowly"). But just when it seemed things couldn't be better, tragedy struck. Anthony caught his beloved Diana making out at a party with another guy. And what's worse, he was a high school graduate from the neighboring town, hailing only by his last name: Turner. Now Anthony must devise a vengeful plan by which he can humiliate his humiliator and win back his girl.

M.T. Anderson, author of the darkly comic suburban vampire tale Thirsty, here turns his attention to the of-this-world horrors of high school romance and minimum-wage drudgery. The result is a hugely funny, fast-paced romp through teen angst. Passages describing the O'Dermott's experience (the fast-food joint where Turner works and where Anthony gets a job as part of his evil plot) are spill-your-soda hilarious--obviously the words of someone who has lived the nightmare. Anthony laments, "It was hard not to feel ugly. Crusty. Doped. My fingernails were black. My shirt was stiff. My hair hung flat. My skin was shellacked with ambient lard." Not to mention the fact that he works side-by-side with his nemesis, his two best friends have fallen in subverbal saccharine love with each other, and his only hope is teaming up with Shunt, the vegan, anarchist grill cook. As Anderson clearly understands and as Anthony notes (while mustering the courage to kiss his archenemy's girlfriend), "There is a certain ferocity you need, to be a teenager in America." Indeed. (Ages 13 and older) --Brangien Davis

About the Author:

M. T. Anderson teaches in the MFA in Writing for Children program at Vermont College. He says: "When I was a teenager, I worked at McDonald's. On my first day, I had to go into the women's room and sponge up something that looked like an industrial disaster. I was almost fired for putting up a sign on the door that said Out of McOrder. The whole experience went downhill from there."

About this edition

• Publisher: Candlewick
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0763615676
• ISBN 13: 9780763615673
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 208