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Stoner & Spaz #2
Now Playing: Stoner & Spaz II
Quick repartee. Unsparing wit. Insight, poignancy, and spot-on characters. Welcome the much—awaited sequel to the acclaimed Stoner & Spaz .
Beautiful but troubled Colleen Minou is the only girl who ever looked at Ben Bancroft as more than a spaz — more than just that kid with cerebral palsy. Yet the more time Ben spends with her, the more glaring their differences appear. Is what Ben feels for Colleen actual affection, or more like gratitude? Then there’s Amy (aka A.J.), who is everything Colleen isn’t, and everything Ben’s grandma wants for clean-cut and upper-class, academically driven, just as obsessed with filmmaking as Ben is. But what does A.J. see when she looks at Ben? CP? Or the person behind the twisted body? In Ron Koertge’s sharp, darkly humorous follow-up to the award-winning Stoner & Spaz , Ben tries to come to terms with his confused feelings toward A.J. and his inimitable connection to Colleen, who is sometimes out of it, sometimes into him, and always exhilarating.
Beautiful but troubled Colleen Minou is the only girl who ever looked at Ben Bancroft as more than a spaz — more than just that kid with cerebral palsy. Yet the more time Ben spends with her, the more glaring their differences appear. Is what Ben feels for Colleen actual affection, or more like gratitude? Then there’s Amy (aka A.J.), who is everything Colleen isn’t, and everything Ben’s grandma wants for clean-cut and upper-class, academically driven, just as obsessed with filmmaking as Ben is. But what does A.J. see when she looks at Ben? CP? Or the person behind the twisted body? In Ron Koertge’s sharp, darkly humorous follow-up to the award-winning Stoner & Spaz , Ben tries to come to terms with his confused feelings toward A.J. and his inimitable connection to Colleen, who is sometimes out of it, sometimes into him, and always exhilarating.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2011
3 people are currently reading
429 people want to read
About the author
Ron Koertge
71 books103 followersAsk Ron Koertge what he brings to the realm of young adult fiction, and the seasoned author responds matter-of-factly. "I write dialogue well, and I'm funny," he says--an assessment few would argue with. "I like iconoclasm and practice it in my fiction. I don't like pretense or hypocrisy. I'm almost always irreverent."
A faculty member for more than 35 years at Pasadena City College, where he has taught everything from Shakespeare to remedial writing, Ron Koertge is the author of several acclaimed novels, most of them for young adults. That Ron Koertge is a master at capturing teenagers' voices--often in witty repartee--is fully evident in MARGAUX WITH AN X, the story of a sharp-tongued beauty and a quirky, quick-witted loner. "MARGAUX WITH AN X started as a short story, but the heroine wouldn't let me alone," the author says. "She had a story to tell, and she wanted a whole novel to tell it in." Another unlikely pairing is found in STONER & SPAZ, Ron Koertge's funny, in-your-face tale of a young cinephile with cerebral palsy and the stoner who steals his heart. "My wife works with the disabled," the writer says of his inspiration for the novel, which quickly garnered critical acclaim. "One night she came home and told me about a young man she'd been working with. He had C.P. and a terrific sense of humor. Coincidentally, that day I had talked to a former student of mine who'd recently been in rehab for substance abuse. What would happen, I wondered, if those two knew each other?"
In addition to his young adult novels, Ron Koertge writes poetry, and has been dubbed "the wisest, most entertaining wiseguy in American poetry" by poet-laureate Billy Collins. SHAKESPEARE BATS CLEANUP is narrated by a straight-talking, fourteen-year-old first baseman who has been benched by mono and decides to take a swing at writing poetry. Written entirely in free verse, with examples of several poetic forms slipped into the mix--including a sonnet, haiku, pastoral, and even a pantoum--SHAKESPEARE BATS CLEANUP is a veritable English teacher's dream. "The interest in SHAKESPEARE BATS CLEANUP is less with the arc of the plot than with the individual poems, some of which demonstrate poetic form, some of which tell the story," the author says. "One of my biggest challenges was to write like a fourteen-year-old who has a knack for writing poetry, and not just sound like a sixty-one-year-old pretending to be one!"
The author's first book with Candlewick, THE BRIMSTONE JOURNALS, is also a novel written in free verse, with 15 different teenage characters narrating four or five poems each. "The book started to nag me a few months before the shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado, and I started to make notes in the form of poems," he says of the hauntingly prescient work. "BRIMSTONE needed to move at high velocity, and this form is perfect for that: no tail fins, no leather seats, no moon roof. Just get in and go."
Ron Koertge grew up in an agricultural area in an old mining town in Illinois, just across the Mississippi from St. Louis, Missouri. There he learned to "drive a tractor and buck hay bales, which are clearly useful skills in Los Angeles," he quips. He and his wife live in South Pasadena, California.
A faculty member for more than 35 years at Pasadena City College, where he has taught everything from Shakespeare to remedial writing, Ron Koertge is the author of several acclaimed novels, most of them for young adults. That Ron Koertge is a master at capturing teenagers' voices--often in witty repartee--is fully evident in MARGAUX WITH AN X, the story of a sharp-tongued beauty and a quirky, quick-witted loner. "MARGAUX WITH AN X started as a short story, but the heroine wouldn't let me alone," the author says. "She had a story to tell, and she wanted a whole novel to tell it in." Another unlikely pairing is found in STONER & SPAZ, Ron Koertge's funny, in-your-face tale of a young cinephile with cerebral palsy and the stoner who steals his heart. "My wife works with the disabled," the writer says of his inspiration for the novel, which quickly garnered critical acclaim. "One night she came home and told me about a young man she'd been working with. He had C.P. and a terrific sense of humor. Coincidentally, that day I had talked to a former student of mine who'd recently been in rehab for substance abuse. What would happen, I wondered, if those two knew each other?"
In addition to his young adult novels, Ron Koertge writes poetry, and has been dubbed "the wisest, most entertaining wiseguy in American poetry" by poet-laureate Billy Collins. SHAKESPEARE BATS CLEANUP is narrated by a straight-talking, fourteen-year-old first baseman who has been benched by mono and decides to take a swing at writing poetry. Written entirely in free verse, with examples of several poetic forms slipped into the mix--including a sonnet, haiku, pastoral, and even a pantoum--SHAKESPEARE BATS CLEANUP is a veritable English teacher's dream. "The interest in SHAKESPEARE BATS CLEANUP is less with the arc of the plot than with the individual poems, some of which demonstrate poetic form, some of which tell the story," the author says. "One of my biggest challenges was to write like a fourteen-year-old who has a knack for writing poetry, and not just sound like a sixty-one-year-old pretending to be one!"
The author's first book with Candlewick, THE BRIMSTONE JOURNALS, is also a novel written in free verse, with 15 different teenage characters narrating four or five poems each. "The book started to nag me a few months before the shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado, and I started to make notes in the form of poems," he says of the hauntingly prescient work. "BRIMSTONE needed to move at high velocity, and this form is perfect for that: no tail fins, no leather seats, no moon roof. Just get in and go."
Ron Koertge grew up in an agricultural area in an old mining town in Illinois, just across the Mississippi from St. Louis, Missouri. There he learned to "drive a tractor and buck hay bales, which are clearly useful skills in Los Angeles," he quips. He and his wife live in South Pasadena, California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
August 31, 2024
I really need to write this review while this book is fresh in my mind. I have to add a bit of back-story to my review, so I apologize in advance.
Other people have mentioned the generation gap between this book and the first one. I was 11 years old when "Stoner & Spaz" came out. I had a very close friend with C.P. whom, when I asked him about it, put the book in my hand and said "read this and you will understand." Needless to say, I was in love from the start. Not just with the book itself, but with Ben and Colleen. (Possibly, rather, the idea of Ben and Colleen.)
So here I sit, 14 years later, 24 years old, eagerly awaiting to dwell into the sequel. A sequel that I've avoided for a couple of years. Not because I didn't care about the ending, but because I couldn't find the heart to actually want it to end. I definitely went into this book with high expectations. And to avoid boring you to death, I'll get on with it:
The book starts off exactly where the first one ended. High off of, what I would consider the "success" of HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL, Ben is intrigued by the cute girl whom gave him her email address, AJ. And still wondering where the hell Colleen is. (Besides on the back of some jerk's motorcycle.) I may be alone here, but "AJ and Ben" was an interesting story ark because it was exciting to see Ben thinking about somebody other than Colleen. The slightest chance that he could somehow, break out of his new found life and discover something without worrying about somebody so flimsy, was exciting to me. Colleen, as troubled and damaged as she is, always sort of annoyed me. I KNOW. I KNOW. I'm sorry.
Alas, AJ (although had promise to become something better) ends up being a pretentious and apparently ruthless "film maker", whom I assume is solely interested in appearances. Just a guess. She appears to be interested in Ben's hobby and even confides in him to help with her own project. She's even an avid movie buff! Score. Expect, not really.
Despite Ben's effort to stop thinking about Colleen, she reappears, heart on sleeve and eager to put her past behind her. This is where the story shifts for me. It becomes less about the flaky encounters between the two and more about the need/want they have for each other. The compromise. The fact that Colleen actually seems genuine, for the first time. By the end, I found myself loving her character, as well. You could really see her progress and maturity which was refreshing and definitely made me feel like a jackass for even disliking her in the first place.
There are some other revelations in this book, like Ben and his mom sort of reconnecting. At least, connecting in the only way that they really can at this stage. I found Delia's character to be really interesting and I wanted a bit more of her, but I could still understand the resentment there. There was just enough of her for one to feel content. I was surprised when the book developed that story, though. Colleen is of course, full of surprises. Hell, even Grandma surprised me a bit.
This book was both, full of surprises, and exactly like the first, in a way. Just a kid with C.P. living his life, watching movies, and finding love. Now thinking back to being scared to read the sequel, I'm so thankful that I did. Actually, I'm grateful that it exists. As much as I love, adore and cherish "Stoner & Spaz", I would have never imagined the characters in the way that I do now. Knowing what I know now, is somehow better than what I knew then. In a world with debilitating sequels and remakes, it's so easy for me to say that Ron Koertge exceeded my expectations and made my heart happy. Two Thumbs Up.
Now, If you'll excuse me. I need to make a call to an old friend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
tbr-owned-book
July 26, 2023I've only been waiting 10 years to read this...
June 25, 2011
More books that I read are part of a franchise, I mean series, these days than are not. When a book is good for me, I'm glad of that. Like most people, I want more of a good thing. Most people like chain restaurants and books where they know what they are getting for much the same reason.
This sequel is different, though, from those fast and furiously produced sequels/series because the first STONER & SPAZ came out in 2002. Almost ten years later, that YA audience is past college and into Pampers or fantasy football or climbing some professional ladder. Koertge is circling back to these characters and having to make them relevant for some teens who never ate at his restaurant before, and he does a decent job. Some who aren't too OCD to read books out of order may try this one and go back for seconds, which in this case, would be firsts, right? You follow?
I'll be honest: I didn't read the first book. Sometimes when I am given sequel or series books to review, I just browse a bit about what happens in prior books and then look to see if I can navigate without reading number one. That's one of the things I think librarians want to know when they read a review--do my students/patrons need to have read number one to get number two? Here, they don't, and that's smart given that this books comes out for a whole different generation of teen readers. I guess a generation for these purposes is about five years, so he's almost at TWO generations of readers ago.
It does read a tiny bit dated in a few spots to me, but for the most part, I think female readers and some of the male ones will go where this book takes them. Short enough to read in a day if they want to, the story of a boy with a penchant for the movies that have been his only solace as he copes, often badly with cerebral palsy crippling half his body. We quickly learn that wild-thing, pot head Colleen helped alter Ben's life in the first novel by accepting him. The odd couple fit and brought out the best in each other. She helped him produce a festival-worthy student film on cliques called HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL, and he tried to help her step away from the seamy world of drugs and bad boyfriends that threatens to pull her under.
That same danger is still one she fights here, while Ben enjoys a status boost from his film's success and even flirts with the idea of new girl friend A.J., also a film-maker. But Colleen, still screwing up but still irrestible, is the one who needs him and loves him--who knows which one more? There's not a great deal of plot, which is why not all reluctant readers will persevere. The new twists here seem to be Ben's rich grandma coming out her ice mansion and long absentee, fragile mother being found only twenty minutes away working as a Target zombie. Still both characters are endearing in their way and teens should find them recognizable, essential for realistic YA fiction.
I may even go back and read the first book, which incidentally I see won Honor Book in 2004, the first year of the GA Peach Awards, when and if my book shelves and nightstand ever get clear.
This sequel is different, though, from those fast and furiously produced sequels/series because the first STONER & SPAZ came out in 2002. Almost ten years later, that YA audience is past college and into Pampers or fantasy football or climbing some professional ladder. Koertge is circling back to these characters and having to make them relevant for some teens who never ate at his restaurant before, and he does a decent job. Some who aren't too OCD to read books out of order may try this one and go back for seconds, which in this case, would be firsts, right? You follow?
I'll be honest: I didn't read the first book. Sometimes when I am given sequel or series books to review, I just browse a bit about what happens in prior books and then look to see if I can navigate without reading number one. That's one of the things I think librarians want to know when they read a review--do my students/patrons need to have read number one to get number two? Here, they don't, and that's smart given that this books comes out for a whole different generation of teen readers. I guess a generation for these purposes is about five years, so he's almost at TWO generations of readers ago.
It does read a tiny bit dated in a few spots to me, but for the most part, I think female readers and some of the male ones will go where this book takes them. Short enough to read in a day if they want to, the story of a boy with a penchant for the movies that have been his only solace as he copes, often badly with cerebral palsy crippling half his body. We quickly learn that wild-thing, pot head Colleen helped alter Ben's life in the first novel by accepting him. The odd couple fit and brought out the best in each other. She helped him produce a festival-worthy student film on cliques called HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL, and he tried to help her step away from the seamy world of drugs and bad boyfriends that threatens to pull her under.
That same danger is still one she fights here, while Ben enjoys a status boost from his film's success and even flirts with the idea of new girl friend A.J., also a film-maker. But Colleen, still screwing up but still irrestible, is the one who needs him and loves him--who knows which one more? There's not a great deal of plot, which is why not all reluctant readers will persevere. The new twists here seem to be Ben's rich grandma coming out her ice mansion and long absentee, fragile mother being found only twenty minutes away working as a Target zombie. Still both characters are endearing in their way and teens should find them recognizable, essential for realistic YA fiction.
I may even go back and read the first book, which incidentally I see won Honor Book in 2004, the first year of the GA Peach Awards, when and if my book shelves and nightstand ever get clear.
April 29, 2014
Ben Bancroft is still riding high after successfully completing a documentary for a film festival. His girlfriend Colleen is just high. Struggling with his feelings about Colleen and looking to the future, Ben begins to wonder what other people really see when they look at him. Do they see the withered arm and loping gait from cerebral palsy or do they see something else, something better?
As you can tell, I am catching up on some of my older reading. The first book, Stoner & Spaz was a book that I used as a positive example of disabilities in middle grade and young adult book, which was the focus of my Master's critical thesis. One of the most important elements I found to a create a good story with disabilities was that the story couldn't be about just the disability. Should you remove the disability from the story, there should still be some sort of plot. Despite his cerebral palsy and the fact that he thinks about it often, the real plot has nothing to do with Ben's disability. Instead this story is really about his relationship with Colleen.
Colleen's story takes center stage this time. Raised in a life full of neglect, abuse, and sexual predators, Colleen struggles for normality, often resorting to drugs to dull her reality. Ben doesn't always know how to deal with her and does question whether he should even be dating her. However, Colleen is also ballsy and when Ben goes to find his mother who abandoned him, it is Colleen who helps put everyone at ease.
My only complaint is that the plot was a bit meandering. Without a focus like the documentary film festival, the plot sped up and slowed down at a pace that was as wonkey as Ben's gait. Ben's mother was so strange and detached that I never really understood what was going on with her. How does someone that slow and out of it hold down a job and get an apartment? Although I was glad to see another book about Ben I still worry about him. Colleen, despite her wanton ways, really is a walking disaster and Ben can't fix her. Will he stay with her once he graduates and goes on to college? I just don't see that happening, no matter how much effort he puts into their relationship.
Review originally posted here
As you can tell, I am catching up on some of my older reading. The first book, Stoner & Spaz was a book that I used as a positive example of disabilities in middle grade and young adult book, which was the focus of my Master's critical thesis. One of the most important elements I found to a create a good story with disabilities was that the story couldn't be about just the disability. Should you remove the disability from the story, there should still be some sort of plot. Despite his cerebral palsy and the fact that he thinks about it often, the real plot has nothing to do with Ben's disability. Instead this story is really about his relationship with Colleen.
Colleen's story takes center stage this time. Raised in a life full of neglect, abuse, and sexual predators, Colleen struggles for normality, often resorting to drugs to dull her reality. Ben doesn't always know how to deal with her and does question whether he should even be dating her. However, Colleen is also ballsy and when Ben goes to find his mother who abandoned him, it is Colleen who helps put everyone at ease.
My only complaint is that the plot was a bit meandering. Without a focus like the documentary film festival, the plot sped up and slowed down at a pace that was as wonkey as Ben's gait. Ben's mother was so strange and detached that I never really understood what was going on with her. How does someone that slow and out of it hold down a job and get an apartment? Although I was glad to see another book about Ben I still worry about him. Colleen, despite her wanton ways, really is a walking disaster and Ben can't fix her. Will he stay with her once he graduates and goes on to college? I just don't see that happening, no matter how much effort he puts into their relationship.
Review originally posted here
April 11, 2019
I really liked this book. I was glad there was a second book. I loved the characters from Granny with her sophistication to Colleen with her addictive personality. There was a lot of tolerance for differences in the story. People coming to terms with who they are finding their way and seeing who can help them in that journey and also who isn't good to be around. I'd love to see where Ben's movie making will go. Can Colleen stay sober? Can Marcie? Granny becoming a bit more accepting of others was nice to see...maybe she isn't such a stuffy lady after all. Would love to see more.
January 11, 2019
I read the book is called Now Playing Stoner and Spaz II by Ron Koertge.
The book does get pretty confusing like if they are one place they end up going somewhere else in the next sentence and don’t tell you they are.
My like and dislikes are what I don’t like that they jump around so much so it’s hard to follow that's what i don’t like. What i do like is how the people in the story go around their differences like Ben who is the main character has CP and his girlfriend named Collen who is a drug addict but stops because she doesn't want to lose ben. It’s funny at points and sad at points too like when Ben was young his mom left him on the porch of his grandmas house.
It’s funny because they make a lot of jokes during story and make fun of each other and they both laugh. I believe there's two main themes in the story at the beginning Ben he kept trying to get with Collen so that's about the first half of the story goes. In the second half Ben and Collen are looking for his mom and they do find her and everything works out.
I understand that you might not like the story but i understand because i did enjoy it but not full enjoyment like it hard to follow but I belive that the story is good because two people with two different lives came together but in the end they came between their differences and fell in love
The book does get pretty confusing like if they are one place they end up going somewhere else in the next sentence and don’t tell you they are.
My like and dislikes are what I don’t like that they jump around so much so it’s hard to follow that's what i don’t like. What i do like is how the people in the story go around their differences like Ben who is the main character has CP and his girlfriend named Collen who is a drug addict but stops because she doesn't want to lose ben. It’s funny at points and sad at points too like when Ben was young his mom left him on the porch of his grandmas house.
It’s funny because they make a lot of jokes during story and make fun of each other and they both laugh. I believe there's two main themes in the story at the beginning Ben he kept trying to get with Collen so that's about the first half of the story goes. In the second half Ben and Collen are looking for his mom and they do find her and everything works out.
I understand that you might not like the story but i understand because i did enjoy it but not full enjoyment like it hard to follow but I belive that the story is good because two people with two different lives came together but in the end they came between their differences and fell in love
April 15, 2019
This second book held everything I didn't even know I needed in a Stoner and Spaz sequel.
As my review stated, Stoner and Spaz wasn't my favorite book. It jumped around alot, the characters weren't that great, and the storyline fell a little flat. So, in all honesty, I had very low expectations going into this sequel. In my experience with books like Stoner and Spaz, the sequel is always so much worse.
However I was pleasantly surprised. There was quite a bit of character growth all around, there was a storyline that actually made sense and shaped how the characters interacted with one another, and while it still jumped around a bit it was not as much as the first book and didn't feel like a useless montage.
I liked Colleen alot more in this book and Ben even seemed more enjoyable. Their relationship worked out so much better than I would've thought and I think that's due to the immense character development on Colleen's part.
Overall this book was definitely better than the first one and while I don't think I would actively pick either of them up again, it was a nice and quick read.
As my review stated, Stoner and Spaz wasn't my favorite book. It jumped around alot, the characters weren't that great, and the storyline fell a little flat. So, in all honesty, I had very low expectations going into this sequel. In my experience with books like Stoner and Spaz, the sequel is always so much worse.
However I was pleasantly surprised. There was quite a bit of character growth all around, there was a storyline that actually made sense and shaped how the characters interacted with one another, and while it still jumped around a bit it was not as much as the first book and didn't feel like a useless montage.
I liked Colleen alot more in this book and Ben even seemed more enjoyable. Their relationship worked out so much better than I would've thought and I think that's due to the immense character development on Colleen's part.
Overall this book was definitely better than the first one and while I don't think I would actively pick either of them up again, it was a nice and quick read.
June 6, 2019
It was an interesting read, but I much prefer the first novel. I liked seeing the character develop, but the ending was quite disappointing. It felt like the author just didn't know what to do with the characters anymore.
Read
November 5, 2025it was good not as good as the first one tho.
January 16, 2014
The novel Now Playing Stoner and Spaz 2, by Ron Koertge, is probably the most interesting book I have ever read. Ben Bancroft, struggles to understand his relationship with a drug-addict girl named Colleen. At the same time, Ben is trying to find his mother and understand the reason why she left him.
When reading the novel, my favorite character was Ben. Ben is a lot different from other people. Ben is a kid that is not in a lot of sports or school activities. While understanding the life of Ben, there was one thing I did not like in the novel. In the novel, it talks about how he lost his dad because someone killed him. After his dad died, his mom then left him to live with his grandma. When reading the novel, it made me sad that his mother would do that. Through Ben’s life, living with his grandma was a everyday thing. Ben had to go every single day without a mom or dad in his life. Just thinking about that can make you feel really bad about that person. Another reason why I didn't like that meaningful section in the novel is because it never told why his mom left. Ben always wanted to know why his mom left him. His grandma never really explained why she did leave. But with the help of his girlfriend, Ben gets a chance to find and see his mother.
Colleen, Ben’s girlfriend, found a letter sent to Ben’s grandma that would lead them to find his mom. For the first time Ben would get to meet his mother. At that point in the book, I was getting really happy. I couldn't wait to visualize the hugs and kisses Ben and his mom would do, when they see each other. Instead, as the first time they see each other Ben’s mom exact words were, “Benjamin, what a coincidence.” Right at the end of that page I sat there, and I wanted to punch something. That was probably the most saddest part in the novel. Ben’s mother should have been ashamed of herself. Knowing that a kid would see his mom for the first time in his life would seem to be a happy part, but instead, all his mom could say was three words. After I finished the novel, I just kept thinking about that one part because if I didn't have a mom, I don’t know how I could get through being a kid. As the book ends, it seems to be that Ben and his mom start to talk a lot more. So even though I thought it was sad, in the next series of this novel, I believe that Ben Bancroft will develop a stronger relationship with his mom.
As a person that doesn't like to read a lot, I really enjoyed this book. I really think kids that are always into sports novels or other ones, should really read this book. I think this because this novel is a very interesting one, and seems to make me and other people visualize a lot about what is going on. I highly recommend this novel.
When reading the novel, my favorite character was Ben. Ben is a lot different from other people. Ben is a kid that is not in a lot of sports or school activities. While understanding the life of Ben, there was one thing I did not like in the novel. In the novel, it talks about how he lost his dad because someone killed him. After his dad died, his mom then left him to live with his grandma. When reading the novel, it made me sad that his mother would do that. Through Ben’s life, living with his grandma was a everyday thing. Ben had to go every single day without a mom or dad in his life. Just thinking about that can make you feel really bad about that person. Another reason why I didn't like that meaningful section in the novel is because it never told why his mom left. Ben always wanted to know why his mom left him. His grandma never really explained why she did leave. But with the help of his girlfriend, Ben gets a chance to find and see his mother.
Colleen, Ben’s girlfriend, found a letter sent to Ben’s grandma that would lead them to find his mom. For the first time Ben would get to meet his mother. At that point in the book, I was getting really happy. I couldn't wait to visualize the hugs and kisses Ben and his mom would do, when they see each other. Instead, as the first time they see each other Ben’s mom exact words were, “Benjamin, what a coincidence.” Right at the end of that page I sat there, and I wanted to punch something. That was probably the most saddest part in the novel. Ben’s mother should have been ashamed of herself. Knowing that a kid would see his mom for the first time in his life would seem to be a happy part, but instead, all his mom could say was three words. After I finished the novel, I just kept thinking about that one part because if I didn't have a mom, I don’t know how I could get through being a kid. As the book ends, it seems to be that Ben and his mom start to talk a lot more. So even though I thought it was sad, in the next series of this novel, I believe that Ben Bancroft will develop a stronger relationship with his mom.
As a person that doesn't like to read a lot, I really enjoyed this book. I really think kids that are always into sports novels or other ones, should really read this book. I think this because this novel is a very interesting one, and seems to make me and other people visualize a lot about what is going on. I highly recommend this novel.
August 17, 2011
First Impression:
I absolutely adored Stoner & Spaz and couldn't wait to get to know A.J. a little better, because as much as Colleen has shown Ben things he never thought he'd see, she is still quite a bit crazy (and full of drugs). I was glad I didn't have to wait after reading the first because I think these characters would stick with me forever and I wanted to know more of their story.
While Reading:
I have to say, this book is deeper than you'd think at first glance. Especially if you are going by the title. It's interesting to see Ben unraveled a bit further. Questioning his love for Colleen when he has the opportunity to spend more time with A.J. who has similar interests. I love how flawed all the characters are in this book. Even Ben, who has enough physical flaws has these deep rooted flaws that show how human he is, how exactly like a teenage boy he can be.
I think between Ben and Colleen, Colleen intrigues me the most. I want to open her head up and see why she does what she does. Why she chose Ben, why she tries to do right by him and help him when he least expects it. She's brutal and open and definitely the type of girl to straight talk when needed and to coddle when needed.
The only thing I disliked in the book was the ending. It didn't wrap anything up. I guess the first one didn't either, but still, it feels so open and there's so much more to explore. These books will definitely pull emotion out of the reader, make them cheer at times, feel upset at others.
Verdict:
These books are amazing. I think it puts a light on drugs that really shows how they can mess you up and make you a different person. How difficult it is to stop once you've done it for so long and what that means. There's so many other issues in this book that really draw out emotion. I definitely suggest it to those who want something different, who want to care for the characters and really get to know them.
I absolutely adored Stoner & Spaz and couldn't wait to get to know A.J. a little better, because as much as Colleen has shown Ben things he never thought he'd see, she is still quite a bit crazy (and full of drugs). I was glad I didn't have to wait after reading the first because I think these characters would stick with me forever and I wanted to know more of their story.
While Reading:
I have to say, this book is deeper than you'd think at first glance. Especially if you are going by the title. It's interesting to see Ben unraveled a bit further. Questioning his love for Colleen when he has the opportunity to spend more time with A.J. who has similar interests. I love how flawed all the characters are in this book. Even Ben, who has enough physical flaws has these deep rooted flaws that show how human he is, how exactly like a teenage boy he can be.
I think between Ben and Colleen, Colleen intrigues me the most. I want to open her head up and see why she does what she does. Why she chose Ben, why she tries to do right by him and help him when he least expects it. She's brutal and open and definitely the type of girl to straight talk when needed and to coddle when needed.
The only thing I disliked in the book was the ending. It didn't wrap anything up. I guess the first one didn't either, but still, it feels so open and there's so much more to explore. These books will definitely pull emotion out of the reader, make them cheer at times, feel upset at others.
Verdict:
These books are amazing. I think it puts a light on drugs that really shows how they can mess you up and make you a different person. How difficult it is to stop once you've done it for so long and what that means. There's so many other issues in this book that really draw out emotion. I definitely suggest it to those who want something different, who want to care for the characters and really get to know them.
December 2, 2011
Now Playing: Stoner & Spaz II continues the tale of the fraught relationship between Ben Bancroft, the spaz, and Colleen Minou, the stoner. Ben wants to save Colleen from herself and her drug addiction and she is the only girl who he believes sees the real him and not his cerebral palsy. They became friends in the first novel after meeting at the movies. Ben is a budding film maker who has just had a successful showing of his first documentary at a local South Pasadena gallery, where he meets Amy or A.J., another budding filmmaker. Colleen left the event with another guy, confirming what Ben’s grandmother already thought about her. Ben knows his grandmother, who raised him after his mom left and his dad died, would prefer he fall for someone like A.J., clean-cut, upper class girl, with higher aspirations than just finishing high school and staying clean. Ben pursues a friendship with A.J. but comparing her to Colleen all the while, especially in the way she looks at him. He wonders what she sees and whether she is a potential girlfriend, whereas he feels he knows what Colleen sees, just him and he loves her for that. While Colleen struggles to stay clean, she convinces Ben to find and meet his mother with interesting results. He realizes maybe he wasn’t so bad off being raised by his grandmother. The all of thecharacters are well drawn including the secondary ones and readers will enjoy the disparate personalities of Ben and Colleen.
October 8, 2011
As with Stoner & Spaz, Koertge writes tight, fast, easy to read prose with an attractively well-realized protagonist in Ben - the wry high school student with CP who lives and longs to make movies. Stoner & Spaz II takes up right where the first novel broke off, with Ben longing to see Colleen again, even though she ditched him at the movie premiere. The two reconnect and break apart again and again in their difficult relationship. I think Koertge just couldn't bear to leave his creation - the beautiful, damaged, intelligent, and drug addicted Colleen - mired in the gutter. So while in a way I think the author takes the edge off his original work with this revisiting of the characters, I welcomed reading more about Ben and Colleen and I loved the way he evolved Ben's relationship with his grandmother. Solidly written, and kids who find and love Stoner & Spaz will also love the sequel.
August 25, 2012
Nothing really exciting happens but the characters are great people and I loved them. In this sequel to Stoner & Spaz, Spaz and Colleen are older and more comfortable with themselves. Spaz accepts the shortcomings cerebral palsy brings and is no longer the kid people pick on in high school. The documentary he made in the first book has given him cred and his subjects enjoy their new celebrity most of the time. Colleen still has drug issues but she's working on a modified 12-step program that works for her as she lets go of her loser/abusive ex. She and Spaz are an unlikely couple but they complement and care for each other. Neighbor Marcie and Grandma continue to add support and reality to the lives of our protagonists and the teens with whom they interact. If you are familiar with the Pasadena area, you get the extra bonus of enjoying the local scenes.
May 25, 2016
While it definitely kept my interest, this story suffers from the same crippling (no pun intended) fault of the original: a complete lack of narrative climax. In both books, the story meanders along which gave me the impression they would have a slow build and possibly a subtle peak but neither ever did. You're just reading along then then literally, in the middle of a movie date, the paragraph ends and you see "The End." After typing that, I flashed back to the ending of The Sopranoes and am now wondering if the author (who definitely understanding film technique) was purposefully aiming for a similar affect? Either way, it fell flat for me. Its almost as if the author got distracted by a good movie starting on TV, stopped writing and stamped "The End" so he could watch whatever Turner Classic was airing.
August 21, 2011
Hard to believe it's been 8 years since I read the first Stoner & Spaz. This one picks up pretty much where the first left off and I don't think it was quite as compelling. I always prefer the initial getting-to-know-you stuff over the what-comes-next. That said, this one saw a lot of resolution to both Ben's and Colleen's efforts to "grow up". Often moving, realistic- a few steps forward a few steps back in relationships and attitude toward life. I began to really appreciate Ben's grandmother. Not quite as much about movies (tho still quite a bit) - even the poor Rialto seems like its days are numbered...damn you Netflix and streaming video! There could even be room for still another book. I actually wouldn't mind a little more of 'what's next'.
August 20, 2011
One of the many reasons that Ron Koertge's a great author is that he knows how to end a book. His endings are never about putting a bow on a situation and making everything come together. They tend to be a bit messy and show that life is complicated and never has a perfect ending.
"Stoner and Spaz" is one of my favorite books and this sequel doesn't disappoint. Colleen and Ben are great characters full of life, energy, intelligence and rawness. Ben is a rich kid with Cerebral Palsy obsessed with film and Colleen is a too-smart-for-herself drug addict who is slowly coming to grips with sobriety.
Their odd coupling is completely believable and charming. If Ron Koertge wrote a book about these characters every year for the rest of his life, I would be utterly thrilled.
"Stoner and Spaz" is one of my favorite books and this sequel doesn't disappoint. Colleen and Ben are great characters full of life, energy, intelligence and rawness. Ben is a rich kid with Cerebral Palsy obsessed with film and Colleen is a too-smart-for-herself drug addict who is slowly coming to grips with sobriety.
Their odd coupling is completely believable and charming. If Ron Koertge wrote a book about these characters every year for the rest of his life, I would be utterly thrilled.
June 3, 2015
Stoner and spaz 2 is just as interesting as the original stoner and spaz. Stoner and spaz
is a little more about Ben finding himself and finding out that he can be more than he ally thought. He finds this out by hanging out with Coleen and his new friend A.J. originthat he met at the end of the first book at the film festival. A.J. comes into the picture and is somewhat interested in being with Ben. This allows Ben to see that he isn’t limited to Colleen even though he still wants to be with her. It makes him see his worth easier with a little bit of a push from his surroundings. This is what he is learning in this book and it should be a lesson to all of us to just be ourselves and find our worth.
is a little more about Ben finding himself and finding out that he can be more than he ally thought. He finds this out by hanging out with Coleen and his new friend A.J. originthat he met at the end of the first book at the film festival. A.J. comes into the picture and is somewhat interested in being with Ben. This allows Ben to see that he isn’t limited to Colleen even though he still wants to be with her. It makes him see his worth easier with a little bit of a push from his surroundings. This is what he is learning in this book and it should be a lesson to all of us to just be ourselves and find our worth.
August 9, 2011
So, I didn't have any idea that this book was coming out until I spotted it at ALA. I remember enjoying the first one, about Ben (who has cerebral palsy) and Colleen (a druggie), so I snagged up this one. The book is a really fast read and interesting. But what it lacks, maybe because it's a sequel, is real character development. There is still some, but not as much as I would have liked. I still liked the book, but it felt a little unfinished to me. And, it just sort of ends. Which makes me wonder why there was a sequel in the first place. I don't know; I just expected more.
Thanks to the publisher for an advance reader's copy.
Thanks to the publisher for an advance reader's copy.
January 14, 2014
2.5 stars
I read this book since it’s a sequel to Stoner and Spaz I read earlier this month. Although a good continuation, no surprising revelation occurs and you do not learn much more about any of the main characters. I felt the author was hoping that the “shock” of a stoner and disabled teen romance would be enough to keep readers entertained. The story played around with the idea that Ben was using Colleen. I felt all the characters used each other, Amy included, for their own personal good. I will say it was worth the read is you enjoyed Stoner and Spaz; also it is a very quick read.
I read this book since it’s a sequel to Stoner and Spaz I read earlier this month. Although a good continuation, no surprising revelation occurs and you do not learn much more about any of the main characters. I felt the author was hoping that the “shock” of a stoner and disabled teen romance would be enough to keep readers entertained. The story played around with the idea that Ben was using Colleen. I felt all the characters used each other, Amy included, for their own personal good. I will say it was worth the read is you enjoyed Stoner and Spaz; also it is a very quick read.
January 25, 2012
I had read the first book of this series a few years ago and recently found that it had a sequel. I finished this book in a couple of days so needless to say, it was good. Ben the main character and his girlfriend Colleen are one of the weirdest couples that I've read about in a book to date. Ben has love for Colleen at all times and always takes her back even when she messes up big time. Colleen is addicted to drugs and Ben is a boy with C.P. It was morose and very serious but in a funny, carefree kind of way.
March 4, 2012
Easy to read book. It's been a while since I read Stoner & Spaz, but I think this second book is as good as the first. The plot is about the same, though this time Colleen is struggling with staying clean and sober. There's another girl who is interested in film and Ben. Colleen and Ben find Ben's mom. The complex characters and funny conversations raise Koertge's writing above normal teen fiction.
May 10, 2016
I loved this, maybe even more than the first one - though I went back & forth over 4 vs. 5 stars - it's really a 4.5. The evolution of the characters (which picks up a couple days after the first book left off) is realistic, the angst has been toned down a bit, and it was just a satisfying story, if not as in your face as the first book. Nothing much happens, but it's a good look at disabilities, teen sex, addiction, mental illness and class differences.
May 19, 2015
If you enjoyed Stoner & Spaz, you're bound to like this fun sequel continuing the relationship between young filmmaker Ben (a victim of Cerebral Palsy) and his stoner girlfriend, Colleen. Yes, she's back and their relationship is challenged with the emergence of A.J., a wealthy girl who is also a filmmaker and who is also interested in Ben.
A really fun read, full of wisecracking good humor and more than a little angst.
A really fun read, full of wisecracking good humor and more than a little angst.
September 18, 2011
Loved it! It picked up right where the first one left off. I love the character change and interaction in Ben and Colleen. Love them together. The more puzzle pieces of Grandma I get, the more I want to find out about her, as well as Delia. And I think everyone needs a Marcie! I don't want to say to much and give away my favorite parts, but this is one series I'll be waiting for more from.
November 12, 2011
Unexpectedly (maybe) better than the first one. And that's saying something. Only complaint (And it's not really a complaint) is that I keep feeling slapped in the face when the book ends. It's a fine ending...just one of those 'huh?' type moments. I really could just keep reading about these two forever. It feels like there is just a ton of story left to tell. :)
January 2, 2016
Compared to the first, this was very dry. Colleen is a little more cleaned up and there was very little time making movies or hanging with AJ. Little is resolved with the main conflicts that were in the first book and now in this book. I really hope there is another book. This one left me waiting for something to happen.
May 28, 2012
Funny story about the unlikely romance between a boy with cerebal palsy (the narrator) who lives with his wealthy grandmother and a sassy girl trying to kick a drug habit who comes from a rough home environment. Good readalike for the John Greene type of books. Some sex (not graphic) and language (high school more than middle school read).
June 6, 2013
Not the type of book I usually read but I found my self really invested in the book. Great story and writing. I thought the book jacket was a odd summary of the book because I did not think the book focused on the choice between AJ and Collen, more on the discovery of the mother. Unfortunately I did not realize this was a squeal and will have to find the first book.
February 5, 2017
this one was better written than the first, but still seemed rather plotless.
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