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Stupid Fast #2
Nothing Special
A Stupid Number of Awards for Geoff Herbach's Stupid Fast Hey Aleah, I miss you. Because there's some serious donkey crap going on right now. I'm supposed to be at football camp, but noooo ... Andrew had to go missing! So because of my stupid little brother, I'll probably lose my chance at a scholarship and end up being nothing special. I'm pretty sure Andrew ran away to Florida, and now Gus and I have to drive cross-country to get him. Did you know Gus used to think Miss Piggy was hot? Anyway, Andrew once told me I needed to get my head out of my butt. So that's what I'm trying to do. How about a kiss for luck? Felton "Readers looking for a genuinely memorable first-person narrator―in the vein of Sherman Alexie's Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian or Pete Hautman's Godless ― should really catch up to Stupid Fast."― StarTribune
290 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2012
47 people are currently reading
968 people want to read
About the author
Geoff Herbach
17 books226 followersI am the author of the YA title, Stupid Fast (June 2011 from Sourcebooks Fire). I also wrote The Miracle Letters of T. Rimberg, a Novel from Three Rivers Press. When I'm not writing books, I'm writing for Radio Happy Hour or developing ridiculous musical bits.
When I'm not writing, I'm teaching writing at Minnesota State, Mankato, which means I write a lot of comments about writing on student writing.
Writing a lot of writing and reading about writing and writing on reading.
When I'm not writing, I'm teaching writing at Minnesota State, Mankato, which means I write a lot of comments about writing on student writing.
Writing a lot of writing and reading about writing and writing on reading.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
December 8, 2023
Rated 3.5
September 28, 2017
In Nothing Special, Felton Rienstein who is a Junior is really talented at football as he is a track. Felton plays both football and track at the same time which wasn't a good idea. Felton doesn't want to go to camps and doesn't like coaches watch him run. Will Felton Rienstein go to college to play sports or will he choke in front of the scouts? The only thing I didn't get was the names of the chapters. I made a connection in the book. Went Felton played football and ran track and hurt his hamstring. When I was 8 years old I was in the middle of football season and I had track meets and I ended up hurting my hamstring just like Felton did. I would recommend this book to kids who like sports and people who like realistic-fiction. After I read this book it opened my eyes on how hard you have to work if you want to be a college athlete. One thing I would do different that Felton did was go to all the camps and talk to all the college scouts, unlike Felton, who ignored all the camps and was shy to talk to the scouts. Overall i really liked this book and it was one of my favorite books, besides, Stupid Fast.
February 26, 2013
Wow. When I started reading, I was kind of disappointed. I had forgotten how very much a self-centered teenager Felton is. And since the story is told by Felton, you are pretty deeply submerged in his view of the world. Since Felton IS a self-centered teenager, it's a little stuffy in there, at first.
Then you start to realize how much Felton actually cares about his little brother Andrew and his mom, even though he is terrible at showing it. And you remember how badly finding his Dad's body screwed him up, and you kind of get back into being a Felton fan, and you hope he's going to manage to work everything out.
And he does. He has a rough time with his girlfriend, and with his best friend since grade schol, AND with his new football friends, and most of all with his brother Andrew, and he makes any number of mistakes. But he grows through the process. He learns things.
By the end, when Felton says he's nothing special, you know he's wrong.
Then you start to realize how much Felton actually cares about his little brother Andrew and his mom, even though he is terrible at showing it. And you remember how badly finding his Dad's body screwed him up, and you kind of get back into being a Felton fan, and you hope he's going to manage to work everything out.
And he does. He has a rough time with his girlfriend, and with his best friend since grade schol, AND with his new football friends, and most of all with his brother Andrew, and he makes any number of mistakes. But he grows through the process. He learns things.
By the end, when Felton says he's nothing special, you know he's wrong.
May 17, 2012
This was such a perfect continuation of Felton's story -- when we leave him in Stupid Fast, things AREN'T settled. There are still questions. And while this one answers some of them, it opens up even more important questions.
Felton's being recruited by so many colleges and universities because of his athletic prowess, and he's caught up in this world of being in the spot light and in the being the Felton he realized he could be. The problem is, he's forgetting about the other people in his life, including his brother. Andrew's always loved Felton, but Felton's been too blind to see it. And when everything unravels the summer before and the truth about their father spills out, Andrew only pours more love into his brother. Except, that love and devotion is really his way of coping with so much loss and emptiness. It's also his way of dealing with living in the shadow of someone who has everyone's attention.
This is a story about family and about those relationships among family members that are tricky, uncomfortable, and broken. It is not an easy read because these are heavy topics, but Felton has a sense of humor and brings such levity to the situations it that makes them easier to digest. He comes to realize how truly selfish he's become, both as a result of his transformation and as a result of having other people's expectations hoisted upon him. He's judgmental and rude, and he doesn't necessarily realize it because he's too self-involved. But it kills his brother.
Nothing Special tore at me. I related to Felton a lot more in this book than I did before, if for no other reason than I understood just how uncomfortable dealing with the family stuff was for him. About page 200 I started getting to the point where I knew there'd be tears at the end, and I did well up a bit. He's just a character who you WANT to succeed. He tries so, so hard, even if it's misguided.
More than that though, this is a love story, but the way it plays out is subtle (but brilliant). Everyone gets what they deserve in this book without being a pretty ribbon on a neat package. There are still tons of unresolved issues. But that's OKAY.
Without doubt, Felton is and will be one of my favorite characters for a long, long time.
(For what it's worth, this isn't a book you can read without reading the first one.)
Full review here: http://www.stackedbooks.org/2012/05/n...
Felton's being recruited by so many colleges and universities because of his athletic prowess, and he's caught up in this world of being in the spot light and in the being the Felton he realized he could be. The problem is, he's forgetting about the other people in his life, including his brother. Andrew's always loved Felton, but Felton's been too blind to see it. And when everything unravels the summer before and the truth about their father spills out, Andrew only pours more love into his brother. Except, that love and devotion is really his way of coping with so much loss and emptiness. It's also his way of dealing with living in the shadow of someone who has everyone's attention.
This is a story about family and about those relationships among family members that are tricky, uncomfortable, and broken. It is not an easy read because these are heavy topics, but Felton has a sense of humor and brings such levity to the situations it that makes them easier to digest. He comes to realize how truly selfish he's become, both as a result of his transformation and as a result of having other people's expectations hoisted upon him. He's judgmental and rude, and he doesn't necessarily realize it because he's too self-involved. But it kills his brother.
Nothing Special tore at me. I related to Felton a lot more in this book than I did before, if for no other reason than I understood just how uncomfortable dealing with the family stuff was for him. About page 200 I started getting to the point where I knew there'd be tears at the end, and I did well up a bit. He's just a character who you WANT to succeed. He tries so, so hard, even if it's misguided.
More than that though, this is a love story, but the way it plays out is subtle (but brilliant). Everyone gets what they deserve in this book without being a pretty ribbon on a neat package. There are still tons of unresolved issues. But that's OKAY.
Without doubt, Felton is and will be one of my favorite characters for a long, long time.
(For what it's worth, this isn't a book you can read without reading the first one.)
Full review here: http://www.stackedbooks.org/2012/05/n...
May 14, 2012
You don't really see many young adult books with a male protagonist, so that factor alone really helped Nothing Special stand out in my opinion. I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this book, I was a little skeptical at first.. It sounded really good, I just wasn't quite sure how much I would enjoy it. I felt like the writing style was really unique, I haven't read Geoff's other book, but I will have to check it out after reading this one.
I really, really liked how this story was written. The whole idea of this story being one huge letter from Felton to Aleah was really cool. And with the book being written from Felton's point of view it really creates this awesome reading experience. I really enjoyed the trip that Felton took, it was fun getting to go along and see everything that happened. It doesn't have me to excited to jump on a Greyhound Bus anytime soon though, although I am sure they aren't as bad as some of the experiences he had in the book. One of the key things in this book is the relationship between Felton and his brother Andrew. While they went through a alot of tough times, it was great watching their relationship grow through all of the ups and downs throughout the story.
There really isn't to much to say about the characters in my opinion, they all felt very real. I really liked Tovi and Andrew though. They were just two really awesome characters. Tovi is Felton and Andrew's cousin, it was just awesome seeing how they all interacted, all of the arguments and everything just felt so real. There were a lot of good moments between them too. Gus was a really fun character to, although I won't go into much detail I really think people will like him. It's just a great cast of very real characters, I don't feel like there was anything lacking in this department.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. I felt like it took a little while to get into, and then throughout the book there were a few parts that felt a little slow. In the end though, this ended up to be a really great book. It has an awesome concept, and Geoff did an amazing job writing it. Nothing Special is a book I think a lot of people will enjoy, if it sounds like something that might interest you I would highly suggest it. It's just such a different story than I am use to, and I think that made it even more enjoyable.
I really, really liked how this story was written. The whole idea of this story being one huge letter from Felton to Aleah was really cool. And with the book being written from Felton's point of view it really creates this awesome reading experience. I really enjoyed the trip that Felton took, it was fun getting to go along and see everything that happened. It doesn't have me to excited to jump on a Greyhound Bus anytime soon though, although I am sure they aren't as bad as some of the experiences he had in the book. One of the key things in this book is the relationship between Felton and his brother Andrew. While they went through a alot of tough times, it was great watching their relationship grow through all of the ups and downs throughout the story.
There really isn't to much to say about the characters in my opinion, they all felt very real. I really liked Tovi and Andrew though. They were just two really awesome characters. Tovi is Felton and Andrew's cousin, it was just awesome seeing how they all interacted, all of the arguments and everything just felt so real. There were a lot of good moments between them too. Gus was a really fun character to, although I won't go into much detail I really think people will like him. It's just a great cast of very real characters, I don't feel like there was anything lacking in this department.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. I felt like it took a little while to get into, and then throughout the book there were a few parts that felt a little slow. In the end though, this ended up to be a really great book. It has an awesome concept, and Geoff did an amazing job writing it. Nothing Special is a book I think a lot of people will enjoy, if it sounds like something that might interest you I would highly suggest it. It's just such a different story than I am use to, and I think that made it even more enjoyable.
August 24, 2012
Geoff Herbach follows his excellent debut STUPID FAST with another tale about Felton Reinstein and his family. Felton went to being unnoticed (except by bullies) to being a track and football hero. His younger brother, Andrew, remains uncelebrated. Then Andrew runs away to Florida and Felton follows.
NOTHING SPECIAL is told as a long, journal-like letter to Felton's girlfriend Aleah, who isn't talking to him. He's recounting his current journey to Florida as well as the one he took earlier in the year. Felton, charmingly, doesn't censor his weaknesses and low points. He ain't perfect, but he's honest about being selfish and thoughtless sometimes. What's really sweet is he seems to think he's the only person in his life who can be accused of narcissism. Felton's voice, as in STUPID FAST, is direct, funny, and the perfect blend of self-aware and completely clueless.
Fans of the first book will be happy to spend more time in Felton's head, but NOTHING SPECIAL is welcoming to new readers. There might be some questions about Felton's father or other minor bits of continuity, but there is no complex mythology to follow. It's a book about siblings - and other relations - and most everyone can relate to that with or without the backstory.
I honestly don't have much more to say than that. Herbach is a great new talent and I can't wait to read his next book whether it involves Felton or not. (But I definitely won't say no to reading about Felton's adventures in college.) NOTHING SPECIAL will appeal to contemporary lovers, particularly those looking for a book that isn't about romance.
NOTHING SPECIAL is told as a long, journal-like letter to Felton's girlfriend Aleah, who isn't talking to him. He's recounting his current journey to Florida as well as the one he took earlier in the year. Felton, charmingly, doesn't censor his weaknesses and low points. He ain't perfect, but he's honest about being selfish and thoughtless sometimes. What's really sweet is he seems to think he's the only person in his life who can be accused of narcissism. Felton's voice, as in STUPID FAST, is direct, funny, and the perfect blend of self-aware and completely clueless.
Fans of the first book will be happy to spend more time in Felton's head, but NOTHING SPECIAL is welcoming to new readers. There might be some questions about Felton's father or other minor bits of continuity, but there is no complex mythology to follow. It's a book about siblings - and other relations - and most everyone can relate to that with or without the backstory.
I honestly don't have much more to say than that. Herbach is a great new talent and I can't wait to read his next book whether it involves Felton or not. (But I definitely won't say no to reading about Felton's adventures in college.) NOTHING SPECIAL will appeal to contemporary lovers, particularly those looking for a book that isn't about romance.
May 12, 2012
Andrew and Felton are nothing alike. Felton loves sports while Andrew loves music. For brothers, they couldn't be more different and the strain of their relationship is beginning to show. Felton misses one too many concerts, causing Andrew to make a few rash decisions. Before Felton knows it, Andrew is off to visit their estranged grandfather and he must decide what, if anything, he's going to do about it. While writing to his former girlfriend, Aleah, Felton tells the story of meeting his estranged grandfather and forming a better relationship with his brother.
The author has a consistent funny undertone in the dialogue and actions of the characters. The reader will probably find more than a few events hysterical. Sometimes, the book was confusing. There are two trips down to Florida to attempt to retrieve Andrew and meet his grandfather, they take place in Felton's letters/journal at the same time. Sometimes the events are hard to keep straight. However, the reader will definitely think this novel is worth picking up. The cover alone indicates funny subject matter and the first few chapters indicate that there may be something a little deeper below the surface.
The characters were not always easy to connect to, but once the reader forms a connection it is hard to break. The author did a great job of depicting a believable sibling relationship, their small fights and insecurities when it came to each other felt very real. Overall, this book is great for young adult readers.
January 2, 2013
Wisconsin author, Pat Schmatz, brought me to this author: Geoff Herbach...from one of her facebook posts. "Nothing Special" is the opposite of it's name. This masterfully crafted novel had me reading as if I was on the trip with Felton the whole time. Felton's journals to Aleah tell about his journey to find his brother, but he truly found more than that. "Action. Reaction." was a quote used a lot by Felton and he grew to learn how those reactions can impact others and the life-changing implications words can have. Favorite quote: If you act out of love, whatever you do is both perfect and right. It doesn't matter if you're a deep thinker or a squirrel nut if you act out of love. Crap starts getting serioulsy screwed if something else gets in the way, something like fear or revenge or even victory or being famous or some other dumb thing, I think. The only thing we need to do is figure out what we really love." And isn't that what we all did in high school and college? Many teens would relate to Felton, his brother, his family and friends. The other part I really loved about this book is the advice Grandpa Stan gives Felton about cherishing and celebrating your gifts. It reminded me of what my piano teacher told me about my musical talents. I loved how in the end, everything found it's perfect place...a special place...but Felton and Andrew felt it was just typical--nothing special.
June 9, 2015
Nothing special is the second book in the Stupid Fast trilogy. The setting starts off in Bluffton, Wisconsin. The Reinstein family is having a somewhat normal year for the first time in awhile. But then Andrew starts to stay in his room by himself a lot and it worries Felton and Jerri. So they decide to talk to him and he says he wants to go to an orchestra camp by himself. He says he has already talked to grandma and she said she would pay for it. His mom isn't sure about the whole trip and whether or not Andrew is telling the truth. Andrew then shows her documentation of the trip and she believes him and decides to let him go, so that will leave only Felton and Jerri in the house119. The thing about all of this is that Andrew lied and made up fake documents and instead of going to an orchestra camp he ran away to Florida where his cousin and grandpa lived. But only the cousin knew he was coming to Florida. Personally I liked his book even more than the first one and I really liked the first one. One of the reasons I liked this book better was because there were less annoying one or two word sentences. In the second book Felton seems to mature a lot and it makes the book much more enjoyable to read.
May 16, 2013
I'm not sure why it took me so long to read this book, since I loved Stupid Fast so very very much. Probably because I didn't think a sequel could possibly be as pitch-perfect as the original.
I was wrong. Nothing Special is fantastic. Herbach makes me believe in Felton all over again, which is an amazing feat. His voice is so unusual, in both YA and adult fiction - Felton is your classic dumb jock, a well-meaning kid trying so hard to understand the world around him but really just not that bright. The first-person narrative captures his perspective and voice perfectly, while also very clearly cluing the reader in to what's really going on beyond Felton's own hormone-clouded brain.
Writerly envy aside (Herbach is so, so good), the story itself is also entertaining. If anything I think I would have liked to see more of Felton playing football, since that's what he does, but I quite enjoyed his quest to "rescue" his brother - and his own enlightenment as well.
The whole thing is really just an absolute joy to read.
I was wrong. Nothing Special is fantastic. Herbach makes me believe in Felton all over again, which is an amazing feat. His voice is so unusual, in both YA and adult fiction - Felton is your classic dumb jock, a well-meaning kid trying so hard to understand the world around him but really just not that bright. The first-person narrative captures his perspective and voice perfectly, while also very clearly cluing the reader in to what's really going on beyond Felton's own hormone-clouded brain.
Writerly envy aside (Herbach is so, so good), the story itself is also entertaining. If anything I think I would have liked to see more of Felton playing football, since that's what he does, but I quite enjoyed his quest to "rescue" his brother - and his own enlightenment as well.
The whole thing is really just an absolute joy to read.
October 1, 2015
Nothing Special by Geoff Herbach is a solid book with a easy to follow but well written plot. Essentially, narcissistic Felton Reinstein who just happens to be the top high school football player in the nation has to deal with his brother who has to track down his family. The book is solid and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys sports and feels neglected.
January 21, 2020
Nothing Special is a fun and entertaining book to read. It follows Felton and his journey to finding his runaway brother. I couldn't stop reading it once I started, and after each page, I kept finding myself losing track of time. As for the book itself it's filled with fun moments and for a young reader like me, it's nice to find something that I find worth reading each day.
March 16, 2012
I didn't read Stupid Fast, Geoff's first book, but didn't have to when reading Nothing Special. Geoff has a really different writing style, but I loved it. Felton has such a unique voice, felt like I was actually in the head of a 17 year old! Really liked this book - definitely recommend.
October 23, 2017
I thought this book was very good I highly recommend it. It has very good details so it's easy to picture in your head and it's also really interesting. The beginning didn't go by too slow and the book itself was amazing.
Read
November 30, 2011May 2012 YIPPEE another great book comes out!
Want to read
January 24, 2012THE MC IS CALLED FELTON! That is enough.
I. Can't. Wait.
I. Can't. Wait.
July 24, 2012
Aw, Felton, nothing comes easy, does it? As with the first Felton book, Stupid Fast, I alternately wanted to hug Felton and shake him. What a heartbreaking, yet funny book!
April 18, 2018
OMG, I loved this book so much. It just makes you feel good. and it eventually feels like you ARE Alicia
January 14, 2020
Nice follow up to Stupid Fast. Excellently written.
Read
December 20, 2018 Personal response:
I liked Nothing Special very much. I think it was a great second book of the series. I did not like this book as much as I liked the first one of the series. I think this is because I could not relate to it as well. There were multiple changes in the book that made it less relatable to me. Some of the things that changed were the location, what the story was about, and Felton's relationships.
Plot Summary:
This book follows a very original story. It is about a boy who has had enough of his broken family. This makes him lie to his mom and say he is going to Michigan for a band camp. When in reality, he goes to Florida to live with his cousins. His older brother finds out what he is doing and drives with his best friend to Florida to get his brother. He sacrifices a lot of things doing this. He sacrifices going to the University of Michigan for a visit, as he is the #1 football prospect in the country. He also may miss out on the football game coming up against his rival school. While going on this trip, he also gets closer with his ex best friend. There are points, however, when it looks like they are going to kill one another.
Characterization:
Felton Reinstein is the main character of the book. He is a teenage boy who is tall, has brown curly hair, and is very muscular. He is one of the top football prospects in the country. The only thing that can stop this kid from doing whatever he wants, is that he is very nervous and doubts himself.
Gus is Felton’s (ex)best friend. When they were young, Gus and Felton were very close friends. Now that Felton is a ¨jock” they are not as close. Gus is not jealous of Felton’s popularity. He just misses his friend. He shows this by doing many things that he shouldn't, such as smoking and drinking. He tries to make Felton feel responsible for how his own life is going down.
Andrew is Felton’s little brother. There is not much to say about him, except that he wants people to show they care about him. He runs away from his family because he ¨cannot stand them¨ and wants Felton to come get him to show how he cares. Even though when Felton does this, Felton is told to go back to Wisconsin.
Setting:
This book mostly takes place on the road. It is also set in present time. The reason it is on the road is because they are in a car driving from Wisconsin to Florida. I can connect to this because I have driven from Wisconsin to Florida. It is also important that it takes place in present time because otherwise they might not be driving.
Thematic connection:
A theme that comes up a lot in this book is that family will always be there for each other. This is shown when Andrew runs away to live with his cousins who take him in. It is shown when Felton goes to get his little brother when he runs away from home. It is also shown at the end when Andrew is forgiven by his family after making a big mistake.
Recommendation:
I recommend this book to high school boys. I recommend it to boys because most of the characters in this book are boys, so I feel like they can connect to it better. I recommend it to high school boys because I think kids younger than high school would have a difficult time reading and understanding the book. It also involves mostly high school characters.
I liked Nothing Special very much. I think it was a great second book of the series. I did not like this book as much as I liked the first one of the series. I think this is because I could not relate to it as well. There were multiple changes in the book that made it less relatable to me. Some of the things that changed were the location, what the story was about, and Felton's relationships.
Plot Summary:
This book follows a very original story. It is about a boy who has had enough of his broken family. This makes him lie to his mom and say he is going to Michigan for a band camp. When in reality, he goes to Florida to live with his cousins. His older brother finds out what he is doing and drives with his best friend to Florida to get his brother. He sacrifices a lot of things doing this. He sacrifices going to the University of Michigan for a visit, as he is the #1 football prospect in the country. He also may miss out on the football game coming up against his rival school. While going on this trip, he also gets closer with his ex best friend. There are points, however, when it looks like they are going to kill one another.
Characterization:
Felton Reinstein is the main character of the book. He is a teenage boy who is tall, has brown curly hair, and is very muscular. He is one of the top football prospects in the country. The only thing that can stop this kid from doing whatever he wants, is that he is very nervous and doubts himself.
Gus is Felton’s (ex)best friend. When they were young, Gus and Felton were very close friends. Now that Felton is a ¨jock” they are not as close. Gus is not jealous of Felton’s popularity. He just misses his friend. He shows this by doing many things that he shouldn't, such as smoking and drinking. He tries to make Felton feel responsible for how his own life is going down.
Andrew is Felton’s little brother. There is not much to say about him, except that he wants people to show they care about him. He runs away from his family because he ¨cannot stand them¨ and wants Felton to come get him to show how he cares. Even though when Felton does this, Felton is told to go back to Wisconsin.
Setting:
This book mostly takes place on the road. It is also set in present time. The reason it is on the road is because they are in a car driving from Wisconsin to Florida. I can connect to this because I have driven from Wisconsin to Florida. It is also important that it takes place in present time because otherwise they might not be driving.
Thematic connection:
A theme that comes up a lot in this book is that family will always be there for each other. This is shown when Andrew runs away to live with his cousins who take him in. It is shown when Felton goes to get his little brother when he runs away from home. It is also shown at the end when Andrew is forgiven by his family after making a big mistake.
Recommendation:
I recommend this book to high school boys. I recommend it to boys because most of the characters in this book are boys, so I feel like they can connect to it better. I recommend it to high school boys because I think kids younger than high school would have a difficult time reading and understanding the book. It also involves mostly high school characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2015
"'Nah,' I said. 'I'm nothing special.' And I mean it. I'm just me, Aleah. Just a fast and jumpy dude. But you know I'm trying."
Oh. My. Goodness.
I totally utterly fell deep in love with Nothing Special. I loved it sooooo much. You have no idea. You really have no idea. I am so blown away by this book. I am lost for words. Oh my gosh. Seriously. I just closed the book, and I sort of felt a tear on my cheek. It was so great, this book. I loved every single page.
Is it possible to love a book this much?
I am currently listening to Barbara Ann right now. And I have this goofy smile on my face that I can't wipe away. It's ridiculous, I tell you.
Whoa. Deep breath. Okay.
Nothing Special, the book following Stupid Fast, is actually just one huge letter, written by the ever so famous Felton Reinstein to his girlfriend Aleah.
Aleah is in Germany, and Felton is writing to her about what is going on, and about his amazing journey traveled across the country.
Felton has got a good future for him. Colleges are wanting to recruit him. He's making high school state records in track. He is so popular, and fast, and successful.
His brother Andrew? Not so much. Not athletic at all, gets picked on at school, and feels like he's not good at anything. Then Felton does it. He misses Andrew's middle school's concert. Felton Reinstein, the guy with the popularity and success and everything great managed to miss his own little brother's concert.
Way to go, Felton.
To top it off? Andrew forgave Felton for missing the concert, but then Felton just tells Andrew that he's not even that good at piano anyway, and he should just be a pharmacist.
Buuuuurrrrrnnnnn! Ouch!
Darn you, Felton!!
It's okay, Andrew! He doesn't mean it! —or does he?
Andrew started acting really weird. Not pirate-weird, like the past summer, the summer of Stupid Fast where Jerri and Andrew went crazy. Just weird.
Things happen, Andrew leaves for an orchestra camp in Wisconsin. Turns out though, he ends up in Florida! What? Felton is angry. Jerri doesn't know about this, Andrew doesn't really know about this, but Felton is going down there to get Andrew back. One way or another.
This adventure is awesome.
The story has technically two points of view, being told at the same time. Felton gives check-ups on where he is and what he's feeling, on his long and frustrating trip down to Florida. Second trip, I should say. You'll get it, once you read it. Meanwhile, Felton is explaining to Aleah this back story, of why the heck he is going down to Florida for a second time in the first place, and what all happened until that point that he is writing at during that moment. It really fit together at the end. I really enjoyed it.
This book is full of lies, love, confusion, emotion, longing, panic, distress, happiness, restlessness, proudness, anger, rage, understanding, and acceptance.
I had mixed emotions when it came to Felton and Andrew. Here are the most common emotions and reactions that I'd felt.
~'Aaaannnndddrrreeeeewwwww!!!' *angrily shakes fist up at the sky*
~'Darn you, Felton!!!'
~'I totally understand you, Andrew. I understand. It's okay.'
~'Way to go, Felton.' *slow sarcastic clapping*
~'Oh my gosh, why would you do such a thing!?'
~'Felton, you are my hero. Seriously.'
~'Felton? Andrew? You guys rock.'
And so on.
~Feel free to ignore my little random mini rants~
Oh! Okay, can I just say that Felton, I understand your frustration for traveling, oh my goodness, what you were going through sounded so much like traveling for me, from the delayed flights, to the bouncing to different airports trying to get to one place, to driving all the way from the top —or middle-ish, in my case— of the country to get down to a place like Florida, and I fly standby when I travel, so that is really normal for me to not get on a flight, and your frustration and restlessness are similar feelings to what I feel when traveling, and aaahhhh, I really feel for you Felton, I really, really do!!
Whoa. That was a really long sentence. Sorry.
Also, can I say that Felton has mentioned, like, all of the places that I know, and have been to when traveling. Chicago O'Hare, Charlotte, St. Louis —darn you Felton, for refusing to visit my home town, that was very rude of you! Thank you, Gus, for at least wanting to go—, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Ft. Myers, and more. Whoa. I really connected with this book.
Also, can I say that I've learned a lot from Nothing Special? The story and the characters all made me want to participate and love the things that I do more. It really felt good, you know? To do things you love and know that you love them. Felton, Andrew and Stan taught me that.
Also, I want to play Ultimate Frisbee sooo bad, oh my goodness! It sounds soooo fun!!!! I was grinning, when I read the part where Felton is playing Ultimate Frisbee with those random hippies in Nashville. Then when he kept talking about how all he wants to do now, is just to play Frisbee with those hippies. It sounds like a lot of fun!
Also, the cover of Nothing Special scares me! I had set the book down in my band class, propped up against my backpack, and I could just feel Andrew's eyes burning holes into my soul!!!
Would I recommend this book to anyone? Uh, duh! Go and read Nothing Special —And if you haven't read Stupid Fast yet, go read it first!!— and enjoy every page. Geoff Herbach's writing style is so quirky, hilarious, and very enjoyable. I found myself laughing out loud so many times, and even tearing up at the end.
So go! Go read Nothing Special!!!!
"Journal it!"
"Everything is weird, Aleah."
"'I love you, Felton. My happiness is not your responsibility. My happiness is up to me. I love you.'
'Uh, I love you too,' I said.
'Breakthrough.' Big Rod nodded."
"'More Reinstein crazy,' Tovi said."
"I'm a tremendous dork. When the plane took off, I totally whooped. Like, 'Wooo-hoo! Yeah!' Everybody turned and looked at me.
Planes are very, very fast. Exciting.
Embarrassing."
"Action, reaction."
Oh. My. Goodness.
I totally utterly fell deep in love with Nothing Special. I loved it sooooo much. You have no idea. You really have no idea. I am so blown away by this book. I am lost for words. Oh my gosh. Seriously. I just closed the book, and I sort of felt a tear on my cheek. It was so great, this book. I loved every single page.
Is it possible to love a book this much?
I am currently listening to Barbara Ann right now. And I have this goofy smile on my face that I can't wipe away. It's ridiculous, I tell you.
Whoa. Deep breath. Okay.
Nothing Special, the book following Stupid Fast, is actually just one huge letter, written by the ever so famous Felton Reinstein to his girlfriend Aleah.
Aleah is in Germany, and Felton is writing to her about what is going on, and about his amazing journey traveled across the country.
Felton has got a good future for him. Colleges are wanting to recruit him. He's making high school state records in track. He is so popular, and fast, and successful.
His brother Andrew? Not so much. Not athletic at all, gets picked on at school, and feels like he's not good at anything. Then Felton does it. He misses Andrew's middle school's concert. Felton Reinstein, the guy with the popularity and success and everything great managed to miss his own little brother's concert.
Way to go, Felton.
To top it off? Andrew forgave Felton for missing the concert, but then Felton just tells Andrew that he's not even that good at piano anyway, and he should just be a pharmacist.
Buuuuurrrrrnnnnn! Ouch!
Darn you, Felton!!
It's okay, Andrew! He doesn't mean it! —or does he?
Andrew started acting really weird. Not pirate-weird, like the past summer, the summer of Stupid Fast where Jerri and Andrew went crazy. Just weird.
Things happen, Andrew leaves for an orchestra camp in Wisconsin. Turns out though, he ends up in Florida! What? Felton is angry. Jerri doesn't know about this, Andrew doesn't really know about this, but Felton is going down there to get Andrew back. One way or another.
This adventure is awesome.
The story has technically two points of view, being told at the same time. Felton gives check-ups on where he is and what he's feeling, on his long and frustrating trip down to Florida. Second trip, I should say. You'll get it, once you read it. Meanwhile, Felton is explaining to Aleah this back story, of why the heck he is going down to Florida for a second time in the first place, and what all happened until that point that he is writing at during that moment. It really fit together at the end. I really enjoyed it.
This book is full of lies, love, confusion, emotion, longing, panic, distress, happiness, restlessness, proudness, anger, rage, understanding, and acceptance.
I had mixed emotions when it came to Felton and Andrew. Here are the most common emotions and reactions that I'd felt.
~'Aaaannnndddrrreeeeewwwww!!!' *angrily shakes fist up at the sky*
~'Darn you, Felton!!!'
~'I totally understand you, Andrew. I understand. It's okay.'
~'Way to go, Felton.' *slow sarcastic clapping*
~'Oh my gosh, why would you do such a thing!?'
~'Felton, you are my hero. Seriously.'
~'Felton? Andrew? You guys rock.'
And so on.
~Feel free to ignore my little random mini rants~
Oh! Okay, can I just say that Felton, I understand your frustration for traveling, oh my goodness, what you were going through sounded so much like traveling for me, from the delayed flights, to the bouncing to different airports trying to get to one place, to driving all the way from the top —or middle-ish, in my case— of the country to get down to a place like Florida, and I fly standby when I travel, so that is really normal for me to not get on a flight, and your frustration and restlessness are similar feelings to what I feel when traveling, and aaahhhh, I really feel for you Felton, I really, really do!!
Whoa. That was a really long sentence. Sorry.
Also, can I say that Felton has mentioned, like, all of the places that I know, and have been to when traveling. Chicago O'Hare, Charlotte, St. Louis —darn you Felton, for refusing to visit my home town, that was very rude of you! Thank you, Gus, for at least wanting to go—, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Ft. Myers, and more. Whoa. I really connected with this book.
Also, can I say that I've learned a lot from Nothing Special? The story and the characters all made me want to participate and love the things that I do more. It really felt good, you know? To do things you love and know that you love them. Felton, Andrew and Stan taught me that.
Also, I want to play Ultimate Frisbee sooo bad, oh my goodness! It sounds soooo fun!!!! I was grinning, when I read the part where Felton is playing Ultimate Frisbee with those random hippies in Nashville. Then when he kept talking about how all he wants to do now, is just to play Frisbee with those hippies. It sounds like a lot of fun!
Also, the cover of Nothing Special scares me! I had set the book down in my band class, propped up against my backpack, and I could just feel Andrew's eyes burning holes into my soul!!!
Would I recommend this book to anyone? Uh, duh! Go and read Nothing Special —And if you haven't read Stupid Fast yet, go read it first!!— and enjoy every page. Geoff Herbach's writing style is so quirky, hilarious, and very enjoyable. I found myself laughing out loud so many times, and even tearing up at the end.
So go! Go read Nothing Special!!!!
"Journal it!"
"Everything is weird, Aleah."
"'I love you, Felton. My happiness is not your responsibility. My happiness is up to me. I love you.'
'Uh, I love you too,' I said.
'Breakthrough.' Big Rod nodded."
"'More Reinstein crazy,' Tovi said."
"I'm a tremendous dork. When the plane took off, I totally whooped. Like, 'Wooo-hoo! Yeah!' Everybody turned and looked at me.
Planes are very, very fast. Exciting.
Embarrassing."
"Action, reaction."
Read
January 14, 2020̈Nothing Special ̈ a book by Geoff Herbach revolving around Felton Andrew and their mom Jerri and her side of the family. Felton's dad died when he was 4 and never sees his moms side of the family because they live in florida. The family lives very far from Florida in fact they live in Wisconsin. Felton said some really mean things to andrew and he couldn't take it, even through andrew treats him like a king felton was so mean to him he made a plan to go to Folrida.
Andrew wants to live with his cousin and grandpa for a week for a small break. while Felton and Jerri think that he's at band camp. Felton decides he needs to go get him and lies about going to a football camp in Michigan to go get him.
When he gets there he realizes that he is really happy and already found friends and made good relationships with his other family members felton convinces his mom to let andrew stay and let him be happy felton learned that sometimes people need space and during that time you need to reflect on how you acted towards that person I really recommend this book it has a lot of ups and downs and teaches you a lot about how people change overtime.
Andrew wants to live with his cousin and grandpa for a week for a small break. while Felton and Jerri think that he's at band camp. Felton decides he needs to go get him and lies about going to a football camp in Michigan to go get him.
When he gets there he realizes that he is really happy and already found friends and made good relationships with his other family members felton convinces his mom to let andrew stay and let him be happy felton learned that sometimes people need space and during that time you need to reflect on how you acted towards that person I really recommend this book it has a lot of ups and downs and teaches you a lot about how people change overtime.
May 19, 2021
I read the first book in this series (Stupid Fast) yesterday. I loved it! So, I bought all three book in the series to keep in my 9th grade English classroom. These books are making me feel all emotions. I laugh. I cry. I cringe. They are definitely YA, but since I teach YA, I LOVE THEM!
The author writes in such an engaging manner! In the first book he tells his story directly to the reader. He is having a sleepless night, so he is telling the story of his last year and all of the things that he and his family went through. It is like he is just having a conversation with the reader.
In this second book he is writing a letter to his girlfriend. He is taking an extended trip and he details the trip as well as the previous year of his life. His little brother, Andrew, is also an important part of this particular book.
The author writes in such an engaging manner! In the first book he tells his story directly to the reader. He is having a sleepless night, so he is telling the story of his last year and all of the things that he and his family went through. It is like he is just having a conversation with the reader.
In this second book he is writing a letter to his girlfriend. He is taking an extended trip and he details the trip as well as the previous year of his life. His little brother, Andrew, is also an important part of this particular book.
December 5, 2016
If you have already read Stupid Fast by: Geoff Herbach then please skip Nothing Special by: Geoff Herbach. It has zero effect on the series. You can just skip to I’m With Stupid. Nothing happens in Nothing special. The whole book is just a first person narrative of 2nd grade level language and cringe expressions that I pray I will never hear in real life. The whole time I am wondering if something will ever happen. Nothing ever does. Never ever read this book.
June 27, 2017
I enjoyed this, but most of the humor was outrageous boy humor- fun and funny (made my dad and the hospital staff laugh) and forgettable, inevitably. Loved the Beach Boy tribute band, and the idea of searching for answers from his father. Andrew becomes a little more interesting, but Jerri remains un-helpful at best, and I miss Aleah a little. Worth a library read (and yes, I'll read the third book...)
November 9, 2018
I enjoyed this book because it was about sports, and a person's life around sports. I could relate to it by having a lot of things going on in the story either with his family or anything else. I would recommend this book to someone who like sports and drama because this book is full of those two things.
October 23, 2022
Not as good as the first one, but it's still funny and enjoyable to read. The problem is that the story lacks action. There is also an "after school special" feel to the way the story wraps everything up in psychobabble to resolve everyone's deep-seated psychological and interpersonal problems. I once again enjoyed the way Herbach uses and abuses the English language!
August 12, 2023
Written as a letter to his (girl)friend, this story follows Felton's journey to "rescue" his brother Andrew. Andrew runs away from home without his mom or brother being the wiser (they think he's at orchestra camp. Ends up being a lot about family drama, feelings of inadequacy, depression, guilt and anger over a past suicide, etc. Loved Tovi. Liked seeing Felton and Gus make up.
September 12, 2024
Incredible!
Felton Reinstein is a narcissist totally! But it takes a lot of adventures and coming to the realization that his brother Andrew is a good man. That’s where the narcissism finally fades. Bravo!
Felton Reinstein is a narcissist totally! But it takes a lot of adventures and coming to the realization that his brother Andrew is a good man. That’s where the narcissism finally fades. Bravo!
July 7, 2025
Man what a good book like a really really good book. It just makes you think and Felton is such a fantastic character he’s so real and funny. Overall I just really like the message of the book it can handle heavy topics and still be such a funny book.
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