The New Kid

by Eliot Schrefer

At fifteen years old, Humphrey has spent his life as the new kid, moving from town to town as his parents keep losing jobs. The latest move brings him to Haven, Florida, where his family rents a motel room for lack of money. Humphrey gradually makes his way into a circle of the local cool kids, but when his friendship with one handsome boy and the boy's mother leads to illicit and confusing sexual attractions, he begins to question the nature of his own desires, with perilous consequences.

Humphrey's half-sister Gretchen escaped the family's itinerant lifestyle long ago, and is now graduating from Harvard College and pining for a Harvard boy who broke her heart. When fate offers Gretchen a chance to go abroad, both brother and sister find themselves with the opportunity to leave their problems behind and travel to Italy. But the siblings' Roman holiday takes a sinister turn when what was supposed to be a glamorous jaunt has fateful consequences.

The New Kid is an account of love, family, sexual awakening, and the peculiarly dangerous twists life can take -- a deftly written novel from the acclaimed author of Glamorous Disasters.

Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

288 pages, Hardcover

First published September 4, 2007

About the author

ELIOT SCHREFER is a New York Times-bestselling author, and has twice been a finalist for the National Book Award. In naming him an Editor’s Choice, the New York Times has called his work “dazzling… big-hearted.” He is also the author of two novels for adults and four other novels for children and young adults. His books have been named to the NPR “best of the year” list, the ALA best fiction list for young adults, and the Chicago Public Library’s “Best of the Best.” His work has also been selected to the Amelia Bloomer List, recognizing best feminist books for young readers, and he has been a finalist for the Walden Award and won the Green Earth Book Award and Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award. He lives in New York City, where he reviews books for USAToday.



Also: I love marshmallows and early twentieth century fiction. And apes.

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book sends the message that friends and money don't guarantee happiness. Humphrey is the son of two losers who keep up rooting him to take minimum wage crappy jobs that barely pay the bills. When they move to Florida he finally gets in with some "cool" kids only to have that result in disaster. His sister Gretchen, a real go-getter (manpulator) has scratched her way from the bottom and successfully carved out the life she thought she wanted, but soon realizes it doesn't make her happy. The book is well written and somewhat layered. I'm just a little unsure about the ending.....otherwise, a good read.

[Garryvivianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of sad, this is probably how many kids live nowadays.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty unusual read, but enjoyable in spite of the dysfunctional family. I liked the two perspectives and it ended very realistically. I especially enjoyed the writer's style, so I am looking at his new novel to read.

[Morgan Gariepy · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF somewhere around 30%.

[Chandler Myer · Rating 5 out of 5]

We’ll written and suspenseful.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

what a ride of a book holy shit. what started feeling like some modern catcher in the rye ended up this twisted turn of events ending in death. holy shit. eliot schrefer. when i find you.

[Robert Fontenot · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m sure it’s fine but I just could not get into it.

[R J Royer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13158780

This book was rather amazing for what it is. It is well written and describes everything including the amazing main characters very well, so well in fact you find yourself caring about them in their respective sections of the book more than you do in the section where all the action happens to them together at the end.

The book does show that no matter how much you try you cannot stop life from happening to you.

[Amar · Rating 2 out of 5]

(Two stars and a half) New school to attend, new friends to make, after another move by his family, a fifteen year old boy by the name of Humphrey finds himself to be the new kid, yet again. The first part of the story is about his struggles in this new setting and about his conflicting sexual desires. The second part of the story focuses on Humphrey's half-sister, Gretchen. Her love story with her boyfriend is a tumultuous one and takes her to Europe to figure out how to salvage her relationship. In the third part, after years apart Humphrey's and Gretchen's paths intertwine.
This book was ok. The first part is written from Humphrey's perspective, in the first person. Through his writing, Schrefer does an effective job in making the reader believe that the story is being told by a fifteen year old. In fact, too effective of a job since I found myself being miffed at having to endure not only the fairly unremarkable life of a fifteen year old, but also the thoughts and mannerisms of a fifteen year old. As to the book on the whole, I found myself often questioning the decisions various characters took and the circumstances they would place themselves in. One redeeming quality of the book is that Schrefer's story-telling did keep me wanting to read and find out what would happen next.

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoa! This book went places that I sorta expected but then I was like whoa. The book consists of three segments. The first segment deals with a boy named Humprey and his move to a small Florida town. The second segment deals with Humphrey's half sister Gretchen and her relationship with her new boyfriend and his parents. The last segment deals with the reunion of Humphrey and Gretchen and their strange bond. I don't know how to describe this book. Just read it and make your own judgement.

[Steph]

Bleh. Read about half of this one and dumped it. His first one was good - in that junk-food-for-your-brain way that I seem to love so much (see: Prep, Nanny Diaries, etc) but this one just felt like a chore.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know it's a great book when I have to sit around thinking about it afterward, basking in it.

[Cameron Chandler · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a great story. Read it several years ago. And then a second time.