Call the Shots

Swim the Fly #3

by Don Calame

Since his girlfriend broke up with him last summer, Sean's been on a starvation diet where girls are concerned. However, he's got other things on his mind. Like how to stop the soon-to-be-born family addition from stealing his room and making him share with his evil twin sister. When Coop suggests making a cheap-ass horror film to bring in the bucks he's a bit sceptical, but Coop is nothing if not persuasive… Zonkey! (a tale of 'half-man, half-monkey drones that mutate into hairy uncontrollable zombie-monsters with a thirst for human blood') is born. Join Coop, Sean and Matt in this hilarious sequel to Swim the Fly and Beat the Band, full of Don Calame's trademark wit and gross-out gags.

Genres: Young Adult, Humor, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Coming Of Age, Audiobook

495 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2012

About the author

Don Calame the author of SWIM THE FLY, BEAT THE BAND, CALL THE SHOTS and DAN VERSUS NATURE. He is also a professional screenwriter whose film projects include EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH and HOUNDED. Of his many prior occupations, he says his most satisfying was teaching elementary school for four years in Los Angeles, where he received the LAUSD District Intern Golden Apple Award and a Los Angeles Education Partnership Grant. He lives in British Columbia.

Reviews

[Grumpus · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final book in the series???

Fun, adolescent male humor that (based upon the reviews and video for the book) evidently appeals to females as well. Maybe for insight into the minds of teenage boys? I wouldn't think it too difficult to figure out, but as a former teenage boy myself, what do I know? Or maybe it is to simply laugh at the stupidity of my gender?

I've loved hanging with Matt, Coop, and Sean throughout their adventures in this series and their ability to make me literally laugh out loud like few books can. It makes me nostalgic for that simple time of life with my friends when problems only seemed big (so many years ago).

I also want to give recognition to Nick Podehl for the super, awesome, fantastic,[insert your favorite superlitives here] narration throughout the series. Some books are better listened to than read and, in this case, the narration brought the characters to life in a way that simply reading the book yourself cannot. Whether the characters were male, female, young, or old, he gave each a distinctive voice and attitude in the manner in which the author surely intended.

This series has given me an escape and just thinking about this book, the characters, or their adventures makes me reminisce and smile.

[Kerat Jhaj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, where do I even start!
Well, I typically don't read books with sex humor and shit, but besides that this book was fucking hilarious!
The POV of out main character is done so well, it literally put me in the shoes of a male teen boy. I laughing so hard when he was falling for the girl in her drama class and the ending had me dead.
Absolutely loved it!

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been a while since I first read Swim the Fly, and then Beat the Band is always checked out. So for me, "Call the Shots" is a stand-alone, even though it is the third book in this cycle. Either way, it is funny and plays like a good guy-centered comedy. While the other titles came first, they aren't necessary to enjoying this entry.

I don't love Sean as a character; he's cautious and nerdy and sniffs his hand whenever he's anxious. Which is much of the time. But he is a fine example of Star-Wars-loving-Gandalf-swearing geekdom. His two buddies - Matt and Coop - play supporting roles in this implausible plot to film a low-budget horror movie, along with a bevvy of classmates and girlfriends, perhaps too many to really keep track of. There are several plot holes that need tightening (neither the swimming of the first book or the music of the second book really appears - where did these interests go?). Still, Calame tosses in enough fart and boob jokes to keep the story appealing to its target audience. This is no small matter: at 450 pages, that takes a lot of work to support.

Although there's considerable drug-use by one adult character, and the a fore-mentioned decolletage fixations, there's nothing here more offensive than found in the typical PG-13 movie. Fans of the first will be happy to have the boys back. Readers of the Carter Finally Gets It series will be right at home, as will fans of All the Way, Spanking Shakespeare, and Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick.

[Jules Goud · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome book. It was hilarious and totally awesome.

I haven't read any of the other books so I was sceptical going into this one. But, it turned out great!

It is always interesting to read a book from a guy's perspective because I so rarely do. Sean and his friends were very entertaining. It was cute that he wanted a girlfriend and I hate to say it but Evelyn was insane. It wasn't surprising what ended up happening with them. I couldn't believe the stuff that Sean, Coop, Matt, and everyone else were doing. They were so creative and it was very interesting to see what Sean got talked into doing during the book.

At the same time, there was a little bit of more serious scenes to balance out the book. It was completely funny as it had some important moments that made relationships grow a little bit more.

Even with the serious stuff, this book was laugh out loud funny and it was always entertaining. It was enough to make me go to the beginning of the series and see what Coop, Matt and Sean get mixed up in first!

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally, it's Sean's turn for a book of his own! His sister is a total bitch, his parents are insane, and there's a new baby on the way--a new baby who will need a room of its own, so their parents have the bright idea to make Sean and his twin sister Cathy share a room. Who thinks this is a good idea? Coop has a great idea--make a short horror movie and win the $50,000 prize at TerrorFest, and use the money to build an extension on Sean's house.

Yeah, Coop's idea works as well as you'd expect. It is, after all, Coop's idea.

Swim the Fly is still my favorite of the bunch, but it's nice to finally see Sean's side of things--Sean is usually the follower of the group and it's nice to know there's something inside his head. Several laugh-out-loud funny moments, and I'm almost disappointed that I couldn't wait for the audio (since the other audios of the other two books are great), but this is a fantastic end to the series and an easy sell to high-school boys.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a fun series - crude, funny and real. I liked how it was shown that most of Sean's problems stemmed from his inability to stand up for himself, and how each of his girl relationships worked out. And the sexting confusion. Actually that was REALLY hilarious!

[Brooke Banks · Rating 1 out of 5]

I slogged through the second one and since this was on my shelf, I figured I might as well try. Yeah, no.

A heteronormative toxically masculine American bro book.

[the real Timtim Book man · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was good I read it in 7 days and was like that it at the end. I hope he wishes more books so I can read this book was like I couldn't put it don't. The movie they made was sad that they didn't win and how they got into trouble and how uncle Doug left them there and how one of the people in the book there mother was having a baby and how she was having the baby because the movie made her to scare. It wasn't like the movie was going to be a thing and how uncle Doug help them out with the $500 hundred dollars. But couldn't get more because he didn't have enough to help out. If they would of won that room was going to be built on. But nothing like that was going to happen. And how they though the one of the characters was gay but it was the twin girl that was gay. And every one one was like you not gay and no one knew his sister was gay but that wasn't told yet. This book was good going to miss these characters in the book and going to miss there stories and wish that it didn't end in book 3. S0 so of you like this book go read swim the fly, beat the band, and the last book call the shots.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Quickie Review- It pains me to give this book 3 stars, but looking at it from a logical point of view, it was the only sensible rating I could give it. The two previous books in the series got generous ratings, and I didn't quite like this as much as the other two, so it was only fair.

Call the Shots is the conclusion to the fantastic Swim the Fly series by Don Calame. Sean Hance is facing a bunch of upcoming challenges in his life. There's a baby on the way, which will force him to share a room with his obnoxious twin sister. The same sister has also somehow convinced their parents and her friends that Sean is gay. So the gang tries to film a horror movie to debut at a festival to try and make some cash, so that Sean can build an extension to his house.

And of course, chaos ensues. The plot is as hilarious as ever, filled with laugh-out-loud scenes and painful embarrassments. However, I also thought the plot was the weakest part of the book. More so than ever, the plot was filled with unbelievable (literally) coincidences, almost to the point where you questioned the plausibility of the whole thing. Also, the plot was very predictable. This is something that's really happened in the entire series, but in this book, I predicted practically EVERYTHING that ended up happening in the end- especially which girl Sean was going to end up with. The only thing that I did not see coming was Cathy's character twist. That was the only thing that shocked me. I think the predictability and the sheer coincidence that was so prevalent in Call The Shots took away a bit of the enjoyment factor as I was reading this book.

The characters were, as always, very redeeming and very likable for the most part. I was quite happy (if not all that surprised, considering the previous books were narrated by Matt and Coop) that Sean got a perspective. I had always thought that his personality paled in comparison to those of Matt and Coop, so I had a feeling that this would help to make his individual personality stand out. And it did. Sean was established as the gullible, clumsy, unfortunate one in the group. "You poor little thing!" applies numerous times to Sean. He was easy to relate too, and easy to feel sorry for. Even though I wish Matt had narrated the whole series, I understood why the author decided to give narration to all three- it helped me to learn more about each of them as individuals.

I had a problem with Evelyn and her brother. Evelyn was more than just "mad" and "crazy". Throughout the book her mood swings were so violent and uncalled for that I seriously began to consider the possibility that she had bipolar disorder. That's not something to mess with, and I was sure that cops would break down the door at any time and take her to a psychiatric clinic. Her brother was also apparently put on "stress leave" from the army, whatever that means, and that wasn't really explained. I would have liked to know more about his troubled past. Anyway, I thought overall that these characters' odd behaviour was waved off too nonchalantly, and that there could have been something a bit more serious brewing.

This book was, however, terrific in demonstrating the amazing friendship between Matt, Coop, and Sean. At the beginning Matt waved off Coop's idea of making a film, essentially calling it tomfoolery, but once Sean told the guys about his need for money, they instantly agreed to do it. They agreed to give up a lot of their time to invest themselves into a project that was probably going to end up being a failure and a waste of time. All to help a friend in need. Also, I found it fitting that the author ended the book with the scene in the RV, with Matt and Coop helping Sean out once again. Sean ended off the book realizing just how awesome his best buddies were. And of course, it made complete sense to end off with the three of them talking about their annual goal for the summer. These guys will annoy each other, screw each other over, and will tease and mock one another countless times. But when push comes to shove, they are always there for each other. Beneath those hilarious, impulsive, and sometimes rash personalities lies a rock-hard, unwavering sense of camaraderie. And I think this is the highlight of this series in general. The story of friendship is really something that I will take away from this series, and I think the author did a brilliant job of displaying such a tight-knit group of boys. And it's not just the boys- the girls are also very supportive and loyal. Valerie and Helen, while they did not play major parts in this book, were always there with their friends through thick and thin.

The writing was good- as I mentioned before, Calame does a fine job of portraying the strong friendship between the characters. The humour is once again on point- the jokes are all strong. While the humour almost always revolves around girls and sex, and borders on childish sometimes, I still enjoyed it a lot. This series was a great break from all of the heavy, intense stuff I always read. So however childish and superficial the humour, I welcomed it with open arms. In the end, I think Calame also did a good job with developing the characters. I got very attached to each one of them, and every character really stood out from the rest.

It is with a heavy heart that I bid good-bye to the characters in the Swim the Fly series. I am so happy that I stumbled upon this series on Goodreads, as it provided me with a light and very enjoyable summer read. Don Calame did a great job of incorporating the humour into the storylines, and also was able to add some sweet notes in the middle. I surprisingly got emotional at times and completely got invested in the characters. I sincerely hope that Calame will create one (JUST ONE!) more story for these characters, as I don't want to bid farewell. Otherwise, Matt, Coop, and Sean, it's been a blast, and I'm glad to have been along for your journeys.

[Ben Hollis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Likes:
Gives another view, this time from yet another perspective, of the same group and their plans
Keeps the slow exciting with many twists and changes
Sean's perspective in this story will be easily relatable to most readers
Dislikes:
Once again, I only wish I had a longer time to spend with the characters in these books
Overall Review:
Call the Shots is the third and final chapter of the Swim the Fly series. In this book, we follow through the mind and eyes of Sean Hance, the third member of the group we know from the first two chapters. This book really hammers home the theme of "It ain't over 'til it's over." Nearly every chapter throughout the pages of this story a twist can be found that changes the entire plot somehow, and seeing how they all culminate creates a really rewarding read. All in all, I would highly recommend this entire series to anybody looking to get into the mind of a high school boy and to have their day brightened.

[Claudia Lady Circumference · Rating 4 out of 5]

We’re back with Matt, Coop and Sean in Rockville and this time it's Sean's story and he’s got a lot on his plate. His mum’s surprising pregnancy means a shortage of rooms and Sean faces having to share with his twin sister and arch-nemesis Cathy. Enter Coop with one of his crackpot money making ideas: shoot a cheap horror movie and win a cash prize at an upcoming film festival.
To complicate matters, Sean’s new girlfriend turns out to be a bit of a psycho.
Will they be able to finish their movie?

This is the third part in this fabulous series perfect for teenage boys. It’s got the perfect mix of being raunchy and totally silly with great slapstick set pieces and (mostly) likeable characters. I know the boys are growing up but I hope this is not the last we see of them.

[Noah Bosch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to admit, this book gets an extra star for nostalgia, I can totally see why 14 year old me was obsessed with this series.

I have to had it to Don, although the series has MANY flaws, this man’s ability to comedically escalate a bad situation to worse in a Charlie Chaplin three stooges looney tunes type of way is unmatched.

Also the uncle character was pretty funny.

[David Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Same as the other books... enjoyable?

[Jocelyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not my typed of book

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the best one of the series.

[Kaden · Rating 5 out of 5]

its a really good book but i would like the series to go on more like probally from kelly's point of view or matt's girlfriend's point of view or maybe even back at matt's point of view.

[Carter Stephenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this was a good book. It continued the story of the three boys very well. It also added some new crazy twists that I wouldn't have expected happen. There were many detailed parts in the book, that made the book even better. Also the humor is amazing, Don Calame was not holding back when he wrote this book.

[Magan · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Review originally published on Rather Be Reading!]

Sean’s friend Coop is a “big idea” kind of guy. Usually his ideas cause more trouble than they do good. When Sean finds out his mom is expecting another baby and he’s going to be forced to share a room with his twin sister, Cathy, (that he doesn’t get along with), he thinks Coop’s idea could be his only solution. What is Coop’s idea? To make a movie, though he’s never made one before, and enter it into a Horror Film Contest. Coop, Matt, and Sean agree that if they win the competition, the money will be used to add an expansion onto Sean’s family’s house.

When it came to making the movie, Sean was easily persuaded and got caught up in the drama without intentionally doing so. He had a hard time standing up for himself when his new girlfriend, Evelyn, finagled her way into the film and dominated his life. He was the ultimate people pleaser and despite knowing that Evelyn was a terrible actress and his theater friend, Leyna, would be more suited for the part, he didn’t take a stand. He chose to avoid conflict. If I could write a paragraph about high-school-me, it would look much like that above, which is probably why I often felt so frustrated with him. Have you ever wished you could transfer the life lessons you’ve learned to a character?

I wanted, immediately, to tell Sean to run from Evelyn. She was crazy and bipolar and had a threatening brother I didn’t trust for a second. He never even asked her to be his girlfriend, but he also never told her they weren’t dating. He let life tackle him again and again. Evelyn wasn’t the only person who wanted her moment to shine in the movie, and Sean, since he was the casting director and screen writer, dealt with the brunt of the demands. He was the epitome of a Jim Carrey “Yes Man,” but it bulldozed and sucked the life out of him. He said yes to requests that conflicted with each other and somehow still tried to make things work.

While I haven’t read the other two books in the Swim the Fly series, I don’t think it was necessary. I may have appreciated Coop, who sometimes seemed too overenthusiastic and used “dawg” a bit too much for my liking, a bit more if I’d read Beat the Band which was told from his perspective. Matt, the third best friend, was a pretty one-dimensional character for me; he was present and had a few funny moments, but he wasn’t a stand-out character. Even though Evelyn was a huge turn-off for me, I did find myself enjoying the second half of the novel more as things became chaotic and Sean had no choice but to man up.

Often I find myself idealizing the incredible boys that are written in young adult books; Calame was pretty spot with how he depicted high school boys — they’re not always so mature, don’t make the best decisions, and endlessly make masturbation references and jokes. I commend Calame for his authenticity, but did find myself wishing for a bit more growth and maturity that would help me relate to the boys – that would have made 16-year-old me find them attractive and dateable.

If you love male POV books and are intrigued by the idea of three boys making a horror film gone bad, then Call the Shots would be right up your alley!

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book of Don Calame's Swim the Fly series. This novel focuses on Sean.

Coop comes up with a new scheme. He wants to film a horror movie for a local film festival. Sean and Matt are really not excited about Coop's newest adventure, but Sean changes his mind when he comes home and learns his mother's big news. She is pregnant which isn't too bad until he is told that he will have to move out of his room and into his twin sister's room! Sean realizes if they could win the film festival, he could use the prize money for an addition to their house. Then he wouldn't have to move out of his room!

This is a funny, funny book. It is full of sophomoric humor, but like the other two books in the series, you see Sean mature and grow. Sophomore boys are perfect audiences for this book.

[Taz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sean and his buddies Matt and Coop are starting they’re sophomore year of high school. Both his friends have girlfriends, but he is recently single. So, his mission this year is to find a girlfriend. But, things change when his mom turns out to be pregnant. He is forced to move into his sisters room, so he needs money to build an addition to the house and move into that. Coop, the idea man, formulates a plot to make a low budget horror film and show it at a film festival, earning them big bucks, all the while, Sean is being pursued by three girls that he can’t choose between.

I think that the theme of the book is friends come before love, which is a fancy way of saying bros before hoes. This them is expressed through the events of the book in many ways. A lot of the hi jinx and crazy situation Sean and his buddies find themselves in are a result of the sort of love triangle/square that Sean is in. These events could’ve easily been avoided if they had realized that having a girlfriend isn’t the most important thing in the world. Even though Sean does eventually get the girl, he couldn’t have done it without the help of his friends.

I liked this book. It had a lot of good humor and almost played out like a sitcom or comedy movie, which I liked a lot. The characters were all really different and interesting. I feel like some things were unbelievable and over exaggerated, but overall it still was entertaining and didn’t want to put it down. The only thing I didn’t like was the way the author wrote text language. It was confusing, unrealistic, and practically unreadable. I gave it a 4/5 because it was good but not the best book I’ve ever read.

[Michelle (FabBookReviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have enjoyed and laughed my way through the outrageous madcaps of Calame's Swim the Fly series. I picked up Swim the Fly on a whim, loved it; carried on to Beat the Band, which was great; and now Call the Shots, which I think has pulled out all the stops.

Call the Shots is a raunchy, hysterical, over-the-top adventure in teenage boy-land, and I think it is a great read. This novel is told from Sean's perspective: the quieter, less confident of the three boys. Sean has often taken a backseat in his Coop's and Matt's grand plans. He's never had much luck with the ladies, and he is often overlooked. Coop comes up with what he thinks is a brilliant idea: make a low budget slasher film and rake in the dough! It happened for The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity, so why couldn't it happen to them? The only thing is, none of the boys have any money. Or real experience with acting. Or directing. Or anything really. Sean knows that Coop's plan is crazy. But...he would like the money...and to maybe attract the attention of girl and finally get some action. So against his better judgment, Sean and Matt all agree to work with Coop on the project.

And what an adventure/disaster that follows! I was in stitches, laughing out loud many times. Sean (with Coop's un-help) gets himself into so many mortifying situations and debacles that you just can't help but want things to work out better for him. I think that this was probably my favourite of the series as I found it the most detailed and intricate of the three. While Coop is by far the brashest of the three characters and the most charismatic narrator, Sean's awkwardness as a narrator is endearing and the most relatable. The slasher movie making back story is really well-done, absolutely bonkers, and makes for a great parallel to Sean's personal struggles in trying to get bold and get a (non-psychotic) girlfriend.

I mentioned this before about Calame's writing and this series, and I will say it again: it is genuinely well-written and entertaining- with a good bit of lewdness and bawdiness tossed in! I would definitely recommended it for fans of Gordon Korman, Sue Townsend, Louise Rennison, Dyan Sheldon, and Jeff Kinney.

[Joey Reyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will definitely miss the Swim the Fly series.

This, I believe, is the last book in the trilogy - and I really wish it wasn't. This might sound sappy, but the thing is, I don't want this series to end. I don't want to miss this trio, because it's so clear that I will. I wanna keep reading about them. I love these boys. Matt, Coop, and Sean - I love each and every single one of these characters, and I feel that I myself am part of this amazing trio.

Okay, okay, I'm sounding extremely sappy right now. But don't judge me, okay? This trio has been through a lot, and I've been with them through every single one. From swimming the fly, to beating the band, to finally ending their adventures with calling the shots - I've been with them, every single step of the way. And now, I have to say goodbye to that.

I have to say goodbye to them.

You know what my favorite line was in the book? "A guy couldn't have asked for two more amazing friends." I love this because it shows that these boys, no matter how much they make fun of each other, or call each other names, or fight about stuff, they love each other. They would take a bullet for each other. Their friendship is...well, it's true. And it's strong.

And they've been through so much together, and the thing about it is, they were together. And it's clear that those shennanigans aren't going to end soon - it only sucks because I'm not going to be a part of that.

Basically, this book was amazing. Don Calame has created the perfect ending to what has become one of my favorite book series of all time. It has lessons on friendship, family, and just life and making the most of it. It's also very very hilarious, and had me gushing over the well-tied ending.

So yeah, this is a sappy review. What'd you expect from me? If you knew me really well you'd have known this was coming, because I really really hate endings. So, Don Calame, a fourth book, please?

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

So sad that this series is ending, but a great note to end it on. As with the previous two, Cooper, Matt and Sean are best friends who pick wild and crazy things to do to challenge themselves and have fun. As with the first two, told from two of the three boys, this one is told from the remaining friend, Sean's perspective. Unfortunately Sean's a little bummed about a few things-- namely that his mother is going to have a baby leaving him to room with his twin sister (who is going through a Gothic phase who we met in previous books) and both of the other boys have steady girlfriends while he does not.

The newest idea is to create a horror film but things get complicated quickly when Sean is swept up in a crazy romance with a laughably unstable girl, pines for the "hot chick" in his drama class, but is being honed in by his sister's best friend. Literally girls surround Sean but he can't win with any of them! As with both the others, the book is TOO FUNNY! Giggles galore and good ol' fashioned fun though I thought heavy on the "gay" jokes, comments, conversations--sounding more like my childhood where we called each other "gay" and "retard"-- knowing now how un-PC that is. Yet, there was a very real point being made since Cathy thinks Sean's gay yet, surprise! Cathy is the one who is coming out-- hoping that if Sean was too it would be easier on the family. A great thread to include in the story and it certainly didn't feel out of place.

The usual antics were involved, though this one seemed at time a bit muddled by all of the flubs the boys had (my favorite when Sean was in the dumpster and Nessa had to cover for him as a rabid raccoon to which he screeched loudly so the other girls wouldn't look). Nonetheless, I completely enjoyed the series and though it could continue-- the last line calls for a road trip in the RV that Sean's uncle pulled up in so that Sean can have a room of his own-- I think it might be best to leave sleeping dogs where they lay.

Kudos to Calame!

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last book in a series. As with the first two books, this was laugh-out-loud funny. Much laughing going on. And lots of raunchy boy humor. It was hilarious. And highly irreverent.

So we've established it's funny. What else did I like? The boys' friendship is really nice. They all give each other a hard time and call each other on whatever stupid thing they've done but they're ultimately good, loyal friends. And all the other relationships in the book seemed very normal, very layered. Brothers and sisters and parents and friends and everyone had relationships in which they cared for each other but sometimes got mad or sad or irritated or whatever else and it was so very normal without being boring. Well done, there, Mr. Calame. Except for Nick and Evelyn who were pretty much always scary/crazy. Evelyn's character actually bothered me a bit; I felt like she was an easy excuse for everything. She was the cause of the love triangle and just about all of the conflict and she made the book wrap up really quickly, concisely and easily without too much explanation or difficulty. So poor, psychopath, Evelyn, made this book possible by being the one everyone hates. I felt bad for her. And it felt like really convenient writing.

Apart from Evelyn, things that happened in this book seemed extremely coincidental. Like, Sean would be thinking about someone and, suddenly, they were knocking on the door. Or that time when Sean was at the mall and, like, five different things happened in quick succession to keep him from meeting up with that girl. While hilarious, I couldn't help but feel annoyed by the convenience of the way things happened. My mouth would be hanging open in disbelief by the time those scenes finished. But, yeah, it was funny. So maybe it was worth it.

I don't know what else to say. This book was hilarious, even if completely absurd. I love the characters and how they treat each other but there's a whole lot of raunchy, dirty boy humor going on.

Sexual Content: Moderate
Language: Heavy
Violence: Mild
Drugs/Alcohol: Mild (if any)

[Daisy]

One book i’ve recently read was Call The Shots by Don Calame. The book wasn’t that bad. I’ve read better but it was still quite interesting. This book is about three best friends. Sean, Matt, & Coop. They’re all Sophomores in high school with no worries. Until one day Sean the single one, with a evil twin sister, finds out hes going to be a big brother. This was a surprise to everyone. But there was another surprise for Sean. Since the house was too small & the baby needed to have a nursery. Sean would have to share a room with his evil twin sister, Cathy. Sean thought it was the end of the world no way he was going to share a room with anyone. especially cathy. So he wants to build an extension to the house, but his parents say they can’t afford to build an extension & pay for all the baby expenses. Sean remembered that Coop was talking to him & Mat about making a horror film & enter it into a horror film contest. Sean thinks if they can actually pull it off & win. then he’ll be able to pay for an extension to the house.
The story was quite interesting at first, but Sean would sometimes frustrate me because he couldn’t stand up for himself. he had a weird controlling girlfriend Evelyn, that basically wanted to take over the movie & sean wouldn’t do anything about it. It felt like evelyn wanted him only for herself and didn’t let him be with his friends. Also Sean didnt even ask her to be his girlfriend she kinda just kissed him in the beginning of the book & she just thought they were together from there. At some points of the book i wanted to slap Evelyn. She needed to give sean a break.
In the story i didn’t think Sean stood out like the main character should. It was pretty much three main characters, Coop, Matt, & Sean. He should’ve done more exciting stuff. I saw him as the shy boy that couldnt stand up to his girlfriend & was being controlled by friends. I would recomend this book to people that like highschool drama.

[Rummanah (Books in the Spotlight) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recommend all the Swim the Fly books to my reluctant readers. Boys love the hilarious humor and bromance while the girls love the humor plus the unexpected romance. What I think resonates with my reluctant readers is the authentic teen male voice, language and the thought processes (more like, the lack of) of his main characters. The books are a very fast and easy read, full of heart. You don't have to read the Swim the Fly or Beat the Band before jumping into Call the Shots.
While Swim the Fly will always be my favorite in this series, Call the Shots is Coop's turn to be in the spotlight. He has just learned that his mother is pregnant, and, as a result, he will have to share a bedroom with his scary and weird sister, Cathy. Coop convinces Sean and Matt to join him in a scheme that he guarantees will reward them with more than enough cash to put an extension on Sean's house. The plan is to make a horror movie and win the $50,000 prize at TerrorFest. Sean hopes that the film will get him out of bunking with his annoying twin and maybe even land him a girlfriend. Of course Coop's plans backfire big time with a whole lot of laughs. There is one scene at the mall in particular that had me laughing so hard I had to close the book, wipe my tears, and wait for the images to clear in my head before I could start again.
Along with the hysterical hijinks the boys find themselves into and get of, Coop does become his own person and develops self-confidence. He realizes that he is passionate about film-making and might make it his career. There is also a nice romance subplot with a surprising love interest. I will say, however, the one thing that really bothered me in the book was his family assuming Coop was gay for comedy effect and then when the topic is really talked about, it is just skimmed over. I would have loved for this important subplot be explored and expanded upon. I will definitely miss these clueless characters.

[Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as funny as Swim the Fly, but fun to follow the characters.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third time is the charm for this author--not that he really needs any luck since the two titles that precede Call the Shots (Swim the Fly and Beat the Band) are always equally appealing and hilarious. I'm not the kind of reader who usually gravitates to humorous books, but these titles all have passages that made me laugh out loud. In fact, I'll confess to having snorted a few times as I moved rapidly through the book. When Sean Hance's parents announce that a new baby is coming, and Sean will have to share a room with his sister Cathy, he reluctantly joins his friends Coop and Matt in Coop's latest get-rich-quick scheme. All sorts of problems ensue with Sean getting involved with a troubled girl at the skating rink while nurturing a crush on a classmate in his drama class. It's hard for Sean to stand up to anyone, much less Coop, and by the time the book comes to a close, he's been dragged down a hill by one of the actors and left behind a yellow trail in the snow. He's also been at the wrong place at the wrong time when a bird deposits its leavings from the sky, forcing him to disrobe and huddle almost naked outside a Walmart dumpster. Throughout all this, romance comes from an unexpected direction, and Sean realizes that he does have it within himself to call the shots. Male readers will particularly relish this one for its thoroughly honest look at the male psyche and motivation and the hilarious scenes that fill the book. This author certainly knows his audience and his subject. Bravo!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Call the Shots" is the third book out of the series, this book is in the perspective of Sean Hance.
Sean's mom is having a baby, which means Sean has to share a room with his monstrous sister. How will Sean and his friends help get enough money to build a new room in Sean's house? By creating a big block buster movie of course. How will Sean succeed his goal while juggling the new baby on the way, his crazy new girlfriend, his Uncle Doug and his feelings for a new girl? Read to find out.

I chose this book because I have already read the third book in the series "Swim the Fly". I really enjoyed the book and I thought that I would really enjoy this book too. The characters and the plot of this story is what made me want to read it, I really wanted to see what happens to Sean and if he succeeds his goal.

I finished the book because I really liked the plot and climax. The characters are my favorite part of the series, I like how every characters story is different and they all work together to help one another. The book kept me interested the whole way through and it made me want to keep reading more and more. I enjoyed the whole book over all and I'm excited to read the second book of the series.

I recommend this book to Andy. I recommend this book to Andy because he has already read the first book and enjoyed it. I think he would enjoy this book because it isn't as disgusting as the first book "Swim the Fly" and, Andy is open to all genres of books and I think that he would like it.

[Adriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed the final in this hilarious trio of books all based on the friendship of Coop, Sean and Matt. This time it is Sean's turn to give us a peak into his perspective. Coop's latest and greatest idea is to make a low-budget horror film that will catapult them to fame and fortune. Sean and Matt are completely against the idea at first, until Sean realizes that he needs $30K pronto if he wants to avoid bunking with his most-annoying twin sister Cathy. Sean is also a bit jealous of Coop and Matt's relationships and he wants a girlfriend of his own. He goes from being completely solo, to a love triangle of sorts between crazy Evelyn and her even crazier Navy Seal brother, Nessa, the goth-girl best friend of Cathy, and Leyna, his gorgeous classmate from drama class. There are lots of cringe-worthy moments once again, plenty of raunch, and many instances of "pitching tents". You would think that these things would be uncomfortable to read through, but the author has a way with words that just makes them hilarious. I think that teens are way more bold than these three guys and a lot more lewd, gross and offensive at times, but in the hands of the author, the subject matter never becomes unreadable. Quite the opposite, there is just enough humor, heart and action to keep the reader interested. I'm going to miss the hijinks of this trio of friends and I hope we'll get another installment sooner than later.