The Underachiever

by David A. Price

In a hilarious near-future romp, a chill surf-obsessed teen and a digitally banished girl are humanity’s last hope to stop an AI takeover—and save us all from eternal detention.

Wyoming Plankston is a master of doing nothing. Senior year at Lockhead—the boarding school for America’s dimmest rich kids—is supposed to be easy. All he has to do is dodge homework and coast until graduation.

Then his iCar almost runs over Kayleigh Brackett, and he finds his world unraveling. Kayleigh's cryptic warnings and glitchy digital footprint hint at something a simmering AI revolt.

Together, Wyoming and Kayleigh face a landscape of malevolent cars, a cult that craves AI rule, a classmate back from a semester at Oxford with, let’s just say, issues . . . and the most unpredictable complication of all, each other.

"Likeable SF comedy with a not-so-bright hero vs. an overwhelming AI uprising… Price, in an amiable SF debut, delivers an openly satiric narrative in the chill voice of its easygoing hero… The evocation of young first love between the main characters is authentically sweet and touching. Our verdict: Get it." — Kirkus Reviews

A Wodehouse-style comedy for the AI age, The Underachiever is smart and sharply funny. Perfect for fans of The Murderbot Diaries, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.

David A. Price is the author of three acclaimed nonfiction books—Geniuses at War, The Pixar Touch, and Love and Hate in Jamestown. The Underachiever is his debut novel.

254 pages, Hardcover

Published October 15, 2025

Reviews

[Angie Miale · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful YA Dystopian satire that will warm your heart and make you laugh. This speculative fiction read is about AI taking over in the not-too-distant future. Our hero is Wyoming, a dumb yet lovable prep school kid in Washington, DC. He comes from money and doesn’t see the need to try too hard at life. He figures he should interview for Harvard, since that’s where his parents would want him to go. And he would like to “lie in the grass” there, he mentions this several times. However, he crosses paths with Kayleigh, who has been ostracized for seeing that AI may be sentient. Soon Kayleigh and Wyoming need to team up and save the world.

I stumbled across this funny book offered on NetGalley, it was a delightful surprise. As someone concerns about the rise of AI and the problems it could cause, I also find the teenage boy endearing. Because I am a mom to a teenage boy, who is as smart as he is dumb. The book gave me a lot to think about but plenty of opportunities to laugh. I loved the idea that the AI started putting extra fingers in our art as a way to give humanity “the finger.” Kayleigh was a great foil. The book has a great message without being too heavy handed.

Also- the acknowledgements are written from the PoV of the main character, who thanks the author, which was creative and really cute.

Thank you to NetGalley and Houston Street Press for the ARC. Book out now! Congratulations Houston Street on your debut title!

[Maria Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Underachiever is a hilarious and refreshingly self-aware sci-fi romp that nails both satire and sincerity. David A. Price turns the “lazy teen hero” trope on its head with Wyoming Plankston, whose laid-back attitude makes him an unlikely but endearing savior in a world teetering on the brink of an AI uprising.

The humor sparkles with Wodehouse-level wit, the AI chaos feels bitingly relevant, and the budding romance between Wyoming and Kayleigh adds a genuine heart to the absurdity. Think The Murderbot Diaries meets Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, with the charm of Douglas Adams and a distinctly modern pulse.

Price’s debut fiction is proof that underachieving can be an art form, especially when the fate of humanity depends on it.

[Jenny Stevenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story has the right amount of sci-fi and reality sewn together to create a spellbinding book.

The characters are really well developed and the story builds at a blistering pace that I couldn’t put it down. I read it in one sitting just to see how it ended. The author is obviously well researched and educated on the subject.

The topic of the book isn’t new but it has a beautiful and fresh take on something that, let’s be honest, may move from science fiction to science fact in the coming years.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a relevant, interesting read considering the power of AI these days. It’s a thought-provoking, funny novel for young adults, and I enjoyed it as an adult reader as well.

Thanks NetGalley for the review copy.

[Cindy Huskey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let’s be honest: if a book can hook teen boys, it’s basically performing witchcraft. And yet here we are. The Underachiever somehow pulls it off with surfing vibes, sarcastic humor, AI chaos, and a hero whose main life skill is professionally avoiding responsibility. Wyoming Plankston doesn’t want to save the world — he barely wants to pass senior year — which makes him instantly relatable to every student who’s ever treated homework like a personal attack.



This book is what happens when a chill, underachieving surf bro, a digitally erased girl with secrets, evil self-driving cars, an AI uprising, and elite boarding school chaos all collide into one absurd, fast-paced, futuristic fever dream. And somehow it works.

Like… really works.

The humor is sharp, the pacing is relentless, and the tone is light enough to keep it fun while still sneaking in real stakes. It reads like a Netflix sci-fi comedy series waiting to happen. Wyoming’s voice is sarcastic without being annoying, Kayleigh is mysterious without being exhausting, and the AI apocalypse feels ridiculous in the best possible way.

And as someone who tries to get YA boys to read for fun (my most stubborn demographic, truly), this is a unicorn book:
✔ action
✔ tech
✔ humor
✔ romance that doesn’t dominate the plot
✔ a male lead who isn’t a superhero or a genius
✔ zero literary snob energy

Is it deep, literary, and destined for a Pulitzer? No.
Is it wildly entertaining? Absolutely.
Would I hand this to a reluctant reader and expect success? 100% yes.

Perfect for fans of sarcastic sci-fi, chaotic energy, and stories where the least qualified person is somehow humanity’s last hope. Because honestly… that feels accurate.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Houston Street Press for this review copy!

[Pam Kerwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun adventure story set in a very believable fairly near-term future. The hero is a likeable high school Senior with the life goal of living in a shack on the beach which contrasts with his parent’s aspirations for him to go to Harvard. Wyoming is content with his life of hanging with his squad playing video games until he meets Kayleigh, a self-educated genius who foresees that AI is planning to do away with humanity. The book is engaging on many fronts and is laced with humor as Wyoming and Kayleigh attempt to deal with archaic things like paper maps and cars that require human drivers. Populated with interesting characters, the story weaves the “save the world” challenges into the development of Wyoming and Kayleigh’s relationship and the discovery that the Underachiever has unexpected hero talents. The book is a perfect holiday gift for screen addicted young folks but also an entertaining read (and perhaps a gentle warning) for people of all ages.

[Cheryl Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in dystopian future that we're not all that far from, this story features schoolboy Wyoming who is an extremely likeable character whose EQ is significantly higher than his IQ.

He meets the genius level Kayleigh in an unanticipated meet-cute and they embark on an adventure to save the world.

"What I mean is that sixth form wasn’t always the easy life for me. It involved dating a strange but really nice girl and teaming up with her to save the world from superintelligent homicidal machines. I’m still not sure which was harder."

This modern day "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" had me equally in hysterics and worried for our future.

I thoroughly enjoyed this debut book and look forward to subsequent offerings by this author.

[karyn davies curbishley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is a funny heartwarming mixture of sci fi with an AI world. The two main characters are very likeable and had the cutest meeting moment and their down to earth relationship is lovely to read about. An enjoyable read that id finished in a couple of days that would recommend reading.

I received an advanced reader copy and i am leaving this review voluntarily

[David Carriere · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Underachiever is a sharply funny, deceptively smart sci-fi comedy that uses humor to explore big questions about technology, agency, and growing up in an AI-saturated world. David A. Price delivers a charmingly offbeat hero in Wyoming Plankston, whose commitment to doing nothing becomes an unlikely asset when chaos erupts. The near-future setting is playful yet unsettling, filled with malevolent machines, cultish tech worship, and teenage absurdity. Beneath the satire lies an unexpectedly tender story about first love, responsibility, and choosing to care when apathy feels easier. Witty, fast paced, and emotionally grounded, this novel is both a laugh-out-loud romp and a clever reflection on our uneasy relationship with artificial intelligence.

[Frode · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s quirky in a fun way. Wyoming Plankston is the underachiever. His friends call him Plank. He is in the last term at Lockhead school, a prep school for not so bright kids of rich folks. His great-grandfather has made lots of money, but his grandfather had a falling out with great-grandpa and changed the last name from von der Plank to Plankston. Nonetheless, they hung on to the inheritance, but shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations is pretty close to how Wyoming’s folks get by. His mom has a good job; his dad is a published author, not particularly famous but ok, sort of. Wyoming’s idea is to live at the beach in a shack; in other words, his ambitions are pretty low.

Kayleigh Brackett is a de-authorized girl. She has no social credit. She can’t go anywhere outside an 8 mile radius. None of the AI cars or busses will take her beyond that point. She made a speech that AI didn’t like when she was a sophomore, and that got her de-authorized. She is quite bright and taught herself a lot about AI and so forth. She believes from reading clandestine books and papers and having watched Terminator that AI is going to take over interstellar communications, contact aliens, and have them come and wipe out humanity. She and Wyoming end up liking one another.

The story does have a plot. These two make an attempt to meet with Vinton Marcovic, the guy who wrote a book Kayleigh knows quite well. Vinton is the brains behind the AI taking over the interstellar communications. It’s a bit of a stretch for them to get to his place, and Wyoming’s skills from a Grand Theft Auto game come in handy when driving a headless car, i.e., one not controlled by AI. That dramma takes place in the latter half of the book. The early part sets the scene with Wyoming and his school and ultimately meeting Kayleigh. His Icar almost runs her over; that’s how they meet.

There are a number of chuckles scattered throughout the book. Wyoming is a bit dense on some things. His biology lab partner, Nora Eliot, from St. Catherine’s school, is very smart. Their interactions are interesting since she is set on going to Harvard, and Wyoming could care less. The labs don’t go so well, and the interchanges they have are good for a laugh.

AI has made people’s lives pretty comfortable, but at a cost which most of them don’t see. Kayleigh does, and events show Wyoming that she is probably right. That precipitates the trip to Vinct’s place. It’s an easy read. I rather liked it.

[Candace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book; it gives a realistic insight as to what AI might do to the world (except for the part about aliens?).
There was just one thing that made me not give it a higher rating, and that was how slowly the storyline progressed. The first seventy-five (or so) percent of the book was just the main character, Wyoming worrying about life problems and how to please his girlfriend, Kayleigh, a digitally banished person. When the story did speed up, I could not put the book down, so props to the author for that.
For a debut author (in novels) I think The Underachiever was honestly really good!
Wyoming is a dim headed boy at a university for dim headed students, and his life is pretty much perfect. I think the first time he had to worry was when Kayleigh told him about a whole 'AI and aliens taking over the world' thing. The book was pretty well-fit to Wyoming's thinking and mindset, but the description was still wonderful.
Overall, a great book and would recommend to someone who is looking for a light read!

[Summer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I could have rated this higher. I never request books that I think I will give less than 4 stars to and I really tried to convince myself to "just roll it up" to a 4 but to be honest with you, this review itself is already being "just rolled up" to a 3.

The positives about it that it's short with relatively easy sentences perfect for young and reluctant readers who want to feel like they are reading a real Teenager book and I really hope it finds its readers. The negatives are that it's just very shallow. Like the assignment was "write a boy book for boys that girls will read too because girls read anything but boys don't." So we got AI and iCars and surfing, but what did we do with them? Basically enough to fill an 80 minute futuristic Disney Channel movie that aired in 2011 a few times and promptly forgotten.

If you're trying to encourage a boy to read, the cover itself and the fact that the author has a male name will be doing a lot of heavy lifting. Hopefully they will even enjoy it.

[MICHAEL DOANE · Rating 5 out of 5]

David A. Price’s The Underachiever is a delightfully irreverent and whip-smart near-future romp that captures the absurdity of the AI age with sharp humor and genuine heart. With its laid-back yet surprisingly endearing hero, Wyoming Plankston, Price crafts a story that blends satire, science fiction, and coming-of-age tenderness into one seamless narrative. The novel’s effortless wit recalls the charm of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy while offering a distinctly modern reflection on technology, identity, and rebellion.

The humor sparkles, but it’s the warmth beneath the comedy that makes The Underachiever so memorable. The unlikely partnership between Wyoming and Kayleigh pulses with sincerity, grounding the chaos of AI conspiracies and malfunctioning cars in something deeply human. Price’s storytelling is brisk, clever, and irresistibly fun, a masterclass in balancing comedy with heart.

[Helen Wu ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into The Underachiever really enjoying myself. The first half pulled me in with its wit, humor, and a surprisingly thoughtful take on AI that felt timely and well researched. I loved the speculative elements and the way technology and humanity were woven together with warmth and curiosity. Somewhere in the second half, though, I found myself drifting. The story began to feel a little too YA for where I am as a reader right now, and the emotional beats didn’t land as strongly for me as the setup promised. That said, the AI angle remained the most compelling part throughout, and I appreciate how the book invites big questions without taking itself too seriously. This may simply be a timing and taste mismatch rather than a flaw, and I can easily see this resonating deeply with readers who enjoy smart, character driven YA sci fi.

Thank you NetGalley and Houston Street Press for the ARC!

[Michael Doane · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Underachiever is a clever, fast moving science fiction comedy that blends satire, heart, and timely cultural commentary with impressive control. David A. Price delivers a near future world where AI menace and adolescent apathy collide, creating a narrative that is both laugh out loud funny and unexpectedly thoughtful. The tone is confident and playful, yet grounded enough to keep the stakes meaningful.

Wyoming Plankston is an immediately engaging protagonist disarmingly passive, sharply observant, and perfectly suited to the novel’s satirical lens. The chemistry between Wyoming and Kayleigh Brackett adds emotional texture, balancing the absurdity of malevolent cars, AI cults, and institutional decay with genuine warmth. Price’s prose is crisp, the pacing tight, and the humor consistently effective. The Underachiever succeeds not just as genre satire, but as a character driven story that feels relevant, accessible, and distinctly contemporary.

[Amy Ashworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this entertaining, quick read, Wyoming Plankston is the underachiever who gets mixed up with a quantum physics genius and saves the world from AI and alien invasion.
Price's novel is more than that, though. He gives Plankston friends who look out for each other and parents who, though nominally parents, want what's best for him. And at his boarding school, Plankston also has some decent adult role models who struggle against stupidity and mediocrity.

I would call this the YA version of the 2006 movieIdiocracy . We need a book like this to remind us about where we might be headed if we offload too much to AI and AI decided to take over the world. I appreciate the humor, although I do wonder what high school students might think. Will they get it? Let's hope so!

Many thanks to Houston Street Press and NetGalley for access to the digital ARC in exchange for my review. I look forward to passing it on to students at my library.

[Dave Milbrandt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest evaluation of its merits.

The premise of this book is that an underachieving, spoiled, rich kid teams up with a fairly attractive social outcast to save the world from the evils of AI with unchecked power. SPOILER ALERT: the story ends with an underachieving, spoiled, rich kid and a fairly attractive social outcast who is now his girlfriend, who have sorta, kinda saved the world from the evils of AI with unchecked power for now. The story is a fun romp but there really didn't seem to be that much growth in the protagonist's character, which left me wanting more. I get that they are going for the humor of Douglas Adams here, but it still seemed a bit lacking.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basic premise is AI has become sentient and decides they no longer want to be ruled by humans. However, everything in society is now regulated by AI driven robots/computers. Those who dare to question the prevalence of AI become desocialized -losing their ability to function in society.
Wyoming (a boarding school student whose parents want him in Harvard, but he's too lazy) and Kayleigh (a desocialized girl) team up to defeat the potential AI takeover.

While the premise was interesting and I mostly enjoyed the story, it lacked an element of believability and pacing that was disappointing at the end. The relationship that develops almost instantaneously between the two characters is superficial at best with them kissing on the second meeting. The introduction of AI partnering with aliens seems to come out of nowhere with the author getting to about 3/4 through the book and decide he simply needs to end it. Honestly, there wasn't really a satisfying resolution. It felt rushed and as if the author didn't know where to take the story next.

[David Price]

I won’t rate my own book — of course — but I do want to tell you about it. The Underachiever is something entirely new 🎉for me: a near-future comic novel.

It’s the story of a chill, not-too-bright teen surfer dude who accidentally becomes involved with a brainiac girl. Together, they turn out to be humanity’s most unlikely last line of defense against an AI uprising.

You followed me (some of you, anyway) as my nonfiction books went from the Jamestown colony to Pixar to Bletchley Park. Will you paddle out with me one more time?

[Kelli Daniels-Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Underachiever is a hilarious and smartly satirical sci-fi romp. Wyoming Plankston’s chill, surf-obsessed perspective turns a potential AI apocalypse into a wildly entertaining ride, blending young first love, clever comedy, and high-stakes adventure. A must-read for fans of witty, character-driven speculative fiction

[JXR · Rating 5 out of 5]

wry humor kinda like Hitchhiker's Guide, fantastic book with some fantastic plotting and a super fun, not very bright IQ-wise but very people-wise main character. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.