Vote for Larry

Gospel According to Larry #2

by Janet Tashjian

Larry's Back. And this time he's getting political...
Place a cross in the square opposite your choice of candidate for President of the United States of America.
(x) Cult teenage hero who makes miraculous return from the dead!1
(x) Seventeen-year-old boy adored by two equally beautiful women2
(x) Young campaigner with crazed middle-aged stalker3
(x) Voice of America's teenagers who takes on George Bush, and parties with Bono!4
(x) All of the above-vote for Larry!
1You have to read it to believe it!
2Yes, I know this sounds amazing but believe me-a woman scorned...
3I couldn't have a beautiful fan like everyone else. Oh no-I get Betagold. Sexy as your mad old aunt.
4Still can't decide which is coolest!

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Teen, Realistic Fiction, Politics, Humor, Young Adult Contemporary

222 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2004

About the author

Janet Tashjian is a middle-grade and young adult novelist who’s been writing books for children for fifteen years. Her first novel Tru Confessions was made into a critically acclaimed Disney TV movie starring Clara Bryant and Shia LaBeouf. The Gospel According to Larry is a cult favorite and Fault Line is taught in many middle and high schools. Her novels My Life As a Book, My Life As a Stuntboy, and My Life As a Cartoonist are all illustrated by her teenage son, Jake. Their collaboration continues with Einstein the Class Hamster coming in August.

Janet lives with her family in Los Angeles, enjoying her respite from the long Boston winters. When she isn’t writing, she’s rewriting.

Janet has been doing school visits for fifteen years; you can email her at spatulaproductions@mac.com for details.

We invite you to follow her on Twitter @JanetTashjian and like her books on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Lif...
https://www.facebook.com/ForWhatItsWo...

Plus, check out her YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/janettash...

Reviews

[Mr.G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Josh Swensen, whose dream has always been to make the world a better place, decides to run for President. After successfully building a movement to amend the Constitution's presidential age requirement, Josh begins his campaign in earnest. Author Tashjian places him as a third party progressive candidate running against Bush and Kerry in the 2004 election. The mixture of teen drama, youthful idealism, and national politics made this a unique and wonderful book. I wish every 8th grader would read it!

[Fred Kirchner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read The Gospel According to Larry a few months ago, never aware that there were not one--but two!--sequels to one of my favorite teen novels I've read this year. The Gospel According to Larry ends--(spoiler alert!)--with the protagonist's pseudocide, so I wasn't thinking a sequel would be in the works, but lo and behold, here comes: Vote for Larry!

After faking his own death, Larry (Josh) Swensen surfaces in Boudler, CO. He's going by the name of Mark and has a nifty girlfriend and some alarming new spending habits... And--gasp!--he now owns more than 75 things.

Then a mysterious kidnapping... and viola... Larry is back in the press: running for President! While not as powerful as the original, Vote For Larry addresses many issues that afflict our nation. The parallel themes of critiquing the modern American political machine and championing grassroots activism make this book much more rich thematically than most teen fiction. But there's also romantic complications for our hero, and an antagonist bent on destroying Larry's run for the White House, and maybe Larry himself. And Bono!

I just wish I could talk my teen reading group into tackling this book...

If you haven't read the original, you might want to read that first. In fact, buy both for every teenager on your Xmas list. Maybe one of them will change the world!

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish there were more Larrys in the world -- passionate teens (heck PEOPLE) dedicated to making the world a better place to live. In Janet Tashjian's sequel to The Gospel According to Larry, Josh Swenson (a.k.a. Larry) returns after having faked his own death to run for president. He is pitted against Kerry and Bush in the 2004 election, running on the Peace party platform. As a teen who will be voting for the first time, his goal isn't to win the presidency, but instead to inspire young citizens to vote and make their voices and issues a part of the race.

Tashjian raises a lot of pertinent political issues that are probably new to most teen readers. She makes a strong argument for why teens should be involved in the political process and I hope that the book inspires teens or any adult who takes the time to read Vote for Larry to become part of our democracy.

Despite the importance of the message, the book has some issues that prevent me from recommending it to all teen readers. First, Josh's voice doesn't feel authentically male which might backfire on male teens. Also, some readers might have some trouble handling Josh's unbounded optimism. Nothing seems to truly faze this guy. Even when he loses it on one of his best friends it's softened by the author when she tells us about the argument, but doesn't let us know what horrible things Josh said.

If you read and enjoyed The Gospel According to Larry, there is no reason that you should skip this book. It’s a good book and is enjoyable.

[George Brunk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personal Response

Personally I thought that Vote for Larry is a very confusing book. The book is set for a very political view. This book involves a lot of voting and reasoning as to why things are happening. I feel like this book is set for more of a class officer role in a high school. I also did not know Vote for Larry was a second book to a series and it is probably why it was so confusing to me, so make sure you read the first one.

Plot Summary

Josh is making headlines. When one of his regional campaign managers turns out to be Janine, Josh tries to sort out his romantic feelings on his way to maturity. He and his friends try to change the world by putting Larry on the presidential ballot. During the campaign, Josh must confront his old nemesis. In the end most things work out, but the story will not stop there.

Characterization

The main character is a teenager named Josh, and he is very anti-consumer. I thought it was very interesting how this played into his personality and his story throughout the book. Josh’s emotional conflicts also became a huge part of this story, and how he was stressed and burdened throughout it.

Recommendation

I recommend this book to teens of any age who are interested in the aspect of going for a class officer or any type of president for any club. This book is also very precise in the slots of voting and reasoning, so if you enjoy that I am sure you would enjoy this book. Vote for Larry is also very realistic fiction and if anyone enjoys that no matter what, this is a book for you.

[Kelley]

Dredging the archives of my old YA blog--from back in the day when I was a YA para-librarian. Awesome!


Vote for Larry, the sequel to The Gospel According to Larry, is the tale of Larry’s run for President. I can’t reveal too much about it because it would give away a lot that happens in the first book. But I can say that one of my favorite things about the book is how current it is—the issues are practically up to the minute, the election Larry runs in is mirrored on our current presidential election, and there was even a hot little mention of the Radical Cheerleaders! Of course, I didn’t fully agree with one of Larry’s main platform stances that everyone should get out and vote (since I question the validation that voting brings to a corrupt and exploitative system), and I also had other minor qualms with the book. But, overall, it was refreshing and inspiring to see books carrying such positive messages about the future of society written specifically for young people. Even Ms. Tashjian’s fictional account of what might happen if 92 percent of the overall population and 96 percent of young people ages 18-24 were to vote brought some feelings of hopefulness and excitement to this stodgy anarchist. I highly recommend these books to anyone and everyone, but especially young people who want a little inspiration and hope for what could happen if we let our dreams shape our realities.

[Alessandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was supposed to be a mini-review, because I thought I didn't have much to say about this book. While writing the post, however, I realized something that bothered me, and the mini-review became a full-fledged one.

Spoiler alert: there's no way of summarizing the plot for the second installment in the Larry series without spoilering the ending of The Gospel According to Larry. Read at your own risk!

Josh Swensen, aka Larry, is back. After committing "pseudocide", that is killing his alter ego by faking his own death, he now lives under a false name, attends college lessons, and has a new girlfriend, Janine. On enight, however, he is "kidnapped" by his former childhood friend Beth and her boyfriend Simon, who prompt him to run for President. Josh's goal is not to actually become President (he's barely 18), but to convince as many young people as possible to vote and get involved in politics. Of course, there is someone who does not want Josh/Larry to succeed and creates problem for him at every step of the way; and there's the love triangle Josh/Beth/Janine.

I found this novel enjoyable, but I think the first novel in the series was done better. The Gospel According to Larry was much more believable. I had some trouble suspending my disbelief that a 18-year-old would be allowed to run for president, but I find it admirable that the author wanted to raise a political conscience in teenagers. When you are a teen, politics can seem something very distant and removed from you. Yet, if you don't vote and choose your representatives, someone else will make a decision for you.

However, whiole writing this review I realized that something doesn't add up in this novel. In The Gospel According to Larry, we get to see that the writing on Josh's graveyard stone (his mother had it done for him before dying) is "Josh Swensen 1983 - ". Vote for Larry seems to be taking place during the 2004 presidential elections, as Josh runs for the Peace Party against Bush and Kerry. There is emphasis on the fact that during the first phase of the campaign, Josh is still 17, and his birthday is in September. But if Josh was born in 1983, his 18th birthday would be in September 2001, not 2004. Of course, there were no presidential elections in 2001. Call me a nit-picker, but these details bother me.

The villain in this novel is also kind of disappointing. If you pay attention to character names, you might figure it out before Josh does. And why do they get to walk away free after deliberately trying to run over someone with a car?

As for the outcome of the Josh/Beth/Janine love triangle... Duh, Josh. It seems you always want to pursue the girl you can't have at the moment. Haven't you been in love with Beth for half of your life? She might be a flirt, but she's better suited for you. And when a girl runs away from you without leaving a trace, there's a good chance she does not want to be found.

I'd like to read the third Larry book, Larry and the Meaning of Life. However, it has never been published in Italy, so it's impossible to find here. I have read a few reviews on Goodreads and I don't think it is worth ordering.

Cover attraction: clean look, yet effective.

[Holly Neumann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t know this book was a follow up to a book that came first in the series, but it gives enough background about what happened in the first book for me to read it on its own (I still want to go back and read the first book, though). I’m not really into politics, but I thought this was a very interesting read and I really enjoyed it. This book explores more of the emotions that the characters involved felt about what was happening politically, not just the actual politics that were happening.

The main character is a teenager named Josh, and he is very anti-consumer. For example, he owns no more than seventy-five possessions at a time. I thought it was very interesting how this played into his personality and his story throughout the book. Josh’s emotional conflicts also became a huge part of this story, and how he was stressed and burdened throughout it.

This book was an excellent read. I picked it up without even knowing what it was about, and it was a welcome surprise. I loved how this book dealt with Josh’s more emotional side, but also how it didn’t shy away from issues that as relevant today- if not more so- as they were when this book was written. This is a great book for anyone, but especially teenagers, because it deals with issues that are important to them. The author does a great job with the portrayal of Josh, as well as the other characters in the book, and I felt it to be a believable and inspiring story.

[Phi H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I believe Vote for Larry is a very good sequel to The Gospel According to Larry. With his return from his masterful stunt to disappear from the public eye, thanks to an unexpected meeting with a former friend. He (as you may have guessed from the title of the book) runs to become not just a state representative, but the president of the US, all in his endeavors to make the world a better place - the same reason why he made his oh-so-popular website.

There were returning and also new characters appearing in the book, which is nice. Some elements of authors craft also made a pleasant return, like the humorous footnotes at the end of some pages. So anyone who has previously read The Gospel According to Larry should get along with this book quite well.

The theme of this book pretty much stays the same, which is anti-consumerism. However, Josh's value shine a little more in this book, as peace also seems to be apart of the message the author has.

I love how this book stayed true to the prequel, and also how realistic this book was. It looked like it was very possible that Josh could become president, so it keeps you on your toes until the very end. I also love books that really make you think, during or after you read the book, and this story (and the one before) is no exception to that.

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm wavering between 3 and 4 stars on the Larry series. I don't know that I really like them but I really do enjoy them. 3.5 stars, I guess.

What annoyed me: many too many footnotes in the beginning; when Josh thought it would be okay to dress as (his interpretation of) a Native American while giving his first campaign speech about the Boston Tea Party (cultural appropriation is cultural appropriation, even in context); that Josh actually said something about "taking back" the country; and lastly, I'm just over betagold - go away.

But like The Gospel it was fun in a way a lot of books try to be fun but aren't. I enjoyed the Bush digs and light commentary on how blatantly obvious it is that our political system is just ridiculously fucked up and that mainstream media is manipulative and unethical to the nth degree.

I'll be reading the next installment even though I found myself strangely invested in Josh and Beth's romantic relationship and was immaturely put out when, after being in love with Beth for half his life, Josh decides Beth is just a friend and he's really in love with Janine. It shouldn't have but that put a damper on the ending for me. I still have some growing up to do.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know how I've missed this book on the school library bookshelf. Goodness knows that I've recommended other Janet Tashjian books and read more books of hers. Somehow, though, my eyes had missed this book.

I'd first been introduced to Janet Tashjian through The Gospel According to Larry, a book I'd loved although I'd been immediately worried that it wouldn't age well. (I need to reread it to see how it's done.)

I really liked this book. Larry is just a messed up teenager, albeit at a higher level of intelligence than my average student. Even though it was written in 2004, it's still relevant. If anything, politics has become even stupider.

I love the statistics thrown in. I'd love to have my class read the book and then update the statistics for the last elections, the environment, and teen issues. I'd love to use the book as a jumping off point for debates and discussions. It's a meaty book!

Unfortunately, I can't use it because I teach 6th grade and Larry has sex in this book. It's not graphic but my students' parents would raise quite the ruckus if I "forced" students to read a book with a sexual scene. All the other good in the book would be lost because Larry gets laid.

[Louis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a sequel to "The Gospel according to Larry". Set during the election of 2004, Tashjian slides in many statistics about the current inequities in our election system and the lack of influence of the everyday citizen. Larry comes back after his pseudocide, and becomes a presidential candidate with the Peace Party. The story has a lot of positive developments and good new characters since "The Gospel".

On the negative side, it is one setback after another by some mysterious nemesis. After a while, I wished that this would be resolved. It would be one step forward, then one step or more backward. Plus the eventual revelation of the villian is predictable based on a last name shared with a past villian. And to have Larry be the victim of a hit-and-run and never have anyone held to account struck me as wrong. Why should Betagold get away with being an accomplice to murder?

Then there are Larry's inner ruminations. The footnote business gets old fast. Sometimes the ruminations are worthwhile and sometimes they are a waste of time.

So, an interesting book, if a bit dated now.

[Chelsea Applegate · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the book Gospel According to Larry, Josh Swensen finds himself in a paranoid state of no return. That is, until he’s kidnapped and coaxed into resurfacing as Larry, his old activist persona. Before long, Larry is back on the scene with much more on his mind than anti-consumerism—this time, he wants to affect change in government. And Larry isn’t taking a conventional path or starting small in local government. He just doesn’t do things halfway. But can he really become an eighteen-year-old president of the United States? Even if he can, is he sure he really wants to?

Great sequel. It gave just enough twist to make it interesting the relationship josh and beth was one of many so it was easy to relate to as well. It was good to see how Josh handles all of it too. He is someone to look up to. He accomplishes so much in this book and its comforting to know that a teen could do such a feat.

[Abraham · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a ridiculous book, but it inspired my friend when she was young. She suggested I read it, too. A lot of what's in this book reminded me of the effect the Bernie Sanders campaign had on me. When Bernie spoke about the rigged campaign finance system and about using government money for things like universal health care instead of war, a lightning shot through me like I'd never felt. I can imagine that's how my friend felt reading this book in middle school.

Probably the most exciting and dangerous idea in both this book and Bernie's speeches is that change is possible, and by God, we're going to make it happen. Have the young people gone away? Have things settled down since the 2016 Democratic primaries? Hmm, maybe a little. But I'm still here. Are you? :)

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I swear, I had to keep checking the pub date as I read. 2004? Doesn't this sound like today?
"The headlines were full of one horrifying piece of news after another. War, cutbacks, terrorism, states of alert, secret government meetings, citizens' rights being violated - the list went on and on. How had we gone from a country of peace and prosperity to one of such deep-rooted anxiety and panic? Were these feelings warranted, or was our government bombarding us with so much horrible news that no one dared question its authority? How much of this fear was justified, and how much was being sold?"

Smart fiction. Makes me want to volunteer for a cause, to make a difference.

[Pyrate Queen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sequel to "The Gospel According to Larry", this story focuses on the Josh/Larry who is now living in Colorado under the name of Mark. Still trying to keep a low profile after being exposed, Josh nonetheless tries to keep contact with his past through anonymous phone calls to Beth.

After Beth puts two-and-two together, she flies to Colorado, kidnaps Josh and drives him back to their East Coast town. Along the way, she convinces him to come out of hiding, embrace "Larry" once again and run for president. One must suspend some belief with the political process and celebrity involvement but the issues raised by this book are both timely and discussable.

[Noah · Rating 5 out of 5]

the way he takes on the world without stopping is very inspiring, and his grief is also so real and depicted so well that it's really beautiful. he has such a stronger personality, yet he is in some ways still a child. this book would really help anyone dealing with grief. there's this one line, when he goes into the hole, and he is thinking about when he was building the hole... it's so simply stated, but so beautiful.

"I came into the hole right after my mom died, and when I finally came out, I had found a way to live alongside my grief."

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

N and I started listening to this on audio on our last trip to NYC -- I hadn't realized it was a sequel, but we were quickly drawn into the story of a bright, politically engaged young social critic who decides to take on the establishment and run for president. The fact that Jesse Eisenberg was narrating definitely helped, but N is always a sucker for political strategy stories! Had to order the book from the library to finish, but both N and I were hooked enough to want to know how it ended. A fun, quick read. N also read the first book (The Gospel According to Larry) and liked it too.

[Jackie "the Librarian" · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this sequel to The Gospel According to Larry, Josh comes out from hiding after faking his death, and decides to get reinvolved in all the issues that are so important to him. He decides to run for president, and just like with his website, things snowball into something huge.
I loved all the stuff about elections, but I thought the threat from betagold was over the top and unbelievable. It didn't keep me from enjoying the story. I would gladly read more of the adventures of Larry.

[Navanita Nayak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Larry wants to change the world.
The Gospel according to Larry was all about anti-consumerism,Tashjian mentioned Larry as a third party politician after the Versus between the other two parties.
We can also see all of hilarious solutions that Larry would act on if he becomes the PRESIDENT.There was even a hot little mention of CHEERLEADERS.
Tashjian made the read so powerful and hooking.I would suggest 15 to 25 ages must go for this .

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a companion book to The Gospel According to Larry, but can be read independently. It would be a good book to add to the curriculum for civics/government high school classes. It has an inspirational message that young people can get involved in politics and have an influence on what happens in America. But this is not boring! The characters are likeable and it is a fast read.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did enjoy this book enough to give it four stars, but I liked "The Gospel According to Larry" slightly better than this sequel. "The Gospel" seemed a bit more plausible to me (if that matters in fiction) and also more intriguing and suspenseful. Reading "Vote" is still well-spent time, and I'm looking forward to "Larry and the Meaning of Life."

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is good for making you feel like changing the world

[Wan Lin Tee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Larry!

[Layla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uhhhmmmm…. Would’ve loved to give this book a better review if there wasn’t an inconsistency with his age.
It stated in the gospel according to Larry that he was 17 almost 18 and going to college. But in this book that’s supposed to take place 2 years later making him 19/20 it states that he’s still 17
And they mention that it’s been 2 years since the first book a plethora of times
Other than that amazing book I loved the concept it was very well written realism at times it had me googling weither or not Larry/josh was real

[Daniel Riddle · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was all about change and starting a movement. Their are betrayals and lies. The characters develop an interesting and eventually gets some action in the plot. It was not my favorite book by far. But if someone will need a book, then I will recommend it.

[Klyon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting writing, but didn't catch my attention.

[Issy · Rating 4 out of 5]

for a book written in 2008 all of the politics just hit so hard in 2024

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The most fun thing about this book was its humorous footnotes. Otherwise, it was a nonfiction book on how to run for President of the US, disguised as a teen novel.

[Noah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just spent the last four hours reading this book... it was absolutely incredible. Personally, I thought this book was better than the previous one. However, for people uninterested in politics (that's right folks: Politics), this novel is probably a little gory. This one pokes fun at our previous administration (my personal favorite is at the presidential debate where he [Josh/Larry:] knocks the socks off George W. Bush, who happens to have toilet paper stuck to his shoe) and includes a huge amount of statistics about our country (with information crediting the sources and how to learn more in the back).
Something else that I liked about this book was that it wasn't "Republicans are bad". Josh ran under the new (and fictional) Peace Party, and disliked the two-party system, making fun of both republicans and democrats.
Despite the fact that this book is mostly about politics, it still has a really good story about a teenage boy that happens to want to change the world.

[Dan]

I thought this book was not bad but kinda dissapointed in the ending to it. Josh Swenson (Larry) was a young guy who faked a seuicide and tried to hide in colorado. But later when he has to go up against the press and show who he really is, thats what will haunt him, especially if you have to be in the running for being the president. His goals were good which I thought was good. to others it may be a little bit boring. But you need to remember that this book was meant for young adults and they have their beliefs of things that they like. I recommend this book for yound adults.