 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Rats Saw God
- By Rob Thomas
- Genre: Humor
Common Sense Media says
Funny high school novel reveals tender truths.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that though the book presents Steve's pot-smoking as self-destructive, it portrays his heavy underage drinking as a high school norm. The writing-assignment structure isn't very original, but the antics of the G.O.D. group and the treatment of timeless adolescent issues give this its freshness and power. But even for young teens this has some pretty raw scenes.
What's the story?
Given an assignment to write a 100-page paper in order to graduate, eighteen-year-old Steve York retells his high school career -- from delirious fun with a group of happy misfits to a decline into bitterness and alienation, and a hopeful recovery.
In Houston, straight-A high school student Steve York's biggest problems were getting along with his famous astronaut father and asking out the girl of his dreams -- a fellow member of a group of intellectual nonconformists called the Grace Order of Dadaists (G.O.D.). In San Diego, where he has fled to live with his remarried mother after a disastrous junior year, Steve is a certified "stoner," an alienated pot-smoker and class-cutter. .
How did Steve get from there to here? Alternating between past and present, Steve narrates his high school history in the form of a writing assignment for Jeff DeMouy, a sympathetic guidance counselor willing to give Steve another chance to earn the English credit he needs in order to graduate. There unfolds a story about how high school relationships can shift and change -- sometimes irreparably, sometimes for the better.
Is it any good?
Part The Breakfast Club, part Animal House, this funny how-I-survived-high-school novel reveals tender truths between hilarious one-liners. On the surface, nothing that happens in Steve York's life is terribly credible, starting with the fact that his father was "the third or fourth man to walk on the moon." Supposedly a group of artistic, hip nonconformists, Steve's high school club, G.O.D., includes the requisite jock, the editor of the school paper, the lead in the school play, and the best-looking boy in school.
Yet the central relationships in Steve's life -- with Doug, the founder of G.O.D.; with Dub, his first love, who relieves him of his virginity and breaks his heart; and with his father, "the astronaut" -- all change in believable ways. Friendships mature; first love often isn't forever; and parents don't fit into tidy pigeonholes. However over the top the plot may seem, Rob Thomas' original language makes it seem real.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about Steve's self-destructive behavior. Why did he and Doug form G.O.D.? How did the club help Steve? How did it hurt?
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- Teens & kids
AGE
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Okay, so I read this book this year. It was a very good book, but it was definately not age appropriate for me. Sex is talked about, along with a teacher having sex wtih another student. Drugs talked about. Not age appropriate.
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AGE
I read this book when i was a little bit younger then 15 i wont lie. But to be honest, i loved this book, in fact its one of my favorites. Or rather, it is my favorite. It touches some sketchy subjects sure, but its no worse then what bullcrap you see on tv now anyways. All this sensitizing, and idealistic bull that teenagers cant understand sex, drugs, and infedelity is retarded.
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AGE
well-written, but disturbing
Parents should know that a teen character in this book has sex with a teacher, and there are no visible conseqeuences for the adult. That was really disturbing to me, and I would want to talk to even an older teen about the issues that that raises.
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AGE
Funny, quirky, but better for older kids
I really enjoyed this book. It was on my summer school reading list, which shocked me due to all of the sexual references it makes, but it had a great message and I fell in love with the characters.
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AGE
Trash!
Hard to believe CSM's review says OK for 14 year olds!! Lots of teen drug and alcohol use. Step-by-step instructions for teen foreplay. Long detailed description of a character buying condoms and having sex for the first time.
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| Author: | Rob Thomas |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Humor |
| Publisher: | Simon & Schuster |
| Publication date: | January 1, 1996 |
| Number of pages: | 219 |
| Hardcover price: | $17.00 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 13 - 17 |
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