Stupid Fast

Praise for *Stupid Fast"A rare mix of raw honesty and hilarity. Stupid Fast is Stupid Good!" -Peter Bognanni, author of The House of Tomorrow*

I AM NOT STUPID FUNNY.I AM STUPID FAST.

My name is Felton Reinstein, which is not a fast name. But last November, my voice finally dropped and I grew all this hair and then I got stupid fast. Fast like a donkey. Zing!

Now they want me, the guy they used to call Squirrel Nut, to try out for the football team. With the jocks. But will that fix my mom? Make my brother stop dressing like a pirate? Most important, will it get me girls-especially Aleah?

So I train. And I run. And I sneak off to Aleah's house in the night. But deep down I know I can't run forever. And I wonder what will happen when I finally have to stop.

Review"Surprises abound in this future youth classic..." --VOYA, June 2011 "It's rare to gain access to a male teen's thoughts at his most vulnerable... "--Shelf Awareness

"Young readers looking for a genuinely memorable first-person narrator...should really catch up to Stupid Fast..." - *Minneapolis Star Tribune*

"...one of my freshmen boys asked to read my ARC. I had to say yes because he's one of my reluctant readers. He isn't reluctant anymore! He tore through this book and was so proud when he gave it back to me; he finished the book and wanted to read another. As a teacher or librarian, does it get any better than that?!

If you want to read something fantastically funny, pick up Stupid Fast. If you want to read something honest and refreshing, pick up Stupid Fast. I can't recommend this debut novel enough. Geoff Herbach has really impressed me and I CAN'T WAIT to read more of his work!" - YA Love

" In this struggling and often clueless teen, Herback has created an endearing character coming to terms with his past and present in a small, well-defined Wisconsin town." - Booklist

" Herback is at this peak limning the confusion and frustration of a young man who no longer recognizes his own body, and Felton's self-deprecation take on his newly awarded A-list status is funny and compelling." - The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"This story has a little bit of everything: the challenges of growing up, the issues surrounding interracial romance, navigating tough class issues, and a narrator who is one of the most real, honest, and still funny male voices to come around in a while." - Yalsa

"STUPID FAST is a great addition to a genre that is lacking in stories based around a main male teenage character." - An Avid Reader's Musings

"Geoff Herbach does a nice job of getting into Felton's mind and presenting his thoughts in a realistic tone." - Reading Vacation

"Felton Reinstein is one of my favorite male protagonists of the year." - Happy Nappy Bookseller

"Stupid Fast is Geoff's debut novel and I can say this is the most pleasant surprise so far this year!" - Cari's Book Blog

"I fully admit that I devoured this book in one complete sitting. The mixture of serious emotions, life changing discoveries, and all out humor, made Stupid Fast a book that I simply couldn't set down." - Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile

"Delving straight into the teenage boy mind and hitting on topics both funny and hefty, Stupid Fast hits right into the struggles of a teenage guy from first love to finding himself to dealing with a quirky family in a great way. With a main character that truly is "average," a jerk at times and a total sweetheart at others, confused and awkward but then confidant and sure, this one is engaging and real. Through rambling in voice at times, and most definitely very boy in a way that could be a turn off to some female readers, the story is well written and well developed, providing a solid debut." - A Good Addiction

"In the end Fenton's sarcasm, anxiety, self-doubt, thoughtfulness, and compassion carry the day and perfectly capture the voice of his generation." - School Library Journal

"Reading Felton's thoughts, feelings, fears, and frustrations are sometimes funny as well as touching, revealing his gentle and sensitive side amidst the stupid. This title provides a great read for all teen and adult readers. I loved this! It almost moved me to tears as it provides insight into the mind of an adolescent." - Library Media Connection (starred review)

"Once I got into it, I loved Stupid Fast. Felton is a great character - he's just so likeable! He's awkward in a fun way, and his comments and way of seeing things are hilarious. He's complex and dynamic, and there's just so much to him, lots of which I probably didn't even get reading Stupid Fast for the first time. His voice is honest, original and realistic, and it felt like he was talking to me throughout the entire book. The secondary characters are fully-developed; I could imagine everyone easily - Aleah, Jerri, Andrew, the jocks, all of the characters! I also loved the dynamic and realistic relationships between Felton and all the other characters. Aleah and Felton are adorable together!

Stupid Fast reminded me of a John Green book. I don't mean the story, because that's really different from John Green's books - I just mean the style and the feel of the book. Stupid Fast conveys so many emotions - it's sad and funny and heartwarming and hopeful and honest and raw, all at the same time, just like John Green's books. You're crying one minute, and the next minute you're laughing. That's probably what I enjoyed most about this book - I love when a book can really make you feel something, both good and bad.

This is a great read! Don't be discouraged by the football-topic - I'm not big on sports, but I really enjoyed Stupid Fast. Felton is such a likeable main character, and Stupid Fast is emotional and hilarious at the same time, reminding me of a John Green book. I definitely recommend it!" - Paperback Treasures

"I really liked the elements in this book. A broken home, a main character growing up faster than he ever thought he would. So much goes on in the book that it is hard to not stop reading. A great, young, fresh voice, Felton is the American boy dealing with an average American life. Nothing is perfect but of course he is Stupid Fast." - Books With Bite

"So, without giving anything away, I'll just say: it has a great character voice, Pete Hautmanesque story-telling, and a deft recognition of human complexity." - Daughter Number Three

"Whip-smart and painfully self-aware, "Stupid Fast" is a funny and agonizing glimpse into the teenage brain. . . .In that gap between being big and being grown-up lies a lot of the best young-adult fiction, including Geoff Herbach's painfully funny debut, "Stupid Fast." "Young readers looking for a genuinely memorable first-person narrator -- in the vein of Sherman Alexie's "Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" or Pete Hautman's "Godless" -- should really catch up to "Stupid Fast" this summer." - The Star Tribune

"This is what I call a "smart guy-book". When you guys are ready to move away from fantasy into realistic fiction about teenage guy issues, Stupid Fast is one of the books you will have to turn to." - Beyond The Middle

""a novel that will give much food for thought." Blogger Dr.L, LS 5385 Blog" - LS 5385 Blog

About the AuthorGeoff Herbach is a novelist, but he also loves writing for performance. He co-created PowderKeg Live! and is also the co-founder of The Lit 6 Project, a group dedicated to bringing literary storytelling to broader audiences. He teaches creative writing at Minnesota State University-Mankato. Visit geoffherbach.com