The author of Printz Honor bookGrasshopper Junglereturns with another genre-bending literary exploration of the absurd.Once again blending multiple story strands that transcend time and place,Grasshopper Jungleauthor Andrew Smith tells the story of 15-year-old Ariel, arefugee from theMiddle East who is the sole survivor of an attack on his small village. Now living with an adoptive family in Sunday, West Virginia, Ariel's story of his summer at a boys' camp for tech detox is juxtaposed against those of a schizophrenic bomber and the diaries of a failed arctic expedition from the late nineteenth century. Oh, and there's also a depressed bionic reincarnated crow."Smith takes [readers] to a place where humanity is imbued with the potential to render people inhumanand reminding us that being human, all too human, is far better than any conceivable alternative. BCCB Reviews, starred review"Magnificently bizarre, irreverent and bitingly witty Kirkus, starred review"Smith is aspiritual heir to Kurt Vonnegut Booklist, starred reviewFans of Smith's raunchy, profane, and provocative work will find this funny but morally serious tale deeply appealing. Publishers Weekly,starred review
