Allen, M.E. Gotta get some bish bash bosh

Kliatt, Jan, 2005 by Paula Rohrlick

ALLEN, M.E. Gotta get some bish bash bosh. HarperCollins, 208p. c2005. 0-06-073198-2. $15.99, (Library bdg: 0-06-073201-6. $16.89.) J

This is a male version of the Georgia Nicolson series of books by Louise Rennison--a fast and funny read full of British slang and hilariously anguished musings by a self-absorbed teen narrator. In the first chapter, "Slam-Dumped," our 14-year-old hero's girlfriend, Sandi, tells him it's over, and that she's seeking "guys with a bit more bish-bash-bosh [self-confidence and swagger]." With his self-esteem at an all-time low, the unnamed narrator sets out to remake his image. He gets a disastrous haircut that gives him a "convict look," manages to get onto the rugby team and promptly breaks his collarbone, and dresses up as a serial killer for a Halloween party. He blames his parents, naturally (he suffers from "Premature Parental Fatigue Syndrome," he claims), his friends, and so on, and meets the world with sarcastic wisecracks, but in the end girls are fighting over him and he and Sandi are back on again.

M.E. is actually a mother-son writing team from England. A glossary in the back helpfully explains the slang for American readers, who will enjoy the novel's humor and quick pace. Paula Rohrlick, KLIATT

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers.