Tales of the Madman Underground: An Historical Romance 1973 - Hardcover

Barnes, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 067006081X ISBN 13: 9780670060818

Publisher: Viking Childrens Books, 2009

Synopsis

Wednesday, September 5, 1973: The first day of Karl Shoemaker's senior year in stifling Lightsburg, Ohio. For years, Karl's been part of what he calls "the Madman Underground" - a group of kids forced (for no apparent reason) to attend group therapy during school hours. Karl has decided that senior year is going to be different. He is going to get out of the Madman Underground for good. He is going to act - and be - Normal. But Normal, of course, is relative. Karl has five after-school jobs, one dead father, one seriously unhinged drunk mother . . . and a huge attitude. Welcome to a gritty, uncensored rollercoaster ride, narrated by the singular Karl Shoemaker.

About this title

Review:

"Rarely will you read something so lovingly vulgar, so fiercely warmhearted, and so exuberantly expansive . . . the culmination comes off like a teenage "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."" -"Booklist," starred review
"His narration is so easy and engaging, so sweet and funny, so astonishingly truthful that teens will rip through these 500-plus pages and want more." -"School Library Journal," starred review
"Darkly comic . . . as troubled, relevant, relatable and hilarious as J.D. Salinger." -"Los Angeles Times"

About the Author:

John Barnes lives in Denver, Colorado. This is his first novel for teenagers.

About this edition

• Publisher: Viking Childrens Books
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 067006081X
• ISBN 13: 9780670060818
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 532