Evil?

Title: Evil?

Author: Timothy Carter

Reading Level: Young Adult

Location: YA Carter

Stuart is a gay teen who lives in a small, conservative town and attends church every Sunday with his mom, older sister, and younger brother. No one had any problem when Stuart came out a few years prior so he is surprised one afternoon when his brother walks in on him in the shower committing the biblical "Sin of Onan" (err.......having a good time by himself) and all hell breaks loose. Now the town, fueled into a frenzy by some seriously misdirected fallen angels, is out for Stuart's blood and will stop at nothing to ensure that Stuart and other "spillers" never committ their sin again. Stuart teams up with the local priest, Father Reedy, his dimwitted friend (and current crush), Chester, and the demon Fon Pyre to break the angel's hold over the people and make the town safe for "spillers" and all other people everywhere.

As you can probably tell from the description above, this is meant to be an amusing, farcical fantasy tale. Although it can be quite clever at times, the writing is not amazing and the storyline fairly predictable. Stuart shows a little growth throughout the story, but he is relatively flat and one-dimensional. The primary purpose of this book is to entertain and to make you laugh, and it accomplishes this goal very well! I laughed out loud throughout much of the book. Stuart has an authentically sarcastic, teen voice that successfully kept various situations comical when they would have otherwise been a little dark. Althought the supporting characters were all fairly undeveloped, they succeed in adding interest to the storyline. I, personally, was a big fan of Fon Pyre.

The Bottom Line: I'm a little ashamed to say it, due to the lack of good writing, but I really enjoyed this book! Everyone loves to have a good laugh and this book definitely accomplished that. With it's humor and short length, it is perfect for reluctant readers, particularly boys. Even though Stuart's sexual preference is never really an issue in the book, teens who want a good GLBTQ read or a different take on the typical fantasy novel should check this one out.