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Overview
Fourteen-year-old Anthony "Antsy" Bonano learns about life, death, and a lot more when he tries to help a friend with a terminal illness feel hopeful about the future.Synopsis
Fueled by friendship and sympathy, Antsy Bonano signs a month of his life over to his “dying” classmate Gunnar Umlaut. Soon everyone at school follows suit, giving new meaning to the idea of “living on borrowed time.” But does Gunnar really have six months to live, or is news of his imminent death greatly exaggerated? When a family member suffers a heart attack after donating two years to Gunnar, Antsy wonders if he has tempted fate by playing God. Fans of “the Schwa” will welcome favorite and new characters in this wholly fresh tale, which is as touchingly poignant as it is darkly comical.
KLIATT
Anthony's nickname of Antsy suits him well: he's impulsive, talkative, and full of ideas and schemes. First encountered in The Schwa Was Here (winner of the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award for Fiction), here Antsy faces a new challenge: his high school classmate Gunnar Umlaut announces he suffers from Pulmonary Monoxic Systemia and has just six months to live, and Antsy wants to do something for him. He offers to give Gunnar a month of his life, and the touching gesture takes off. Soon all his classmates, and even the principal and teachers, are filling out forms Antsy has created to donate months from their lives, too. Then Antsy, who has started dating Gunnar's stunning sister, realizes that Gunnar isn't actually dying, and that there's something sadly amiss with Gunnar's family. It takes a near-tragedy in Antsy's own family, when his stressed-out restaurant-owner father needs emergency bypass surgery, to bring events to a head. Luckily, Antsy's dumping ice water over the head of a rude but famous patron at the restaurant has unexpected happy consequences. This lively, funny tale about trading time can stand on its own for those who haven't read the earlier book. Antsy is a wonderful narrator, and the story is full of comic asides; characters like cool Skaterdud and always-moaning Aunt Mona, along with cranky millionaire Mr. Crawley and his granddaughter Lexie, add flavor. The insights about friendship and family give this entertaining comic novel some weight, too. Reviewer: Paula Rohrlick
Editorials
KLIATT -
Anthony's nickname of Antsy suits him well: he's impulsive, talkative, and full of ideas and schemes. First encountered in The Schwa Was Here (winner of the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award for Fiction), here Antsy faces a new challenge: his high school classmate Gunnar Umlaut announces he suffers from Pulmonary Monoxic Systemia and has just six months to live, and Antsy wants to do something for him. He offers to give Gunnar a month of his life, and the touching gesture takes off. Soon all his classmates, and even the principal and teachers, are filling out forms Antsy has created to donate months from their lives, too. Then Antsy, who has started dating Gunnar's stunning sister, realizes that Gunnar isn't actually dying, and that there's something sadly amiss with Gunnar's family. It takes a near-tragedy in Antsy's own family, when his stressed-out restaurant-owner father needs emergency bypass surgery, to bring events to a head. Luckily, Antsy's dumping ice water over the head of a rude but famous patron at the restaurant has unexpected happy consequences. This lively, funny tale about trading time can stand on its own for those who haven't read the earlier book. Antsy is a wonderful narrator, and the story is full of comic asides; characters like cool Skaterdud and always-moaning Aunt Mona, along with cranky millionaire Mr. Crawley and his granddaughter Lexie, add flavor. The insights about friendship and family give this entertaining comic novel some weight, too. Reviewer: Paula RohrlickVOYA -
Good news: Antsy Bonano of The Schwa Was Here (Dutton, 2004/VOYA October 2004) is back. The difficult-to-see Schwa is replaced this time with an _mlaut-high school freshman Gunnar _mlaut, who announces on Thanksgiving Day that he has only six months to live. In an effort to bolster Gunnar's spirits, Antsy impulsively writes his classmate a contract giving Gunnar a month of his own life. Gunnar is pleased, but, even better, his older sister (a Swedish goddess) Kjersten gives Antsy a kiss that is caught on film by the school's photographer. As the buying-time movement swings up and out of control, Antsy begins to see that Gunnar's dysfunctional family is part of the problem-or perhaps the cause of the problem. Antsy tries to figure out what to do while his own family struggles with their new Italian-French restaurant that the ever-grumpy and very rich Mr. Crawley owns. But with tenacity and the help of Lexie and Crawley, Antsy and his family land on their feet while Gunnar finds a new lease on life. Shusterman creates a delightful Everyguy in Antsy. He is hilarious, awkward, and frustrated but always genuine. With the loveable cast of characters behind him, including Ansty's unforgettable family and his friends Ira, Howie, Skaterdud (the e appropriately fell off), and Lexie, this book is wonderfully readable and laugh-out-loud funny. At the same time, it examines some serious questions about life, love, family, and how valuable time with family can be. Junior high students looking for a fun, thoughtful story need look no further. Reviewer: Mary Ann DarbySchool Library Journal
Gr 7-10
In this sequel to The Schwa Was Here (Dutton, 2004), Brooklynite Antsy Bonano, 14, finds another peculiar friend, a Swedish import named Gunnar Ümlaut. When a balloon from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade gets away, Antsy and his friends Howie and Ira head into Manhattan to follow the debacle. On the way, they run into their classmate Gunnar. Watching the catastrophe unfold, he confides to Antsy that he's been "coming to disasters" lately, and that he's dying of Pulmonary Monoxic Systemia. Gunnar says he has only six months to live, so Antsy gives him one of his own, drawing up a legal-looking document, and, before he knows it, the whole school's giving Gunnar months of their lives. Spending more time at Gunnar's house, Antsy falls for his friend's older sister, and also notices that things seem off. Gunnar's obsession with his presumed imminent death is largely ignored. When Antsy discovers that Gunnar is not going to die, that he was "diagnosed" by a fake online doctor, he wonders why the boy lied. As Antsy uncovers the truth-that Gunnar's dad has gambled away the family's money and they're headed back to Sweden-he learns more about the meaning of the time you have on Earth. This novel is as cleverly plotted and well paced as The Schwa ; it is brimming with amusing secondary characters and situations that add depth and interest. Fans won't be disappointed, and newcomers won't have any problem jumping right in.-Jennifer Barnes, Homewood Library, IL