WTF

Publishers Weekly

Action-packed from first page to last, this contemporary tale of a “deal-gone-wrong” rotates among six New York teenagers, including Cam, the instigator of a plan to sell drugs at a suburban party; Byron, his partner in crime; and Jimmy, who's just looking for a good time. The first stroke of bad fortune occurs when the boys' car crashes into a deer. Presuming Cam to be dead, his companions flee and are eventually separated. From that point on, Byron, Jimmy, and Cam (who survives with only minor injuries) embark on very different adventures, with danger and surprises around nearly every corner. The book's message, which remains hazy until the last few pages when ironies come to light, is overshadowed by bizarre events—cat-and-mouse chases, miraculous recoveries, convoluted plot twists, and farfetched confrontations. Lerangis (the Drama Club series) particularly delights in metaphor—one character's Long Island accent is “thick as Manischewitz,” and the boys' ill-fated car “was a big What's-Wrong-with-This scenario.” But while suspenseful, the book comes off as gimmicky, straining too hard to be hip. Both the characters and their motives remain underdeveloped. Ages 14–up. (Nov.)

Booklist

When a deer crashes through a windshield, it is only the first of many inexplicable (or "wtf") moments experienced during a long night in New York City for six teens from a prep school involved in a drug sale destined for disaster. That the "drugs" are really generic aspirin and that several want out of the business makes the evening even more surreal. Relationships shift and change as much as the narrators and the time frame -- each chapter identifies the narrator and the date and time, and there are some flashbacks and peeks ahead to keep readers on their toes. The patchwork image on the cover hints at plot points, and teens will be eager to see how Lerangis stitches them all together. The title reflects the hip and foul language of the very believable, smart urban teens, and the event-filled chases through the streets of Manhattan will remind readers of Rachel Cohn and David Levithan's Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist (2006). An epilog provides details about what's next for each of these memorable characters.
—Cindy Dobrez

VOYA - Melissa Moore

Jimmy, Cam, and Byron are on their way to a party in a "borrowed" car when a deer appears from nowhere and changes their lives forever. Cam is left for dead because Jimmy fears being caught for driving without a license and Byron is worried about the drugs in his pocket, which must make it to a contact at the party, no matter what. The cops want to talk to Jimmy and to the drug supplier, Waits, but Waits is on the run from his mob connection and inadvertently involves Reina, Cam's girlfriend. Everything comes to a head at an all-night club owned by Reina's cousin. Written in ever-widening circles and loops, this novel's structure nearly becomes a character in its own right, lending an unpredictability and urgency to the events. The pacing of the story is well done, and when a chapter moves back to another character in a different place, clues help the reader to switch gears. The story takes place predominantly on one night (with only a few necessary flashbacks), making the read compulsive and surreal. Male and female characters from a variety of backgrounds will give the book broad appeal, perhaps especially to reluctant readers. Sex, drugs, and strong language are prevalent—as might be supposed by the title—along the lines of a Chris Crutcher book, giving an air of realism to a horrifying night. Reviewer: Melissa Moore

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up—Shortly after nine p.m. on a Friday evening in October, things fall apart for six young adults tangled together by drug deals, debts, and greed. The cinematic narrative flashes forward and back and alternates among the various characters' viewpoints over the course of one night. Lerangis's novel demonstrates how one stupid decision can have a wicked snowball effect that leaves everyone asking, "WTF"? Except that, more times than not, the acronym is not used. Fans of David Levithan and Rachel Cohn's Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist (Knoft, 2006) will appreciate this even faster paced, smart-aleck-toned partying misadventure, and the steady action and short chapters will appeal to reluctant readers. The only real downfall is the enigmatic ending. Fortunately, the epilogue, which reads like a movie postscript, more than makes up for that flaw.—Terri Clark, Smoky Hill Library, Centennial, CO

Kirkus Reviews

Their party plans derailed after their car hits a deer, Jimmy and Byron leave their friend Cam for dead (he's not, really) in the driver's seat only to find themselves headed back into New York to hit up an exclusive nightclub with gatecrasher MC tagging along. Meanwhile Reina finds herself drawn to the same club in an effort to escape Waits, a prep-school burnout turned drug dealer. When the six acquaintances finally collide, the drama continues to unfold with rapid-fire chapter and perspective changes. Choppy editing and frantic pacing create the unwelcome sensation of reading at light speed. All the plot threads, from Cam's assumed demise to Waits's drug dealing to MC's drive to party, tie up in a saccharine knot, leaving readers with a forced and simple resolution. Lerangis's diction is adult, and those moments where he attempts teen speak are glaringly obvious. A miss. (Fiction. YA)

Children's Literature - Naomi Butler

One Plan, Two Parties, Six Players: Jimmy the driver, Cam the disconnect, Byron the know-it-all, Waits the supplier, Reina the conscience, and MC the crasher. On one Friday night these six will test their limits to the extreme. Some are driven by lust, others by greed. One just wants to have fun, and another desires to be free. If everything goes as planned, they all get what they want, but within twenty-four hours, bones will break, bodies will touch, hearts will race, guns will be drawn, and everything will go very wrong. It is action-packed story about teenagers and a drug deal that goes wrong. They hit a tree and everyone flees, and they are separated. Somewhat suspenseful, the book has problems with the characters and problems in coming-together. Some of it is bizarre and some hard-to-follow. Some may think it is thrilling suspenseful and some too gimmicky. The cover and other format is certainly inviting even though it predicts the gruesome tale. Reviewer: Naomi Butler