freak magnet

Twitchy Charlie Wyatt, obsessed with astronomy and superheroes, is a self-proclaimed freak, and Glory Aboud suspects she possesses a certain magnetism that attracts freaks. The story of how these two very different teenagers meet, move through attraction on his part and initial distaste on hers, and finally connect is told in alternate chapters in this charming and clever novel. What appears to be a rather typical novel of freaks, geeks, slackers, and rebellious teens becomes a small gem of a story in which a talented author reveals hidden layers of his characters. The too-small Superman costume Charlie wears beneath his clothes is a far better fit than the smiley-face badge forming part of his uniform as a clerk at Family Friends Pharmacy. Charlie needs to be a superhero to cope with his mother's terminal illness, and the badge is no help. Glory ("the world's most beautiful woman") seems the answer to all his prayers. In spite of the advice of his friend Edison to stop and consider the outcome ("You have a tendency to go all Charlie around strangers."), Charlie begins his somewhat misguided pursuit of his ideal girl, one burdened with her own secret sorrow. After a leisurely start, Freak Magnet assumes the breakneck momentum of one of Charlie's beloved comets. Rapidly, each chapter peels back another layer of personality, moving closer to the core of loss and pain locked inside each protagonist. Recommend this moving and delightful novel to older teens. Reviewer: Jamie S. Hansen