Printz Honor Award 2015
Austin Szerba is a historian. It is his job to tell the truth about how and why things happened. He is also a sixteen year old boy stuck in the middle of nowhere Iowa with a menial job, a great girlfriend who he loves, and an awesome best friend who is gay that he may also love. Austin writes the history of his family, starting with his great-great grandfather coming to America from Poland to his brother loosing his leg and testicles serving America in Afghanistan. Even though it might be hard or embarrassing he will tell the truth about loving both a boy and girl and being totally confused the entire time.
What he will especially tell the truth about is the end of the world that started when a strange blue mold infected just five people who then morphed into giant man eating pray mantises. As if being a teen wasn't difficult enough Austin, his girlfriend Shann, and best friend (boyfriend?) Robby are having to run from gigantic, killing, and now breeding six-foot-tall insects! As it becomes obvious Austin is now writing the history of the possible demise of humanity he and his friends must try to save themselves and as many others as possible.
Science fictions lovers unit! Fans of Kurt Vonnegut this book is for you! Teen angst mixes with man eating bugs? The history of a Polish immigrant coupled with sexual identities? This book is about EVERYTHING! Even after reading the front flap I didn't believe that I was really about to read one book about so many themes and topics. Yet here it is- Grasshopper Jungle. It appears I am not the only one, Andrew Smith has apparently been asked about this book more than most of his others. A short interview with him about this novel is below.
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