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Critics' Opinion:
Readers' Opinion:
First Published:
Oct 2001, 227 pages
Paperback:
May 2003, 256 pages
A funny, thoughtful novel that takes on some sophisticated issues such as celebrity worship, consumerism and the way multinational corporations shape our lives. Ages 12-up.
Josh Swensen is not your average 17-year-old. At the age of two, he was figuring out algebraic equations with colored magnetic numbers. He is a prodigy who only wants to make the world a better place. Josh’s wish comes true when his virtual alter ego, Larry, becomes a huge media sensation. Larry has his own Web site where he posts sermons on anti-consumerism and has a large following of adults and teens. Meanwhile, Larry’s identity is a mystery to everyone. While it seems as if the whole world is trying to figure out Larry’s true identity, Josh feels trapped inside his own creation. What will happen to the world, and to Larry, if he is exposed?
Part One
"I haven’t enjoyed a rant this much since Thoreau," Beth said. "We need people stirring up the way we think about things."
My best friend, Beth, was trying to talk me into forming a Larry study group with her. His Web site - www.thegospelaccordingtolarry.com - received hundreds of hits a day, mostly from teens and college students. No one knew Larry’s identity, and that conjecture alone was the source of several companion Web sites. Many kids at school were fans, but Beth was rabid.
"Josh, I know neither one of us has ever joined a club in our life," she said. "But that’s precisely why we should."
I tried to listen to the details of her story, I really did, but there is something about Beth’s mouth that gets in the way of paying attention to its contents. She often wore a certain brown lipstick and outlined the edges of her lips with this pencil she carried in her bag. Every time she talked, it was like this pale chocolate snowcone staring up at ...
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