Wild Thing.

Liz Dennett is a public service librarian in the Science and Technology
Library at the University of Alberta.

David A. Poulsen has created a new series based on the lives of students attending Lawrence High, a sports-focused school. The first book in the series features Marcel Boileau, whom everyone calls French. He plays football, and he and his friends do not like the new guy on team, W.T. Zahara, who is more hippy musician than serious football player. The second book is focused on Marcel’s friend, Curt, a hockey player who goes out on a blind date with Judy, who is actually blind. Curt quickly realizes that he has a lot in common with her, but Judy is mixed up with some bad people and seems unwilling to get involved with him.

The books are entertaining and fast-paced with likeable and non-stereotypical characters. However, a bizarre plot similarity between the two books where both the main protagonists end up in the hospital after being beaten up by a group of thugs (different thugs in each book but similarly blood-thirsty) makes one wonder if this is the author’s idea of an everyday high school experience and prevents me from recommending the books more strongly. Recommended with reservations.