Freaked

March 2, 2009
It's 1993, and there's a lot going wrong in Scotty Loveletter's life. His goldfish has died, his well-known sex-therapist mother is considering posing for Playboy, his stepfather is getting ready to fly the coop and he's stuck at a "last-resort" boarding school. Scotty's one consolation (besides copious amounts of drugs): the music of his idols, Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead. "I have lived my life according to all the rules of Jerryism. I have shared my women (if my mother counts) and I have shared my wine (sometimes out the car window or all over my shirt and shoes)." When his drug-dealing roommate whisks him and a "townie" classmate away to attend Jerry's Freedom Concert on Long Island, Scotty has little idea of the adventures that are in store, which include being ditched at Grand Central Terminal and getting into the concert without a ticket. Dutton's debut will appeal most to readers who share Scotty's taste in music and recreation. Others may find the rambling narrative, 1990s setting and references, and over-the-top antics hard to get into. Ages 14-up.

June 1, 2009
Gr 10 Up-This debut novel takes place over 24 hours in 1993, as sophomore Scotty Loveletter makes his way from Stillwater Academy in Connecticut to a Grateful Dead concert in nearby Freedom, NY. He and his drug-dealing roommate start out together, but then Todd abandons him in Grand Central Station, and he makes his way on his own. Subplots involving Scotty's unresolved emotions for his soon-to-be ex-stepfather and his collapsing friendship with Todd (symbolized by a handgun the boys wield with impunity) add tension but ultimately go nowhere. Pervasive drug use and references, raw language, and some callous references to homosexuality make this title appropriate only for older teens. However, they may not relate to the Dead Head culture, particularly references to Jerry Garcia's allure, song lyrics, and bootleg tapes. Most troublingly, the novel glorifies drug culture and Scotty's irresponsible ways. He claims to seek the "karmic serenity" of Jerry Garcia, but he belittles, frightens, or inconveniences everyone he meets along the way. "Freaked" aims to be a "Catcher in the Rye" at a Dead show, but unfortunately this long, strange trip is just a muddle."Amy Pickett, Ridley High School, Folsom, PA"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2009
Grades 11-1 Stuck in an elite Connecticut boys boarding school in 1993, sophomore Scotty is struggling and his G.P.A. sucks. The kids call him Loveletter, since his mom is a famous sex therapist who writes about oral and anal sex. The only way Scotty can cope is to smoke more dope and take more drugs, and acid is his bridge over troubled water. His hero is Jerry Garcia, and Scotty takes off with his drug-dealing roommate on a New York trip to a Grateful Dead concert. More situation than story, this debut novel is much too long and repetitive. What is great is the fast, wry first-person commentary, whether about Mom (I personally would like to see her in an apron, rather than nothing at all), meaning (Who really has the luxury of life with a purpose?), or fighting back (My survival skills amounted to the fetal position). As for the acid, the trips are hard and sad.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2009
Sent to a last-chance boarding school in 1993, Scotty is far more interested in the Grateful Dead and getting high than his studies. The possible publication of his mother's Playboy centerfold photo and the loss of another stepdad adds to Scotty's aimlessness. The story builds to Scotty's attendance at one of the last Grateful Dead concerts; it's a long, strange trip.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)