Noggin by John Corey Whaley

 

In the near future, cryogenic advances allow the reanimation of frozen heads. If you can put aside the believability of that, you can see how the topic is ripe for a bit of teenage angsty fiction.

When Travis decides to put his head into storage only a moment passes before he wakes up in his new body.  Sounds simple, right?  Nope.  A few moments for him was actually 5 years for everyone else.  He wakes up still sixteen, but his best friend is 21.  And so is his girlfriend.  How do you pick up when the rest of the world is five years ahead of you?

Travis is self-centered and impulsive.  He complains about the agony of school and the challenge of making new friends.  He sounds like a real teenager.  And while he is truly grateful for his new life, he’s more than a little freaked out.

Lots of strong writing in this one.  I liked that way the last of line of a chapter turns into the title of the next chapter. This is a witty book; scenes involving the ashes of his first body are priceless. The author does a fine job of building a supporting cast of multi-dimensional character including Travis’ parents and Beth’s parents.  Stellar characters include his goofy new friend Hatton and fellow reanimated guy Lawrence.  I had some concerns about the Kyle sub plot (I don’t want to do a spoiler so I will be vague).  I’m not sure it was totally necessary, but it was handled well.

I think this book will appeal to both male and female readers from middle school to high school.

And, a book trailer for your viewing pleasure!