Antsy Does Time

Starred review from September 1, 2008
Gr 7-10-In this sequel to "The Schwa Was Here" (Dutton, 2004), Brooklynite Antsy Bonano, 14, finds another peculiar friend, a Swedish import named Gunnar Ümlaut. When a balloon from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade gets away, Antsy and his friends Howie and Ira head into Manhattan to follow the debacle. On the way, they run into their classmate Gunnar. Watching the catastrophe unfold, he confides to Antsy that he's been "coming to disasters" lately, and that he's dying of Pulmonary Monoxic Systemia. Gunnar says he has only six months to live, so Antsy gives him one of his own, drawing up a legal-looking document, and, before he knows it, the whole school's giving Gunnar months of their lives. Spending more time at Gunnar's house, Antsy falls for his friend's older sister, and also notices that things seem off. Gunnar's obsession with his presumed imminent death is largely ignored. When Antsy discovers that Gunnar is not going to die, that he was "diagnosed" by a fake online doctor, he wonders why the boy lied. As Antsy uncovers the truththat Gunnar's dad has gambled away the family's money and they're headed back to Swedenhe learns more about the meaning of the time you have on Earth. This novel is as cleverly plotted and well paced as "The Schwa"; it is brimming with amusing secondary characters and situations that add depth and interest. Fans won't be disappointed, and newcomers won't have any problem jumping right in."Jennifer Barnes, Homewood Library, IL"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 1, 2008
The wisecracking teenage Brooklynite introduced in Shustermans award-winning The Schwa Was Here (2004) takes a second ride on the emotional roller coaster in this equally screwball sequel. When classmate Gunnar mlaut announces that he is going to die in six months from a rare disease, Antsy Bonnano prints up a formal contract that signs over a month of his own life to his gloomy buddy. This impulsive gesture of comfort unexpectedly nets Antsy a series of dates with Gunnars hot older sister Kjerstenbut also takes on a life of its own when everyone who finds outabout the good deed wants to get into the act. Meanwhile, Antsy and his closest friend (and ex-girlfriend), blind Lexie, plot to kidnap Lexies irascible grandpa Creepy Crawley (again), and Antsys father works his way toward heart-attack country struggling to get the Bonnano familys new restaurant on its feet. Featuring a terrific supporting cast led by Antsys wise, acerbic mother, an expert blend of comedy and near tragedy, and the wry observations of a narrator whose glib tongue and big heart are as apt to get him into trouble as out of it, this will keep tween readers hooked from start to finish.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2009
After learning that his friend Gunnar has a fatal disease, Antsy Bonano (The Schwa Was Here) "gives" Gunnar a month of his life. The idea catches on, but the problem is that Gunnar's not actually sick. The book's many strands don't quite weave together, but Antsy remains a fresh and winning amalgam of smart aleck and schlemiel.

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

September 1, 2008
Antsy Bonano, wisecracking hero of The Schwa Was Here, returns with another goodhearted, if peculiar, scheme. When he learns that his friend Gunnar is suffering from a fatal disease, Antsy creates a document in which he "gives" Gunnar a month of his life, a symbolic gesture of support. The idea catches on, and as other students, teachers, and community members begin to bestow the gift of time, it all turns into a huge media event. The problem -- and we likely saw it coming as soon as we learned that the illness was Pulmonary Monoxic Systemia -- is that Gunnar is not actually sick. What can Antsy do to stop the media machine; what should he do? Subplots, some of which link us to Schwa, include a tragedy involving a giant inflatable raccoon, the gambling addiction of Gunnar's father, an extremely nasty aunt, Antsy's new girlfriend, and the trials of the Bonano family restaurant. All this hectic action hits a brick wall when Antsy's father has a heart attack and lands in the hospital. These many strands don't quite weave together, but Antsy remains a fresh and winning amalgam of smart aleck and schlemiel. (And those who liked the diacritic element of Schwa will be pleased to know that Gunnar's last name is mlaut.)

(Copyright 2008 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)