Here's a slim novella that clocks in at 121 pages and, with chapters averaging about three pages each, it's an easy choice for reluctant male readers. After his grim pronouncement at his father's funeral, "Hercules" Martino is forced to spend the last two weeks of summer with his uncle in Baltimore who gives him twelve tasks to keep him busy. ( )

Some funny moments but not terribly original. ( )

Herc's dad died recently, and while Herc is the first to admit that his dad--a Dr. Phil-type self-help guru--was an ass, he's been a pain in the ass to his mom ever since. She sends Herc off to spend the last two weeks of the summer with his uncle in Baltimore. The uncle gives him a list of 12 tasks, one for each day he'll be there, to keep him from getting bored. And in the process of finishing the tasks, Herc learns a lot about himself and about his family.

Great that it's so short and thus a good choice for reluctant readers, but I do wish we'd seen more--the characters don't really have the time they need to develop; Herc's poor relationship with his father is explained in a short paragraph but we don't really get a lot of evidence. Pretty much all we know of Herc's mom is that she sends him to his uncle and calls a lot (though Herc never picks up).

So, I dunno. I can see appeal, but I wanted far more than this slim little story could deliver. ( )

After a number of picture books, James Proimos tries his hand at a young adult novel. I've looked at several of his previous works, Todd's TV, Paulie Pastrami, and the ever-popular Swim Swim, so I thought I'd pick this up.

I was first impressed by the length. Not many young adult authors can limit themselves to 121 pages, especially in this day of endless door-stopper series. And yet, so many middle schoolers (high schoolers just don't read) refuse to read these lengthy tomes. So, I was inclined to be pleased.

And pleased I was. This wasn't my usual kind of story; Hercules Martino has been sent to spend two weeks with his bachelor Uncle Anthony, the most boring man alive. Hercules dad has just died. Everyone thinks he was wonderful - Herc thinks otherwise. In just a week, with Uncle Anthony's boredom-preventing list, he will meet Strange Beautiful Unattainable Woman, get chased by dogs, eat at a homeless shelter, read Winnie-the-Pooh, shovel horse manure (or at least that was the original idea), and start to come to terms with his father's death and his own life.

This story is funnier than it sounds and more serious than you expect. If fits a lot into a little. Half the story is left untold, but the book tells more story than you would think possible.

[Yes, I am listening to Terry Pratchett at the moment]

Teens looking for funny, heartfelt, or "I have a report due tomorrow" will scoop this slim volume off the shelf and they won't be disappointed.

Verdict: Proimos' young adult debut is unconventional, interesting, well-written, and unique. There's a few mild instances of bad language and an oblique reference to sex which is later specified. I'd recommend this to older teens and/or reluctant readers.

ISBN: 9781596435957; Published November 2011 by Roaring Brook Press; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library

It’s not often that you see a short story being sold among the hyped godzillas of YA books. At 128 pages long, and taking only a few minutes to read, 12 THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU CRASH AND BURN is almost a respite from the books that take days to read and zap you off all your happiness with their sad tales of woe. Although it is short, this book is packed full of humor and wit, more than you would expect for a book with roughly 12,000 words.

This book was short, so oddly for me, this review will be short, too. This is the story of Hercules Martino, a kid who has just lost his famous father (a self-help book author) and has been told by his mother to spend the last two weeks of his summer with his uncle in Baltimore. His uncle gives him a list of 12 things to do – things like have a mission, find the best pizza place, go on job interviews, and so forth. His mission to complete every step is comic and full of zingers and fun events, as well as some minor heartbreak, all in the course of just a few short pages.

Hercules has a number of things to deal with – death, life, family, friends, love. On the train, he meets the girl of his dreams and we spend most of the book learning more about this hopeless crush and the girl he’s smitten with. Some of the tasks end up done the right way, some are totally forgotten, but the path he takes to discovering himself and learning more about living life to the fullest is quirky and interesting.

I enjoyed learning more about Hercules, even though his narration took a few chapters to get used to. I think maybe the author was trying too hard to find that all too important teen voice, but once he hit his stride, it might not have been the most believable but it was passing and interesting. His experiences are totally unlike anything that ever happened to me! Losing books leading to strange encounters with homeless men and angry cousins, horses and pizza, baseball and realizing that first impressions aren’t everything.

This book will definitely appeal to hesitant teenage male readers. It’s short and it has a protagonist that boys can definitely identify with. And it’s really funny, to boot. If you have a reluctant boy on your hands, try this book on him – he might enjoy it! I just wish there had been more to the story. It seemed short, and getting into the mind of Hercules more would have helped his case as a protagonist.

VERDICT: Short and sweet (by sweet, I mean devilish and hilarious), 12 THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU CRASH AND BURN is an interesting take on the mind of a teenage boy – and you can finish it in only a few minutes! ( )