April 4, 2016
In a delightfully off-kilter high school comedy, Scottish musician and adult novelist David introduces Jack Dawson, a would-be Ferris Bueller. His latest moneymaking scheme is an app designed to keep kids from getting in trouble in school, but the only person Jack knows who can do the programming is Elsie, a deeply eccentric genius who hates Jack’s guts. Elsie wants something, though—a look at her secret crush, Drew, naked. Trying to make this happen, Jack seeks out Drew’s friend Yatesy, an art student who also hates Jack’s guts, but who is facing expulsion for fighting. Jack promises Yatesy he’ll find someone else to take the fall if—well, that’s where it gets complicated. Jack, a charming incompetent who seems destined to end up in the factory next to his Dad, is as incorrigible as he is optimistic. His plans are ridiculous, but they’re his, and there’s always another one. “Your mind is diseased,” Yatesy tells Jack at one point. “It’s a sewer. But I think I’m starting to like you.” Readers will find it hard to disagree. Ages 12–up. Agent: Joanna Swainson, Hardman & Swainson.
March 1, 2016
Gr 8 Up-Jack "the Jackdaw" Dawson is a 15-year-old "idea man." He has developed a reputation around school as a schemer. While sitting in science class, Jackdaw believes he has come up with "the Big One," an idea that will lead him to fame and fortune. Narrated by Jackdaw, this tale takes readers on an often humorous journey, as he attempts to align everything he needs to make his idea come to fruition. Young adults will find his tone authentic but may have trouble understanding the slang used in his regional dialect. While the title leads readers to believe the book will focus on the idea and how it causes Jackdaw's downfall, it instead focuses primarily on the events leading up to making the idea a reality. There are several characters presented; however, there is very little character development or backstory, which may leave some readers feeling disconnected from Jackdaw's struggles. A secondary plot in which the protagonist deals with the opposite expectations that his mother and father have for him after graduation provides some relatable drama, but a lack of resolution will leave some feeling jaded. VERDICT Those looking for realistic caper-style stories without a lot of backstory or fluff will enjoy this read.-Ashley Leffel, Griffin Middle School, Frisco, TX
Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
April 15, 2016
Fifteen-year-old Jack schemes to win the help of a classmate who distrusts him in this first offering for teens from Scottish musician and author David.A first-class daydreamer, gray-eyed, black-haired, presumably white Jack "The Jackdaw" Dawson is an ideas man. After being caught out for spacing out in class, he has an epiphany about how he and others can avoid this all-too-common predicament. The problem? He needs someone who can design a brilliant app he's dreamed up using a complex coding language, and the only one brainy enough is Elsie "Greensleeves" Green, a girl with a penchant for all things medieval and a serious dislike of Jack. This is the fairly simple premise behind what turns into a no-holds-barred madcap comedy involving an ever expanding cast of characters, as Jack cons one person and the next into his bidding. Jack's an interesting if not always entirely sympathetic character, with enough moral flexibility to think it's OK to sneak someone into a nude portrait-painting session so she may ogle the subject without his knowing. Witty U.K.-flavored phrases--Jack calls his parents' constant bickering the "Regular Madness"--will keep readers laughing, and the quick pacing assures they won't get bogged down with all the twists and turns.Funny but fluffy, this is an engaging diversion, if not a particularly memorable one. (Fiction. 14-18)
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May 15, 2016
Grades 9-12 High-schooler Jack Dawson is an ideas man, whether it's concocting a get-rich-quick scheme or insisting that others call him by a nickname he has given himself (The Jackdaw). His latest brilliant brainstorm starts with trying to convince oddball Elsie Green to program a cell phone app to prevent students from daydreaming in class. Of course, his ultimate goal is to profit mightily from the sale of his genius idea. Unfortunately, his plans go awry when Elsie makes her own demands in exchange for her help, sparking a tale of madcap mayhem that sucks in Jack's parents, his uncle, his cousin, and his entire school. David, cofounder of the band Belle & Sebastian, has woven a Rube Goldbergesque tale that moves at breakneck speed. Some readers may need patience at the beginning, due to the book's colloquial British vocabulary and relentless pace. However, Jack himselfequal parts Holden Caulfield and Tristram Shandyis a delightful maniac to follow, and David's panache with dialogue and situation comedy is on target.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)
January 1, 2017
Jack "The Jackdaw" Dawson is an ideas man. His latest scheme: an app that will prevent daydreaming teens from getting caught by their teachers. His efforts to convince quirky Elsie Green to code the app put him on the hook for a cascading series of favors. Convoluted but full of dry humor, David's YA debut features an enterprising underdog readers will root for.
(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)