JACK TUMOR

Sarcastic, goofy D-lister Hector Brundy needs a makeover. His consultant? A talking brain tumor named Jack who’s full of advice on what to wear, how to talk to girls and other important activities that boys need to learn. Jack’s recommendations grow more dangerous as the tumor in Heck’s head worsens. McGowan’s jokey sense of humor outweighs his other writing abilities in every sense. If teen readers can wrap their head around his bizarre and frankly ridiculous plot, they’ll definitely get a taste of raucous, uncouth, sidesplitting and occasionally gross-out humor that should keep them snickering for weeks. Heck and his band of dopey friends, whose hilarious nicknames feel straight out of Superbad, feel fully conceived in their raw, teenage-boy essence. A British import, the narrative contains many references that American teens might not understand, but who cares with a concept like this? Lots of laughs but little else. (Fiction. YA)