HERO-TYPE

Kevin Ross, aka Kross, receives a key to the small town of Brookdale and a free car from the mayor for heroically rescuing his schoolmate (and crush) from the hands of a murderer. His status goes from hero to goat, however, when news spreads that he removed the “Support our troops” magnets from the car he received. What follows is a nearly browbeating study of patriotism and freedom of speech. The story takes quite a while to get going, but Lyga rambles well. In fact, it’s his keen sense of teenage boy-dom that keeps the plot from getting too weighty: Kross and his friends all have code names and are part of a club called The Fools that has a goofy dedication to activism and hijinks. Even flag-burning becomes a madcap adventure instead of a heavy-handed mission. Still, the seams that hold this tale together are glaringly obvious and may limit the audience. The message, though important, is more than clear; readers will really have to love the characters to see it through to the end. (Fiction. YA)