YA Pick: I Have a Bad Feeling About This

I Have a Bad Feeling About This
by Jeff Strand
Sourcebooks Fire
2014
242 pages
ISBN: 9781402284557

Hilarious, wry, sardonic, and off the charts witty, I Have a Bad Feeling About This proves yet again that Jeff Strand is the funniest YA writer in the business. Strand shows off his fierce sarcasm through his characters' dialog.

Geeky, skinny Henry is shipped away to a survival camp to "make him a man." His father sees a promotional video featuring a pumped up drill sergeant type instructor who will train young boys to become men, and decides this is just what young Henry needs.  Strongwoods Survival Camp is out in the wilderness near a forest. To say that the  camp is "rustic" is an understatement--rustic with really bad food. Henry bunks with four other unhappy boys who are there against their will. The boys form a loose alliance against Max, the evil drill sergeant.

Max confiscates the boys' cell phones and electronics. From then on, there will  be survival skills only. No outside world. No music. No television. No Internet. No gaming. The boys better pay attention to their survival skills lessons--no telling when they might really need them.

When several nefarious thugs show up at camp, Henry realizes it's them against the thugs. He musters all the courage he can and looks for the boys to help save themselves. What ensues is comic and tragic. Strand can make the most unfortunate situation hilarious. Fighting off armed criminals is not that funny...unless it's told by Jeff Strand.

Readers who enjoy laughing out loud and sarcastic banter will love I Have a Bad Feeling About This.
The cover art is spot on for this book. Clever packaging helps sell this one.

Highly, highly recommended grade 7-up. Violence and hilarious shenanigans.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)