By Todd Morning

Nineteen-year-old Vizzini has the advantage of being able to write about his junior-high and high-school years (he was mostly the nerdy, sf-fan type) from close range. He also displays a mature and ironic detachment as he describes his experiences. He bases each chapter on a usually small incident. His writing style is breezy, often funny, and genuine, although occasionally the humor seems forced. The short explanatory comments in the margins (like the pop-ups on VH1 videos) add to the relaxed tone. Teens are sure to find much that is familiar in these recollections; older readers will find frequent reminders of why it’s good to be out of high school.