The first notes I wrote down while reading Stoner and Spaz were “out of touch - old?” When I finished the book, I searched author Ron Koertge’s biography - yeah, turns out he’s in his seventies. So when he wrote Stoner and Spaz in 2002, he was at least 60. It shows.The title sums it up - there are two main characters. One, a hot mess of a girl named Colleen, is the stoner. The other, a boy named Ben who has cerebral palsy, is the spaz. Both are firmly on the outskirts of popularity in their high school. Let fate toss them together, and you have a very short YA novel that I just found out spawned a sequel I will not be reading.Ben is cut from a self-hatred-disguised-as-“plucky-sense-of-humor” mold similar to the narrator in Stuck in Neutral, Terry Trueman’s 2001 Printz Honor-winning novel about a teen boy with cerebral palsy. Indeed, there’s a blurb from Trueman on the back cover of Stoner and Spaz. Koertge’s tone is toned down some from Trueman’s tone, but they both kind of make you wonder if some of the derision directed toward the disabled comes not from the characters afflicted but from the authors themselves.*Ben is a cool kid, though - well, I mean, he’s an old adult’s idea of a cool kid. He actually is pretty funny about 50% of the time, he’s polite, intelligent, keeps out of trouble and has a passion for old movies. He knows intimately the same movies that a 60 year old probably would’ve enjoyed as a teenager, when they were new. That’s a win-win for you, author dude! High-five!Then there’s Colleen, who is equally plucky and intelligent but smokes pot all the time. Now, the author’s understanding of her characters is a little more murky, a little more Go Ask Alice. The weed makes her slutty, it makes her hate school, it makes her drink and do coke and black out and throw up everywhere. And this is interesting - Colleen is 16, and her drug of choice is one that no one has ever fatally overdosed from, a drug that’s practically legal. But instead of just smoking it and getting high, she uses AA terminology to describe it. She is “using” grass. She is a “user.” Usually, by the time you know that phrase and work it into your vocabulary, you’re a lot older (maybe, like, 60 or something), and you’re into addiction a lot deeper than just some weed.The first and second act of the book are still rather entertaining, and they move quick. It’s the third act where everything starts to ring as obviously inauthentic. There’s an older neighbor character, who seems like a total snotty bitch at first but ends up being quite cool (as many 60 years olds are - message!). She makes documentary movies. She thinks Ben should make a documentary movie. Ben does. And, in a book this short, we get play-by-plays of her movie and his movie. His movie’s not that good, and it doesn’t seem real, but it’s a relief to find out later that at least the book knows that.(view spoiler)[The ending is a shrug, and it left me with these questions - was I ever invested in Colleen? Or just the banter? Was Ben invested in Colleen, or the idea of a girlfriend? Was Colleen a slave to the plot arc, or did she actually turn out to be a piece of shit? Now that Ben’s got some self-esteem and Colleen still doesn’t, is she just a bigger loser and therefore beneath him? In the end, did she just choose drugs over a relationship? If so, I’ve done that, but in hindsight neither the drugs or the girl I ditched for the drugs was right for me. (hide spoiler)]
Stoner & Spaz is a wonderfully unapologetic and brash contemporary study about well... two self-explanatory characters. Spaz is Ben Bancroft, an uptight, Grandmother-raised boy who is nicknamed so because of his cerebral palsy. Stoner is Collen Minou, the high school bad girl who is perpetually drugged out, hence the nickname.Told from Ben's point of view, the novel is primarily driven almost entirely via dialogue, which in this case, works really well because the dialogue is a joy to read - full of wry American humour. I could almost see one of those cool, talky-talk-talk indie movies playing in my head as I read this. Ben is withdrawn and all he knows about are old films, while Colleen is fairly clueless (but not dumb) so conversation between them would go something like this: Ben: Did you ever see My Left Foot?Colleen (Looks at his shoe)Ben: I mean the movie!Colleen: Those are fucked by the wayBen: My grandma buys my shoes okay?They initially meet in a run down movie theatre and their friendship/relationship blossoms from there, Colleen needing help with homework and Ben for the first time in his life is living it up as he hangs out with Collen in some well-set up scenarios. I love how the novel doesn't pass judgment, just presenting these two outcasts as an endearing dysfunctional pair. I absolutely adored Colleen and her awesome wardrobe which consists of fluro mini skirts and torn lace over Clash t-shirts.The (loose and not-really-that-existent) plot revolves around Ben wanting to make this student film about their high school, which I was yeah whatever with as I was pretty happy with the character study alone. I just wanted the relationship to take the necessary route, I would probably see some of the answers of the universe within its unfolding and think it beautiful and enough to be hunky dory.Unfortunately 2/3 of the way in, the wheels completely fall off this novel. The build-up and the story progression stops. In fact the novel seems to even stop reading like a novel. I would say that the last 1/3 of this book consists of what appears to be disconnected notes, unrelated scenes, jumps in time and rough sketches. I would go as far as to say that the last 1/3 reads like a draft and shouldn't have made it into published form. And the ending? I would criticise it for being poorly written, if I could actually make sense of what was actually happening. The ending took me entirely by surprise. So much so, I had flipped the page and was reading a plug for a different book and I thought I was still reading the novel!I have no idea what happened to such a promising story. I have noted that the publishing notes says part of the novel was published in anthology form - which may explain why the earlier chapters are much more polished. Maybe the author just quickly hashed up enough words to make a novel. I don't know.This novel deserves 2 stars because it badly needs an editor, but I am going to overlook that and give it 3 stars cos the writing is enjoyable and I really like the overall scope and what it’s trying to do.Will I read the sequel Now Playing: Stoner & Spaz II?I can’t think of anything witty to say, so I’ll just say no.I’m sorry Ron Koertge. Your writing is ace, but you need a new editor. Shoot the old one and we'll talk!
What do You think about Stoner & Spaz (2004)?
My 3rd book by Koertge. They were each really different and I totally enjoyed all three. This one I had heard about multiple times from students (book talks) and so had been wanting to read it for a while. Kellie handed it to me at the end of last semester, and I finally got to it last week - Feb vacation. Great characters, good storyline, fun and funny and bittersweet and painful, all at the same time. As i write that, I realize that is sort of a thread or theme with Koertge... esp with Shakespeare Bats Cleanup, maybe more than Margaux...
—Clarissa
This is a story about an unusual friendship between a lonely physically handicapped "spaz" whose grandmother makes him wear $70 Brooks Brothers shirts to school and a "stoner" party girl who'll "get high and do anything."Ron Koertge knows how people -- especially kids -- talk and, for me, hearing his characters' voices is the best part of any Koertge book.Ben (the "spaz" of the title, he is afflicted with cerebral palsy) is smart, funny, and charming, and when Colleen (the "stoner") tells him that half the girls in her rehab group want to be his girlfriend, I couldn't help but think, "If I were in high school, I'd wanna be his girlfriend too!"Colleen is also smart -- a fact that shines through her druggy haze -- as well as tough and fascinating. It's easy to see why Ben is drawn to her.I love the characterization of Ben's proper, uptight grandmother. She's prim without ever being a stereotype.As Ben and Colleen become friends, they help each other to see themselves more clearly. Colleen says Ben's wasted, atrophied arm is not so bad. Ben says Colleen's "ice-cream habit" is hurting her more than she realizes.And so Ben attempts to get to know more people at school, and Colleen checks into a rehab program. As they "stand up and fall down, stand up and fall down," as their friend Marcie says, which one of them will remain standing? Can their strange friendship survive?Check out this fast read to find out.
—Becky
Ben’s life has been tough to say the least. His parents are gone, he has Cerebral Palsy, and to say his grandmother is overprotective would be an understatement. Everyone treats him differently, except for Colleen. When he runs into her at an old movie theater, he tries to avoid her. Who wants to hang out with a drug addict anyway. The more she hangs around, the more he want to see her. She talks to him like he is normal, she touches him like he is normal, she just overall treats him like a normal 16 year old kid. Isn’t that what he has always wanted?This book was short, simple, and to the point, without being simple at all. The nuances of high school feelings and relationships are well thought out and documented, however, I wasn’t really drawn to the book. I wasn’t really into the characters, they were so extreme. I understand that the point is that very different people can relate and become friends. I also understand people exist that are similar to both of these characters. However, I am neither of them, and thus had a hard time relating. I also have a hard time of deciding who I would recommend the book. That being said, I know that the book has huge hype among teenagers. Next time I find one who loves it, I will be sure to pick their brain!
—Hilary
