LitPick Review
Does catching bank robbers, discovering ancient Chinese tunnels, and making sacrifices for your best friends sound appealing? Then pick up a copy of "Project Sweet Life" by Brent Hartinger. In Hartinger's novel, there are three main characters: Dave, Victor, and Curtis. Dave is the narrator and the one who always seems to be caught in the middle of his two best friends' vastly different personas. Victor is the somewhat shy and geeky guy who has a rational line of thinking, Curtis on the other hand is loud and outgoing, possibly a compulsive liar, and doesn't think sensibly at all. The phrase "opposites attract" is much in play in the relationship between these three guys. The story begins when the three boys are put to the test when their hardworking fathers want them to get summer jobs. At only fifteen years old, and they couldn't be less excited. Then Curtis hatches a plan that involves lying to their parents by pretending they have summer jobs when they most certainly don't. Though Dave and Victor are hesitant to lie about something so big, they end up obliging to Curtis's persuasion. The big problem is though, that they need to raise a reasonable sum of $7,000.00 to convince their parents that they spent the summer frying chicken, saving drowning kids, and mowing the putting green. That plan then becomes known as Project Sweet Life. The rest of the story plays out in their schemes to try and get that money.
Opinion:
I must say that when I first saw the book on the review list, I didn't give it much hope. And now I feel ashamed, because Project Sweet Life was definitely well- worth reading In fact, it's in my top ten favorites! Probably what I enjoyed the most about the book was that Hartinger didn't make the plot and characters unbelievable. He sprinkled in the perfect amount of drama, detail, and individuality that make a great read. I can honestly say that from page one I could totally relate, and that I got lost in Dave, Curtis, and Victor's escapades in Tacoma, Washington. In a way, the book was like one big treasure hunt. Dave's narration was definitely funny on some parts, and so relatable and down to Earth, not pretentious like a lot of characters are today. If there were any flaws with the book, believe me I'd tell you, but Hartinger wrote a great book that had me enticed from start to finish, and saddened me to read the closing paragraph; therefor, saying there were any flaws would make me Curtis-like. Thank you, Mr. Hartinger for giving me a very sweet read. If we're doing stars, then Project Sweet Life most definitely deserves 5/5. If you like adventure, friendship, humor, and a splash of irony, then please, definitely check out Project Sweet Life by Brent Hartinger; you will not regret it.