LitPick Review
The whole downtown of Cornersville Trace is becoming a retail wasteland, full of heartless stores and indistinguishable fast food chains. The last decent place left in the Old Downtown is Sip, a flavorful coffee shop/teen hangout. As part of the school's gifted pool, Leon and his friends take on a self-initiated mission: to take down the new (and all too office-like) coffee shop, Wackfords, which endangers their favorite retreat, Sip. Along the way, the dynamic quartet faces various misadventures. Among these are an unsolicited crush, a quest to depress the gym teacher, and groping through the gray between friendship (with benefits), and full girlfriend/boyfriend status.
Opinion:
Selzer's writing style is fast paced and unpredictable, making the story a truly enjoyable read. Quirky characters and hilarious situations keep the reader hooked. The story is from Leon (a boy's) perspective, and is definitely appropriate for guys or girls. Overall, I give Pirates of the Retail Wasteland three thumbs-up, and recommend it to any high schooler who has ever felt a bit idiosyncratic. Do note that the narrative is brimming with upper-level vocabulary, and is thus more suited for advanced readers.
