The Other Normals

The fate of two worlds is dependent on Perry’s first kiss.

Perry Eckert is a nerdy teenager without any friends. His parents communicate with each other exclusively through their lawyers, and his brother is a cool musician headed down a not-so-cool path of addiction.

Perry’s sole refuge is the role playing game Creatures & Caverns and even that his has to do alone, until he meets Sam. Sam becomes a real friend to Perry, so he is distraught when his parents finally unite to ship him off to summer camp. But there is more to summer camp than meets the eye when a secluded mushroom patch in the woods turns out to be a gateway to a parallel universe and Perry finds himself thrust into an adventure even greater than the ones he imagines.

Vizzini captures the voice of a completely socially inept, geeky kid perfectly, with many scenes making you laugh and cringe at the same time. Recommended for fans of Going Bovine by Libba Bray and other misfits on quests stories.