Josh is almost 17, girlfriendless, low on cash, and dreaming of becoming a metal god. He and his similarly date-challenged friends are just trying to get through the school year without being derailed by low self-esteem (Davey), poor grades (Ollie), or a humongous gay-chat-room bill (Peter). As Josh stumbles from minor triumph to humorous humiliation and back again, he manages to be both blithely generous and blindingly insensitive, sticking up for his mostly mean older sister one day and making hurtful comments about Davey's weight the next. In other words, a pretty realistic teen boy. There's plenty of humor, as well as some drama, as Josh deals with his unusually strict widowed mother. Though a bolt-from-the-blue ending is a bit unbelievable, overall, it's an affable book, and the dated journal entries add a nice touch of authenticity. Typical teenage profanity is hidden behind asterisks, and a year-end party is the only instance of drinking. Fans of Don Calame's Beat the Band series and Brent Crawford's Carter books will recognize and enjoy Josh and his friends.

Sixteen-year-old Josh is self-absorbed and sexually frustrated. When given a journal, he writes about his life of woe; his ferret, Ozzy; his three friends, one of whom is "almost certainly gay"; and his desperate need to find a girlfriend. Josh's brand of self-deprecation is grating, and what could be humorous is instead irritating as he ignorantly fumbles his way through delicate social situations.

Gr 10 Up-Josh Walker wishes he could be in an amazing metal band, find a girl to kiss, and get his mom to ease up on her lecturing. Unfortunately, none of those ideas seem like realistic possibilities right now. He vents about all of these issues in a blank book his mother gave him for Christmas. He also relays stories about his after-school job, the time he spends with a local neighbor who may have more ties to his family than Josh suspects, and his numerous adventures with his misfit friends. Unfortunately, the promising concept of a young man finding his voice through journaling is wasted in this confusing, poorly structured novel. Josh's journal entries are frequently short, perhaps to appeal to reluctant readers, but this makes it hard for readers to connect with the narrative and the narrator. Though Buckle seems to be aiming for older readers, Josh's voice sounds much younger; for instance he only ever writes "f