My Rotten Life Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie

“My best friend and I used to have contests where we’d try to gross each other out. We don’t bother with that anymore. I can win every time, even when I’m not trying.” Nathan is not your ordinary ten year-old. At least, not after he gets doused with Hurt-Be-Gone.

Nathan Abercrombie lives a not-so-popular life. He is dissed by Shawna Lanchester in the cafeteria. She asks Nathan if he has heard of her popular Halloween party. (Of course he has!) Shawna smiles sweetly and drops the bomb, “You’re not invited.” The same day at school, Nathan is picked last for a team in gym class. (Of course he is!). Then Nathan loses awfully at a video game in front of his entire art class. (Of course he does!) Nathan doesn’t think the day can get any worse. He actually wishes he had sat on glue so all he’d have to do is “slip out of my pants and walk home in my underwear. That, I could handle.”

Nathan and his best friend Mookie meet up with their classmate Abigail who believes can help Nathan feel better. Her plan involves her eccentric uncle who has been working on a secret formula called Hurt-Be-Gone, “the world’s first all-natural, totally safe emotion killer. It takes only one tiny drop to wash away all your sorrows. We can even target specific hurts, or protect people from new ones.”

However, clumsy Mookie trips over his own shoelace and crashes into Abigail’s uncle who is holding the Hurt-Be-Gone. Nathan is doused with the formula and soon finds himself needing no sleep, no food, and feeling no pain.

What has happened to Nathan? Will he find a cure? If he does, will he want to go back to his normal self?

I enjoyed My Rotten Life Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie by David Lubar. My favorite character was Mookie. Mookie provides the comic relief in the book. From his off-topic ramblings to his ability to produce noxious gas, Mookie kept me chuckling. I also enjoyed Abigail’s character, smart yet dealing with a secret hurt of her own.

Both boys and girls will enjoy reading this story. It has action, humor, suspense, grossness (is that a word?) and the ever real dilemma of ‘fitting in’ among middle school students. Pick this one up! You’ll enjoy it!

Happy Reading!
Mrs. T. :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!