Smooth is the story of a teenage boy and his trials and tribulations with severe acne.  Through this narrative we explore how he relates to his friends, girls, and generally the world around him.  Filled with humor, brutal honesty, and lots of teenage angst, this book is ready for the teenage male market.  

The setting of this book is quickly relatable to all readers.  It’s your average American town full of teens from all walks of life and your average high school.  Readers will be able to place themselves in this setting very quickly and although not a lot of time is spent on descriptions, I don’t think the book wants for more.

Kevin and his band of friends are also your average, everyday American teens.  Worried about body image, girls, sex, and school, these characters will appeal to a wide band of readers.  This book is far more likely to appeal to male readers than female.  There is a lot of body related humor/jokes and male teenage content that females may not find interesting (or humorous).  However, given that there are fewer books in the young adult genre that specifically target male readers that are not action and adventure related, I think this novel offers a fresh option for male readers.  It also may appeal to those who are not avid readers as the language is simple and straightforward and the plotline is amazingly easy to follow.

Told in the first-person narrative, this book is a witty, humorous look at the life of a teenage boy dealing with some modern issues.  Readers should be cautioned for mature topics, but older teenage readers may enjoy the no-holds barred commentary on topics they face every day.

Review of an Advance Reading Copy

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Candlewick

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  22 religious exclamations; 36 mild obscenities; 34 religious profanities; 3 derogatory names; 123 scatological terms; 59 anatomical terms; 29 f-word derivatives.

Violence/Gore:  Multiple instances of blood from acne/popping pimples; verbal threat; two fictitious stories of lighting faces on fire with exploding heads or death; minor wounds (cuts and scrapes) from bike crash; three references to suicidal thoughts/ideas; car crash with minor injuries.

Sex/Nudity:  Numerous references to or instances of masturbation; numerous jokes, comments and language using male genitalia or depicting male genitalia; four references to people having sex without detail; arm around shoulder; two references to homosexuality; two usages of porn for purposes of masturbation; two page inner monologue regarding penetration of females with fingers; 2 page inner monologue about people having sex without graphic detail.

Mature Subject Matter:

Suicide, divorce, pornography.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

References to teens drinking beer.