GREAT READS

I Love You, Beth Cooper

Larry Doyle.

"I love you, Beth Cooper" is what Denis Coverman says at graduation instead of his Valedictorian speech. Besides shocking the school, Beth Cooper is the head Cheerleader and doesn't even know who Denis is. This declaration starts a disastrous chain of events that lead Denis, Beth, and their friends and enemies through one single night of panic, mayhem, violence, a little bit of sex, very embarrassing and illegal situations involving cars, guns, drugs, alcohol and laugh-out-loud, unbelievable scenes straight until the end. Denis himself quotes, "All my memories from high school are from tonight." My favorite part of the book is Denis's face at the beginning of each chapter and watching the downward progression of the night, especially what he uses to plug a nose bleed in Chapter 19.

The author Larry Doyle is now a resident of Baltimore and former writer for the Simpsons and contributor to Beavis and Butt-head. On his website, he proclaims he was born on planet Earth and is a primate. You can imagine the hilarity and often scandalizing themes he brings to this book. Winner of the Thurber Prize for American Humor in 1998 and made into a movie, this book had me laughing from beginning to end and really took me back to the very uncomfortable and painful emotions faced by so many high school students.

Recommended by Allison Holbrook

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