Waiting for Gonzo

The last thing British teenager Marcus wants is to make a bad impression on his first day at a new school, but things go from bad (mistakenly bringing the laundry bag instead of his book bag) to worse (getting chased by a dog on his way home). In just a few hours, Marcus humiliates himself in front of the school bully, enrages a girl with anger management problems, and causes a car accident that leaves his sculptor mother with a broken arm. All of these disasters must be sorted out, but Marcus’s dilemmas pale in comparison to those of his 17-year-old sister, who hasn’t yet found the courage to tell their parents that she’s pregnant. In a darkly comic story written as Marcus’s monologue to his unborn nephew (whom he nicknames Gonzo), Cousins (15 Days Without a Head) offers a vibrant, highly visual account of teen angst and backfiring schemes. Marcus makes more than a few mistakes at school and at home, but readers will never doubt that his heart is in the right place. Ages 12–up. Agent: Jenny Savill, Andrew Nurnberg Associates. (Jan.)