How to Lose Everything: A Mostly True Story

In a story first published in Germany and based on events from Mattheis's youth, a fictionalized narrator, Jonathan, looks back after 18 years at the destructive events of the summer of 1994. Four best friends%E2%80%94Jonathan, Sam, Schulz, and Eric%E2%80%94spend their time in the suburbs of Munich hanging out, skateboarding, playing video games, and getting stoned and drunk. However, when they enter a deserted house and find a stack of envelopes filled with money, the boys steal it, opening up countless possibilities for exhilaration and self-destruction. Initially giddy with their newfound freedom and power, the boys consume everything on the McDonald's menu, splurge on drugs and alcohol, and show off their riches in public. Yet as their sudden affluence leads them to betray one another and cross legal and ethical boundaries, they begin to realize the corrosive impact of the stolen money on their lives. Guilt and paranoia darken a fantasy-come-true as relationships believably break down. Jonathan's perspective in hindsight offers a nuanced view of temptation in the face of moral obligations. Ages 14%E2%80%93up. (July)