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Vote for Larry

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
After falling off the wagon and becoming what he so clearly and strongly resisted—a consumer—Josh Swenson (aka: Larry) finds himself in a hyper-paranoid state of no return. That is, until he is kidnapped and coaxed back into resurfacing as his old persona. Before long, Larry is back on the scene with much more on his mind that a gospel website—this time Larry wants to effect change in government. What starts out as a small campaign to get the younger population to vote turns into a run for the presidency. Can Larry really take on George Bush? In this very smart, very witty novel, Janet Tashjian brings the political world to the forefront and exposes it from many different points of view.
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  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      The improbable presidential candidate in this satirical novel is Josh, a teen Internet guru (who used Larry as his nom de plume) returning to the scene after years in hiding. His offbeat, radical third-party campaign energizes young voters across the country and might bend the rules enough to put him in the White House. An 18-year-old's candidacy is obviously a fantasy at the national level, but the short, breezy novel is well-researched and sometimes perceptive. Maybe some politically minded listener will put Josh's tactics to work on a local campaign. Jesse Eisenberg is 20, no longer a teen, but is believable as the angst-ridden young candidate. Some jokes reflect the current scene, but the story line will likely hold up over time. J.A.S. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from May 24, 2004
      In Tashjian's clever, inspiring sequel, Josh Swensen (known to his public as Larry)—now living in Boulder, Colo., as Mark Paulson—comes clean about faking his death in The Gospel According to Larry
      (he refers to it as a "pseudocide"), and announces his run for the presidency. Beth, his childhood love, convinces him to return to public life ("It was time for me to contribute again"). Readers meeting Josh for the first time do not have to worry; a generous supply of Tashjian's trademark pithy footnotes fill in the back story. Here, instead of battling consumerism via a Web site, Josh (as Larry) is out trying to get young people to vote. He blasts SUV drivers, the nation's "color-coded alert system" and "politicians who taken so much money from Big Business for their campaign war chests that they have to listen to their concerns." When teen supporters press for a constitutional amendment to allow 18-year-olds to be eligible for the presidency, Josh's candidacy goes from symbolic to viable. But trouble looms: betagold, the woman who exposed his identity in Gospel
      , is back on his trail, and there's a traitor in his camp. Josh's narration moves swiftly, and the topical yet universal themes make this book even more compelling than the first. Readers will get a charge out of Josh/Larry's fiery speeches and outrageous platform, and startling facts (e.g., "Every minute, a baby in the U.S. is born without health insurance") plus a resource list in the back (with voter registration Web sites) provide plenty of fuel for those motivated by the hero's call to action. Ages 14-up.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:5.8
  • Lexile® Measure:810
  • Interest Level:6-12(MG+)
  • Text Difficulty:3-4

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