Stranger Than Fanfiction

by Chris Colfer

Overview

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Chris Colfer comes a funny, heartbreaking, unforgettable novel about friendship and fame.

Cash Carter is the young, world famous lead actor of the hit television show Wiz Kids. When four fans jokingly invite him on a cross-country road trip, they are shocked that he actually takes them up on it. Chased by paparazzi and hounded by reporters, this unlikely crew takes off on a journey of a lifetime—but along the way they discover that the star they love has deep secrets he's been keeping. What they come to learn about the life of the mysterious person they thought they knew will teach them about the power of empathy and the unbreakable bond of true friendship.

In this touching novel, #1 New York Times bestselling author Chris Colfer takes us on a journey full of laughter, tears, and life-changing memories.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316383431
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	05/29/2018
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	122,171
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.00(d)
Lexile:	880L (what's this?)
Age Range:	15 - 17 Years

About the Author

Chris Colfer is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and Golden Globe-winning actor. He was honored as a member of the TIME 100, Time magazine's annual list of the one hundred most influential people in the world, and his books include Struck By Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal, Stranger Than Fanfiction, and the books in The Land of Stories series: The Wishing Spell, The Enchantress Returns, A Grimm Warning, Beyond the Kingdoms, and An Author's Odyssey, and the companion books A Treasury of Classic Fairy Tales, The Mother Goose Diaries, Queen Red Riding Hood's Guide to Royalty, The Curvy Tree, and Trollbella Throws a Party.

Editorial Reviews

02/20/2017
In Colfer’s (the Land of Stories series) first YA novel, four Illinois teens join the 20-something star of their favorite TV show, Wiz Kids, on a road trip. Topher Collins never expected Cash Carter to respond to his invitation to accompany him and three friends on their post-graduation tour of tourist attractions between Illinois and California, and he certainly didn’t expect Cash to be so reckless and candid. As the five veer from their carefully planned itinerary, hidden truths emerge, threatening to ruin their friendship, but eventually bringing them closer. Colfer touches on sexuality, identity, familial expectations, and acceptance through his characters, but many discussions feel rushed and deserving of deeper consideration, including when one character comes out as transgender. Attempts to make the characters relatable can turn cringe-worthy; during a confession while high, Topher confesses that he once dosed his younger brother, who has cerebral palsy, with cough medicine in order to sneak out and watch an episode of Wiz Kids. The book succeeds as offbeat escapism, but it doesn’t adequately address the serious topics it introduces. Ages 15–up. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

"This quick read touches on many current trends, using teen jargon and references while also tackling identity issues of gender, race, and sexuality, among others."—School Library Journal

"[Colfer] has a flair for combining poignancy and hilarity so that readers find themselves laughing even as their hearts break a little bit."—Booklist

From the Publisher

12/01/2017
Gr 10 Up—Six years ago, the cult TV phenomenon Wiz Kids brought four wallflower middle school fans together. Now, with high school behind them and college looming ahead, best friends Topher, Sam, Joey, and Mo are set to begin a two-week cross-country road trip. Their route is mapped in precise detail yet fails to account for Topher's tongue-in-cheek email to Wiz Kids icon Cash Carter accepting an invitation to join them. The startstruck Wizzers quickly realize that pill-popping, chain-smoking Cash is nothing like his nerdy quantum physics expert character. No one understands that better than Cash himself. He is fiercely protecting a deep secret—and he is not alone. Comfort zones are broadened, secrets are revealed, and friendships are tested…and strengthened. The author does not provide a great deal of character distinction in his reading, but he still manages to provide enjoyable, solid narration. VERDICT Colfer opens doors to the serious topics of transgender identity, sexuality, and self-worth. He successfully reminds readers "it's a tough world to find yourself in, but an even tougher one to be yourself in."—Cheryl Preisendorfer, Twinsburg City School District, OH

School Library Journal

2017-02-04
A young, white television star breaks away from Hollywood to go on a cross-country road trip with four of his biggest fans.Cash Carter, with his good looks and celebrity status as the lead on the wildly successful television show Wiz Kids, seems to have it all. The only problem is that he is miserable. Tired of feeling that he has no control over his life, he answers a fan letter inviting him to accompany four friends on their pre-college road trip from Illinois to California. While Colfer has some good insights into the realities of dealing with fame, this latest novel is a paint-by-numbers coming-of-age story with cringeworthy dialogue and a cast of stock characters whose racial and sexual diversity feels forced and provides little three-dimensionality. Every character-stereotype box is checked, from the mixed-race closeted preacher's son to the Japanese-American girl whose father barely understands English and is intent on pushing her into Stanford. The author clearly understands the downside of becoming a young TV sensation but struggles to translate that experience to Cash's character in a way that generates empathy. The supporting characters have their own struggles but are off on their road trip before those can resonate with readers. The novel's best scene is when Cash helps the closeted character accept himself. A standard novel about being true to who you are. (Fiction. 15-17)

Kirkus Reviews

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