Thursday Treat #4: Youth in Revolt by C.D. Payne.

I am resuming my “Thursday Treats” this week after a break for the Thanksgiving holiday. This week’s choice is a little more fun than amazing and well-written, and I am choosing it for a number of reasons.

I have chosen Youth in Revolt by C.D. Payne. If you haven’t already seen the trailer, the movie for this book is being released soon. It stars Michael Cera, who I believe is one of the funniest young actors working today.

I read this over the summer months and quickly fell in love with it. Nick Twisp, the main character, is a teenager who falls in love with a girl. She is demanding and requests Nick to go through all kinds of ordeals to prove his love to her. The result is a novel full of ridiculous teenage antics that leave your sides aching with laughter. It is told in diary/journal form by Twisp and takes place over a series of months.

The best part about reading this when I did, was that I already knew Cera was staring in the main role and I could see him as Nick Twisp so clearly. It was perfect casting.

The other main reason why I was so excited to read this, and why I am so excited to see the movie, is that portions of the film adaptation were filmed in my hometown of Rochester Hills, Michigan. In addition, scenes were filmed at Yates Roadside Park, which is one of the parks I work at for the city! Last summer they filmed the scenes and it was total chaos around the park. We even drove by to see if we could get a glimpse!

When I saw the preview (while I was waiting for New Moon to come on), I saw a glimpse of my park on screen, which makes this a very special experience.

Even with all of that aside, the book alone is a hilarious read. Twisp’s antics and behavior is so extreme that it is humorous. But you won’t be able to put it down. Trust me.

I will warn you that this book is quite the chunker at 499 pages. Be prepared to get sucked in!


You can find more information about the film at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0403702/