Ah, grasshopper

GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE by Andrew Smith. Dutton, 2014.

From the glowing neon green cover with fluorescent yellow accent, this book demands attention. Attention must be paid. Just ask Austin and Robby, two teens who skate the Grasshopper Jungle, who are the target of some bullies, whose parents have checked out for various reasons, and who look to each other for friendship and comfort. Their nemeses, the town bullies, accidentally unleash a virus of Unstoppable Soldiers, giant praying mantises that want only to devour and reproduce. End of the world scenario? Let Austin, the self-appointed historian, tell you in his own inimitable style. Smith has created a science fiction world firmly grounded in the lives of teen boys, one populated by horrendous creatures not all of which are insects. Suspenseful, hilarious, dark, and most of all unique in its approach to telling the story.