BODACIOUSLY TRUE & TOTALLY AWESOME

A comical teen coming-of-age novel set in the 1980s from author Orcutt.

It’s February 1986. Avery “Ace” Craig is just about to turn 16. As his name suggests, Ace is cool. He works out every day, has the latest music his Walkman (Van Halen’s “Panama,” Duran Duran’s “The Reflex”), and, at least lately, teen girls seem to throw themselves at him. He’s also an honors student, skilled on the Scrabble board, and quick with verbal comebacks. Perhaps the icing on the cake is that, since he and his sister have “been dancing since they could walk,” he knows how to move. But Ace’s ultimate dream is to become a novelist like Ian Fleming. He tends to draw inspiration for how to act suave from Fleming’s James Bond. At the beginning of the story, Ace and some fellow students embark on a school trip to Washington, D.C. His school, Hancock, shares the trip with another high school called Vanderbush. The Vanderbush students are a little fancier than Hancock students, dressed as they are in their Wayfarer shades and “expensive ski jackets.” Nevertheless, while Vanderbush brings some snooty boys, it also has girls. One such girl is Penny Aston. After some note passing and other time period–appropriate flirtations, Penny and Ace are quite taken with each other. But Penny isn’t the only one vying for Ace’s affection. As a much more forward girl named Caitlyn herself puts it to Ace, “We need to be together, not you and Penny.” And so this would-be 007 must navigate the intricacies of teenage crushes and fooling around while also pulling off seemingly impossible stunts such as making President Reagan laugh.

Playfulness is the name of the game for Ace and his exploits. The reader is taken back in time, thanks to notes on music and some help from cultural references. The latter come with footnote explanations. For instance, when Ace talks Coca-Cola and New Coke with Sen. Ted Kennedy, the reader is told in a footnote, “In 1985, the makers of Coca-Cola introduced a sweeter, less-fizzy version of Coke called ‘New Coke,’ and public backlash was severe.” But the fun comes not from such summaries, but in the fast paced, steady action on the page. The question that always hangs over the narrative is what sort of situation Ace will get himself into next, particularly as he explores new terrain, like talking dirty. In a memorable scene, an admirer “made loud sucking, slurping, popping, and other sundry throat noises into the phone” before telling Ace, “I bet you’ve got a wicked rodney right now.” Halfway through the story, events head back to Ace’s hometown, but the dilemma remains: Penny or Caitlyn. In another soda reference, it’s remarked, “He had to make a choice, a much harder choice than Coke or Pepsi.” But direct statements and actions do muffle some of the excitement. It’s clear all along that Ace is a winner who can’t be stopped. As Penny puts it, “You’re incredible, Avery!” Such comments never come with irony. Or much subtly. Or much risk of Ace failing. Nevertheless, even though it’s obvious Ace will come out on top in life, the burning question is: Who will be by his side when he does? The first installment of a planned nine-book series.

A light-hearted, swift adventure that sees its young protagonist woo just about everyone he encounters.