MILO MOSS IS OFFICIALLY UN-AMAZING

Milo’s family is different and wildly eccentric, but until recently he’s been cool with that.

Milo’s best friend, Jesse, is also his nephew. Milo’s parents are obsessed with setting a Guinness record, including a usually eager Milo in their adventures but always failing in their attempts. Results of past failures decorate their home, including a toilet-paper tower, outlandish costumes, a huge rubber-band ball, and way more. Now Milo has promised everyone a record, but the failure is even more bizarre than usual, involving insect costumes and food poisoning. He lies, forges a certificate, and starts a whole series of misadventures, betrayals, and strange alliances, causing him to feel that he is the real failure. He and Jesse become estranged, and he forms a very tentative friendship with his archnemesis, Brandon. Eventually they form a shaky triumvirate dedicated to sabotaging future record attempts, ultimately planning and carefully executing an amazing event involving their whole community. It is Milo’s tale all the way, narrated with a combination of bravado, self-pity, and self-absorption along with a large amount of middle school angst. But he is also a caring, loving son, brother, uncle, and friend who gradually understands some of their worries and feelings. Readers will root for him all the way. Jesse, presumably biracial, is described as having his father’s darker skin while all other characters present White.

Hilarious, offbeat, and often moving.