BLUE AVENGER AND THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

Moral dilemma, media frenzy, and money money money figure in this complicated, funny, and completely satisfying episode of Blue Avenger. Blue is back; back from his trip to Venice (Blue Avenger Cracks the Code, 2000) and warier than ever of the fine line between free will and fate that seems to shadow his every move. Those readers who met him in The Adventures of Blue Avenger (1999) will recall that as soon as San Pablo High School student David Schumacher changed his name to Blue Avenger, his life began to take on epic proportions, queerly similar to those of his comic-strip character of the same name. Who is multi-millionaire Tractor Nishimura, and what does he want with Blue? Whose dark van is parked outside Blue’s house? How will Omaha, Blue’s girlfriend, get out of the financial bind that could force her away from him—will she reveal her embarrassing secret to the world? And what exactly do donuts have to do with the Theory of Everything? A somewhat clunky beginning (interspersed with hoax ads) at least keeps in the spirit of Blue’s similarly convoluted life, and the final scene—involving multiple coincidences, a million dollars, some quick code-breaking, and a bad joke about a cat and piano—is watertight and worthwhile. Readers will be well-helped by having read the first two books; and though younger teens will enjoy them, high-schoolers will better appreciate Blue’s brainy adventures. (Fiction. 13+)