MY GUY

When Guy’s mother announces her plans to marry Jerry, the father of Lana, Guy is devastated. How can she imagine Guy could be in the same family with his longtime enemy? A continuation of the cast introduced in Guy Time (2000) and Regular Guy (1999), this glibly lighthearted comedy shows Guy and Lana pulled into working together. Along with good friend, Buzz, they manage to keep down the insults long enough to concoct a plan to prevent their parents’ Valentine’s Day wedding ceremony. Readers of the earlier titles will recognize that Guy’s mother is a bit wacky and that Jerry actually makes his living as a clown. That they are perfect for each other doesn’t occur to either Lana or Guy, who can hardly bear being in the same room at school, much less the thought of being in the same family. With lots of coincidence, trendy slang, and bad jokes, the plot plods merrily along. There’s no depth or believability to the entire situation. Guy’s mom adopts a stray “yappy little dog” at just the point where one is needed and then palms it off on her ex-husband, Guy’s father, with equal nonchalance. Some of the characters important in previous titles are barely here and in the case of Guy’s father, barely recognizable. Readers desiring simple cutesy sitcom humor will find their cotton candy here. An upcoming TV movie based on these characters may occasion some additional demand as well, but those looking for any lasting value will look in vain. Pure fluff. (Fiction. 9-12)