Change tiptoed into our lives with her eyes down, like a shy chick coming late to class. We checked her out as you do and found nothing there worth bothering about. Too many other hot girls were standing in line and Casey, Ed and I had our hands full. If we’d deemed her worthy of a second glance we might have noticed the ruthless determination in her eyes. We may even have asked what she had planned for us, but we ignored her and that was our biggest mistake. Not that she cared. She just went right on doing her thing.
Tommo, Casey and Ed have been best mates forever, and none of them expects that to change. But change comes in year eleven, as the boys’ lives start to diverge and become more complicated. As Ed tries to get his break as a professional footballer, Casey deals with family breakup and Tommo acts as an agony aunt for a teen magazine, it seems that the boofheads have less and less in common.
Boofheads is a humorous title, likely to attract teen readers, and the book does have plenty of humour. It is also, however, a serious book, dealing with many issues which teens are likely to face. It is refreshing to see such an issues-based book dealing particularly with teen boys, although the book will appeal equally to male and female readers.
There is a lot going on in Boofheads but, then again, there’s a lot going on in any teenager’s life, and author Mo Johnson brings together all the different plotlines and issues with aplomb. This is a wonderful book.
Boofheads, by Mo Johnson
Walker Books, 2008
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