Mr. 60%

Gr 9 Up—Matt is a second-semester high school senior who has made a career out of doing barely enough work to keep from failing out of school, earning him the titular nickname. But he's better known by his classmates as the go-to contact for weed and pills; he conceals "party bags" around the building and sells them to schoolmates. When a new school board regulation requires every senior to join at least one extracurricular activity, sadistic Vice Principal Gill thinks he's finally bested Matt. Then, through Helping Hands, a community service club, Matt meets Amanda, a social pariah who is collecting children's book donations for a local hospital. Through Matt's slowly developing relationship with sensitive Amanda, readers experience more of his personal life and learn why he sells and eventually begins smuggling drugs. The story is repetitive at times, and the characters frequently lapse into stereotypes. Coarse language, drug use, and frank depictions of terminal illness make this title better suited for mature readers. The chapters are brief, and the text is simple and direct.