In two short weeks, Nick Carlin will be old enough to get his driver’s license, but there’s a catch. His mom says he must first pass a swimming test, and Nick takes to the water as well as a flying fish pilots a jumbo jet. Plus, his slacker friend Miller is worried about “failing life,” the older girl Nick’s crushing on is leaving for college and his mom’s low-life moocher boyfriend has just moved in. As Nick struggles to get his life in shape (and master the freestyle), he learns that the best solutions aren’t always the easiest ones. To relieve his friend’s anxiety, shield his mom from heartache, find happiness with the right girl and score the keys to the Bugmobile, he’ll have to step up his game, big-time.

Humor is the toughest genre to write, so kudos to Alan Orloff for pulling it off.

Despite this novel kicking off a bit slowly (the entire, somewhat overwritten first chapter is spent establishing that main-character Nick has a mental block against swimming) and initially feeling like a middle-grade read, it soon heats up and stays gripping right to the end. Also, with Nick (age sixteen) ever hopeful for romance and his awkward sidekick Miller ever lustful for sex (an elusive goal, of course), it soon establishes itself as a teen read.

The large cast of characters – from Nick and two guy friends to three girls offering potential romance, to Nick’s hovering mother, her dirtbag boyfriend and Nick’s over-the-top colorful grandmother – are as varied in personality as you can get. Yet all come off as believable, and provide a highly entertaining support crew to Nick and his angst.

The teen jargon and joshing is spot-on, as are the background family troubles, and the pace is fun and steady.

The title overplays one small aspect of the plot (the mother’s exterminator business and Nick’s embarrassment to be seen doing driving practice in the logoed car). It just doesn’t really seem to suit the overall story theme. Likewise, his mother’s strange hobby of filling the basement with tanks of creatures distracts more than contributes.

There’s vagueness as to why Nick takes an instant dislike to his mother’s boyfriend, and vagueness as to what the boyfriend is up to, but more specifics wouldn’t have mattered much to the plot. There are two childhood traumas with which Nick is grappling, either one of which would have been enough to mess with his goal of passing the swim test, but they serve effectively to deepen the plot. Meanwhile, minor characters (including the brat Nick tutors and the little kids who put his performance to shame at the final swim exam) add color and fun. The ending is curiously abrupt, but works.

In summary, this is a lighthearted, fun read with well-drawn, engaging characters. It’s humor and romance amidst life troubles, with special appeal to teen boys.
– Pam Withers