cover image Freaked

Freaked

J. T. Dutton. Harper Teen, $16.99 (296pp) ISBN 978-0-06-137079-3

It's 1993, and there's a lot going wrong in Scotty Loveletter's life. His goldfish has died, his well-known sex-therapist mother is considering posing for Playboy, his stepfather is getting ready to fly the coop and he's stuck at a ""last-resort"" boarding school. Scotty's one consolation (besides copious amounts of drugs): the music of his idols, Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead. ""I have lived my life according to all the rules of Jerryism. I have shared my women (if my mother counts) and I have shared my wine (sometimes out the car window or all over my shirt and shoes)."" When his drug-dealing roommate whisks him and a ""townie"" classmate away to attend Jerry's Freedom Concert on Long Island, Scotty has little idea of the adventures that are in store, which include being ditched at Grand Central Terminal and getting into the concert without a ticket. Dutton's debut will appeal most to readers who share Scotty's taste in music and recreation. Others may find the rambling narrative, 1990s setting and references, and over-the-top antics hard to get into. Ages 14-up.