Mojo

Overweight and unnoticed, Dylan badly wants to acquire “mojo,” that ineffable something that would make him popular. Accidentally discovering the dead body of a classmate named Hector doesn’t do it but, inspired by his love of a bad TV detective show, 16-year-old Dylan decides he’s going to try to find rich girl Ashton, who has gone missing. With fellow outsiders Audrey and Randy, Dylan makes new friends at the exclusive Hollister School that Ashton attended and joins the search party. As Dylan’s investigation continues, he suspects that Ashton’s kidnapping might be related to Hector’s death. In this tongue-in-cheek tribute to hardboiled detectives, Tharp (Badd) contrasts the book’s serious subjects—including drug use, statutory rape, and murder—with a stylized narrative in a way that recalls Sean Beaudoin’s You Killed Wesley Payne. In this case, though, Dylan’s extemporaneous past-tense narration (which often uses the slightly jarring present-tense phrase “I’m like” to introduce dialogue) makes the entire wild escapade read as though he’s recounting it over burgers at his favorite local joint, Topper’s. Ages 12–up. Agent: Emily Sylvan Kim, Prospect Agency. (Apr.)