Stand Off

 

 Stand Off by Andrew Smith is about a fifteen year old rugby player, Ryan, who is a senior at a boarding school in Oregon.  However, he is two years younger than his classmates because he skipped two grades.  During his junior year of high school, he began a relationship with Annie and also suffered the lost of his best friend who was murdered for being gay.  When he returns from the summer break, he discovers his roommate is a twelve year old freshman, Sam.  They develop a bond that is hilarious, however, Ryan still deals with anxiety attacks.  Through his love for creating comics, he develops a character he calls Nate (Next Accidental Terrible Experience).  Annie worries about him and tries to convince Ryan to see a phsycologist.  Ryan has to overcome his fears of the future and his worry of letting anyone get too close to him while he creates a bond with his rugby teammates and Sam.

Stand Off will make you both cry and laugh.  The bond between Andrew and Sam is hilarious.  Readers that have gone through grief can connect to Andrew and how he had to navigate through his life after his best friend´s death. 

Smith, A. (2015). Stand off. Simon & Schuster BFYR.




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