Sophomore Undercover: A Review

Original is the adjective for Ben Esch's Sophomore Undercover. I didn't know what to expect, but what I got was an incredibly personable Vietnamese sophomore with raging hormones and an ironic sense of humor, with Pulitzer-sized dreams and an acid trip for a school. It's a little disjointing until you realize Esch is writing a parody that is, at the same time, the realistic story of a young misguided character.

What I admire about the writing is that although this is a debut, Esch has managed to avoid writing cliched sentences. 90-95% of the sentences are Dixie Nguyenisms, unique to his character and perfectly situated. Beyond that, this is outright funny. I wouldn't recommend it for those who only do family-wholesome humor but for any high schooler, it's a riot. I look forward to reading Esch's next work, and meanwhile comment to win a copy of Sophomore Undercover!