Wired Man and Other Freaks of Nature

Gr 10 Up—Ben and Tyler have been best friends since the fourth grade, but now, in their senior year, they are drifting apart. Ben has made it his mission in life to fit in, but he still feels like an outsider. Despite having plenty of friends, earning good grades, and playing goalie on the varsity soccer team, Ben worries that others think he is a "freak" because he wears hearing aids. When Ben meets Ilona, a girl who doesn't care what people think of her, he starts to question his own outlook on belonging. Meanwhile, Tyler has always been the golden boy: he is the soccer team star, has a steady flow of girlfriends, and is always the life of the party. Lately, though, Tyler has been withdrawn and his grades are dropping. Throughout the year, Ben and Tyler deal with a myriad of issues, including family problems, relationships, abuse, race, disabilities, drinking, drugs, sexuality, and romance. The boys' friendship is strong and carries them through difficulties. Kaufman brings a fresh voice to the contemporary realistic fiction genre.