Stupid Fast

When puberty finally kicks in for 15-year-old Felton Reinstein, he eats like a horse, develops fast-growing body hair, and outgrows his clothes. Those are the least of Felton’s problems. Felton’s dad, Steven, died by suicide and Felton discovered his body when he was just five years old. Since then, Felton has dealt with anxiety, abandonment, and low self-esteem. He struggles to understand Steven, oscillating between blaming Steven for abandoning the family and hoping that Steven’s ghost is watching over him. Felton is similarly torn over his bag of crystals: a way to ease his anxiety, yet something he associates with shame and familial abnormality.

Felton uses self-deprecating humor to express his feelings. He has few friends and has been bullied since he was little, which causes Felton to avoid social interaction. Felton is tall and has what he calls a “Jew-fro” of curly, springy hair. He knows he is often a “jerk” to his younger brother Andrew and his mom Jerri. Though he feels bad about that, he does not empathize with them.

Stupid Fast is Felton’s Coming of Age story. Joining the high school football team and discovering  weightlifting and running changes Felton’s life. He gets “big,” popular, and even gets a girlfriend.