Saint Iggy (ISBN 0152057951)

Powerful read:
There's something about Christmas in the city. The lights, the shopping, the darkness. December is the darkest month of the year. KL uses wonderful imagery to describe the life of Iggy, who you care and root for, but it is December, and Iggy is surrounded by darkness. Yet, around every corner, a light. It's refreshing to read a book where drugs play a role, but don't get a hundred pages in the protaganist's head or with his/her friends trying to decide what to do. For Iggy, there is no decision. The answer is simply no. Having been born addicted to crack, he spent his whole life watching drugs destroy his parents. Now, as a teenager, he sees his worthless dad, strung out on the couch each day, and his mother - missing because she is possibly with the local dealer, Freddie. Iggy wants to do something "good". After a misunderstanding at school in which Iggy's so called reputation causes a teacher to vastly misinterpret his intentions, Iggy is kicked out of school. But first he is given a lecture by the principal which sticks in his thoughts. Haunts him. Wakes him up to the world in which he is perceived, and makes him ache for an answer. He doesn't have access to things others take for granted, namely money. World peace would not cross Iggy's mind. In his world, he imagines himself saving a kid from a drug dealer. Or, perhaps he could simply find his mother, and with her, the world itself would be good once again. So, Iggy forms a plan... Iggy Corso is one of the most detailed characters I've ever read. I would swear if I were to visit the city I would find him walking down the street, or sitting at the barber's getting his hair cut. This book isn't the typical teeny bop pink fantasy. It's a rare literary masterpiece for the teen market. I hope it gets the attention and the audience it deserves.

Fringe-Living Outcast from the Projects:
Randy "Igmund" Corso is a third-year freshman with a colorful track record at school. When you have a record like he does, teachers can lie about you, and no one believes you, especially not the court system that's supposed to decide if you're expelled from school or not. With the way everyone treats him, you'd think he's a bad kid, but he's not. He attends class, sometimes. He doesn't use drugs, even though he was born addicted. He does his best to stay away from his father's drug dealer Freddie, who is always knocking on their door looking for money. With his dad most likely passed out drunk or high at home and his mom "visiting someone" somewhere, Iggy doesn't have anyone to tell when he gets indefinitely suspended from high school for an offense he didn't commit. Even the social worker can't get through because the phone has been disconnected. With a few days until the hearing, Iggy turns to his friend Montell, a law school dropout from the rich side of town who is investing his time in pot and philosophy. Iggy needs a plan to straighten out his life, but that's more difficult done than said for a 16-year-old with no skills or money who has just been kicked out of school. His makeshift plan is to: 1) make a plan 2) get out of the projects 3) do something with my life 4) change everyone's mind about me 5) get back into school During the week before Christmas, Iggy drags himself around the city looking for answers and enlightenment. He keeps thinking about his principal, who told him to "do something that contributes to the world." That seems like such an easy thing to do until he tries it. How exactly can one kid do something to contribute? What if he's never had any examples to follow? What if the only differences he can make are too small for anyone to notice? And does it even matter if people notice? Author of the Printz Honor Book FAT KID RULES THE WORLD, K. L. Going has put together another enjoyable read. The contrast of Iggy's dark urban world against Mo's posh lifestyle provides the story with an ideal backdrop for a grim hero like this to emerge. An entertaining novel with more depth than you'd imagine at first glance, SAINT IGGY takes the life of a fringe-living outcast from the projects and makes him someone unforgettable. Reviewed by Jonathan Stephens Copyright 1997-2006, (...) All rights reserved

An enjoyable and entertaining read:
Randy "Igmund" Corso is a third-year freshman with a colorful track record at school. When you have a record like he does, teachers can lie about you, and no one believes you, especially not the court system that's supposed to decide if you're expelled from school or not. With the way everyone treats him, you'd think he's a bad kid, but he's not. He attends class, sometimes. He doesn't use drugs, even though he was born addicted. He does his best to stay away from his father's drug dealer Freddie, who is always knocking on their door looking for money. With his dad most likely passed out drunk or high at home and his mom "visiting someone" somewhere, Iggy doesn't have anyone to tell when he gets indefinitely suspended from high school for an offense he didn't commit. Even the social worker can't get through because the phone has been disconnected. With a few days until the hearing, Iggy turns to his friend Montell, a law school dropout from the rich side of town who is investing his time in pot and philosophy. Iggy needs a plan to straighten out his life, but that's more difficult done than said for a 16-year-old with no skills or money who has just been kicked out of school. His makeshift plan is to: 1) make a plan 2) get out of the projects 3) do something with my life 4) change everyone's mind about me 5) get back into school During the week before Christmas, Iggy drags himself around the city looking for answers and enlightenment. He keeps thinking about his principal, who told him to "do something that contributes to the world." That seems like such an easy thing to do until he tries it. How exactly can one kid do something to contribute? What if he's never had any examples to follow? What if the only differences he can make are too small for anyone to notice? And does it even matter if people notice? Author of the Printz Honor Book FAT KID RULES THE WORLD, K. L. Going has put together another enjoyable read. The contrast of Iggy's dark urban world against Mo's posh lifestyle provides the story with an ideal backdrop for a grim hero like this to emerge. An entertaining novel with more depth than you'd imagine at first glance, SAINT IGGY takes the life of a fringe-living outcast from the projects and makes him someone unforgettable. --- Reviewed by Jonathan Stephens

Excellent Book!:
I am an English teacher who has been looking for YA books to read in the classroom. I used to teach ninth grade but am now moving down to eighth grade, which is incredibly disappointing because I won't be able to read this book with the younger students. I loved, loved, loved Iggy! There are moments of beauty so poignant that they almost brought tears to my eyes. I found myself talking to Iggy--"No, Iggy, don't do that!" Rarely do I get that involved in even adult literature books. I think any teacher who deals with difficult students should be required to read this text. I wish young adult writers would take the swear words out of their books so I could read them with my eighth graders!

A must read for teachers and teens:
I LOVED "Saint Iggy", and I don't say that lightly. Iggy was lost from the start. He was born to a drug addicted mother and an alcoholic father. Although there was no physical abuse he was raised in a roach infested drug house and basically left to raise himself. He didn't have the good fortune to be intelligent or talented and was never taught to think before acting. His impetuous nature gets him into trouble so many times that he gets kicked out of school. With no place else to go, he goes to get help from an adult friend that needs help even more than Iggy. This book should be required reading for every teacher, or other adults who have contact with young people. It does a great job of portraying how a young man from unfortunate circumstances views the world and himself and will help you view some of these kids with different eyes.