Welcome To The Inner Workings of Brent's Brain

Awards and Honors

Winner of the Scandiuzzi Children’s Book Award!
A Richie's Pick!
A TeenReads.com "Best of 2006"!
A Genrefluent "Best of 2006"!
A New York Public Library "Book for the Teen Age"!
A Michael Cart "Nothing but the Best" Top YA Title of 2006!
A Maryland "Great Book"!

Reviews

"Two high school students—one a popular athlete and Senator’s son, the other a geeky outsider—are troubled, by premonitions and nightmares respectively. In alternate chapters, they are brought to an astonishing surprise ending, unlikely to be anticipated but fairly clued for the reader detective. The immensely talented author is a master of structure, but even without the stunt conclusion, the well-realized characters would grip readers of all ages." (Highest Rating)
-- Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine

"Suspense builds as the ominous dreams become more intense and each boy struggles to find a way past their fears. Parallels and double meanings abound in this tricky, but satisfying, double narrative. It`s all about fate and connections for the grand and the humble."
-- Kirkus Reviews

"This is a taut, skillfully woven psychological thriller with an ending they'll never see coming; fans of coming age stories and clever plots will be absorbed by this haunting parable."
-- The Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books

"There's a surprise twist at the end: talk about a fork in the road!...This taut and clever thriller by the author of [three other books] will appeal to mystery and suspense fans."
-- Kliatt

"Brent Hartinger has ventured into new territory with Grand & Humble, and it suits his writing style well. Fans will not be disappointed with his latest offering." (Highest Rating)
-- Bookloons.com

"The novel's surprising ending will inspire many to reread the story immediately, picking up on clues that they might have missed the first time around. In addition to being well-plotted, though, this suspenseful novel also includes genuinely thought-provoking questions about why we are who we are, and how the smallest choices may have the largest consequences."
-- TeenReads.com

"The minor characters are nicely drawn, including Harlan's best friend, Ricky, who is gay. Manny's best friend, Elsa, is deaf, and their signing talk is relaxed and friendly. Best of all, though, is the edge-of-fantasy feel that will make readers ask, 'What if?'"
-- Booklist

"A brilliant twist near the end makes their worlds collide in a moment of epiphany. Grand & Humble is a wonderful story told with a sure and able hand. It is both a whodunit with tinges of the paranormal that tells the tale of two boys who have more in common than they could ever imagine and an allegorical tale of growing up."
-- Crime Spree Magazine

"Like a guided tour up the rickety, shadowy staircase in a haunted house, we follow Hartinger's tale, hearts pounding, until he reveals the ultimate collision of fates that will make you think twice about typecasting anyone ever again."
-- South Florida Sun-Sentinel

"Riveting...As soon as I read the amazing ending, I went back and re-read the book from this new perspective. In too many young adult books, the characters are stick figures spouting teen-speak. In Hartinger’s books (also including Geography Club and Last Chance Texaco) they are respected, realistic individuals."
-- Puget Sound Parent



					Grand & Humble by Brent Hartinger (for readers 12 and up) Synopsis


					Harlan and Manny are both seventeen years old, but they couldn't be more different. One is a popular athlete with a beautiful girlfriend, the son of a powerful U.S. Senator; the other is a quirky theatre geek, the son of a struggling single father. And yet, Harlan and Manny share the same sense of foreboding, that something is not quite right in either of their lives. They have something else in common as well, even if they don’t know it. Fourteen years ago, when they were both three years old, a tragedy occurred--an accident that would link the two boys together forever, even as it ultimately drove them apart. It's an event that both of them barely remember, but it haunts them still. Somehow both boys know that nothing will ever be right again until they can each unravel the secret of the terrifying instant that lies at the center of both their lives.
					Awards and Honors Winner of the Scandiuzzi Children’s Book Award! A Richie's Pick! A TeenReads.com "Best of 2006"! A Genrefluent "Best of 2006"! A New York Public Library "Book for the Teen Age"! A Michael Cart "Nothing but the Best" Top YA Title of 2006! A Maryland "Great Book"! Reviews "Two high school students—one a popular athlete and Senator’s son, the other a geeky outsider—are troubled, by premonitions and nightmares respectively. In alternate chapters, they are brought to an astonishing surprise ending, unlikely to be anticipated but fairly clued for the reader detective. The immensely talented author is a master of structure, but even without the stunt conclusion, the well-realized characters would grip readers of all ages." (Highest Rating) -- Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine "Suspense builds as the ominous dreams become more intense and each boy struggles to find a way past their fears. Parallels and double meanings abound in this tricky, but satisfying, double narrative. It`s all about fate and connections for the grand and the humble." -- Kirkus Reviews "This is a taut, skillfully woven psychological thriller with an ending they'll never see coming; fans of coming age stories and clever plots will be absorbed by this haunting parable." -- The Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books "There's a surprise twist at the end: talk about a fork in the road!...This taut and clever thriller by the author of [three other books] will appeal to mystery and suspense fans." -- Kliatt "Brent Hartinger has ventured into new territory with Grand & Humble, and it suits his writing style well. Fans will not be disappointed with his latest offering." (Highest Rating) -- Bookloons.com "The novel's surprising ending will inspire many to reread the story immediately, picking up on clues that they might have missed the first time around. In addition to being well-plotted, though, this suspenseful novel also includes genuinely thought-provoking questions about why we are who we are, and how the smallest choices may have the largest consequences." -- TeenReads.com "The minor characters are nicely drawn, including Harlan's best friend, Ricky, who is gay. Manny's best friend, Elsa, is deaf, and their signing talk is relaxed and friendly. Best of all, though, is the edge-of-fantasy feel that will make readers ask, 'What if?'" -- Booklist "A brilliant twist near the end makes their worlds collide in a moment of epiphany. Grand & Humble is a wonderful story told with a sure and able hand. It is both a whodunit with tinges of the paranormal that tells the tale of two boys who have more in common than they could ever imagine and an allegorical tale of growing up." -- Crime Spree Magazine "Like a guided tour up the rickety, shadowy staircase in a haunted house, we follow Hartinger's tale, hearts pounding, until he reveals the ultimate collision of fates that will make you think twice about typecasting anyone ever again." -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel "Riveting...As soon as I read the amazing ending, I went back and re-read the book from this new perspective. In too many young adult books, the characters are stick figures spouting teen-speak. In Hartinger’s books (also including Geography Club and Last Chance Texaco) they are respected, realistic individuals." -- Puget Sound Parent