Austin and his friend Robby were beaten up in an area they call "Grasshopper Jungle" in Ealing, IA. The known aggressors are Grant Wallance and his gang, who stole their skateboards and threw both Austin and Robby's shoes on top of the mall's roof. Consequently, the boys go up the roof in hopes to find their shoes. Event that would surprisingly change their lives. As they are in the roof top, they notice one of the hatches open. It happened to be the "From Attic to seller Consignment Store", Austin's work place. Curiosity is what let them into the business. In there, they were startled when Wallace and the gang also were in the store. They took a mysterious item labeled "MI Plague Strain 412E", which reacts with Robby's blood that was left behind after his beating. All of a sudden, Wallance and his gang turn in giant praying mantises. Soon after, they found a hidden message in Shann's house, which leads them to a safe silo. The bunker is known as Eden and was constructed in the 1970's by Mckeon Industries. It served as an experimental lab to create unstoppable soldiers. They find out that Robby's blood was the secret to get rid of them. Which in turn, fill up paintballs with his blood in efforts to defeat them. However, it was too late, the praying mantises had already matted. At the end Shann has Austin's baby, and they have to live in the bunker.
He often has inner struggles with his thoughts and feelings because he loves his best friend Robby and his girlfriend, Shann Collins. This book truly uses a point of view in which the adolescent interprets the events first hand. The protagonist is very independent by trying to save human kind. This Science fiction book falls into the fantasy sub genre because of the elaborate transformations of the praying mantis.
Author's Website:
http://www.authorandrewsmith.com/Author_Andrew_Smith/Home.html
http://www.ladyreader.net/2014/02/blog-tour-grasshopper-jungle-by-andrew_28.html#.Uxdull4-KkI
Michael L. Printz Award Honor 2015
Rainbow List: Top Ten GLBTQ Books for Children and Teens Commended 2015
Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards Winner 2014
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