5 stars Bobbie Steele and his two best buddies, Marcus and Big Poobs, spend a good amount of time talking up things the way teen boys do when in a group. Whenever a Whitestone Academy student enters IHOP, the boys comment on the snobby “Stonys” and their designer jeans, school uniform and pr... more

5 stars Bobbie Steele and his two best buddies, Marcus and Big Poobs, spend a good amount of time talking up things the way teen boys do when in a group. Whenever a Whitestone Academy student enters IHOP, the boys comment on the snobby “Stonys” and their designer jeans, school uniform and preppy manner. It is obvious they are jealous of the other kids’ affluence and opportunities. Board, they joke that the three of them could get an imaginary guy into Whitestone, if they really wanted to. As happens with those types of “jokes,” it became a challenge. Soon an application was mailed on behalf of transfer student, Rowan Pohi. Rowan is accepted. Bobbie decides to become Rowan and, without telling anyone, he starts tenth grade as a “Stoney.” I liked the story. The humor is at times juvenile, which means right on target for a teen boy. The author remembers high school well. Bobbie tries to lead this double life and gets away with it by a narrow margin. I wanted the guy to succeed and not go back to the dumpy public school he hates. He takes many risks, especially in not telling his buddies. At Riverview High, Bobbie is marked absent day after day, while at Whitestone Rowan is learning the ropes and becoming popular. Once Bobbie takes Rowan’s place at Whitestone the other two guys, Big Poobs and Marcus, get sidelined through most of the story. Having these two guys in on the fun would have livened up the story, not that it is not lively without them. Bobbie has a complicated life and it is fun to read how he gets into and then, maybe, out of, the trouble. This close to the new school year is a good time to read Also Known as Rowan Pohi. Maybe while at an IHOP? Note: received from netgalley, courtesy of the publisher.