The Info:
It takes a clever man to properly chronicle the highlights of high school life. Fortunately, Ben Kassoy is a clever man. Kassoy, a 2007 graduate, dishes up a witty collection of short, comical anecdotes with his first published work, “They Don’t Serve Mom’s French Toast at the Dorm: Nostalgic Morsels of a Senior Leaving for College.”
What Kassoy started as a senior project turned into a self-published assortment of memoirs, each one transporting you into the mind of a typical high school student.
The Good:
Kassoy’s book is an authentic journal of adolescence. Reading it is like reading your brother’s doodles: it is filled with juicy stories, exciting pranks and mindless (but hilarious) lists.
Throughout the book, Kassoy covers a broad range of subjects important to the average youngster.
He discusses everything from his experiences with unclothed misdemeanors to the details of becoming a professional wrestler.
Between regaling the reader with his various shenanigans and inserting a few “your mom” jokes, Kassoy captures the reality of life as a teenager in the suburbs.
The book stays amusing and lighthearted throughout, mostly because of its varied subject matter and humorous topics.
Each story is brief, funny and completely unrelated to the next, which keeps you from getting bored.
The topics of each section feature witty, comical ideas, such as the thoughts of the person on the other end of the “Chia Pet Hotline” or a list comparing the similarity of the names of the X-Men to those of various WNBA teams.
Throughout the book, Kassoy’s casual language makes it seem as if he is right next to you, kidding around and telling you the stories firsthand. The dialogue is concise and original, resounding with the authenticity of teenage banter. His conversational humor keeps you laughing, and the book is peppered with the subtle wisdom of one about to leave childhood behind. The book finishes with wise words of advice from Kassoy on how to make the most out of your pre-college experience.
Kassoy manages to accomplish all of this within a fairly short narrative, allowing you to finish the book in less than half an hour. The book is a quick read—a perfect recollection of memories to help you to remember high school without having to flip through a lengthy yearbook.
The Bad:
The book occasionally borders on being too light. A few of the stories seem to end without ever having reached a conclusion, and, at times, the lists become tedious to follow.
You also might not find the book as funny if you’re not from Bexley, since one of the stories centers around the reactions of various members of the community.
There are also a few noticeable typos throughout the book, such as the list comparing the names of pro athletes to those of Sleeping Beauty’s instead of Snow White’s dwarves.
The Rest:
All in all, “They Don’t Serve Mom’s French Toast at the Dorm” is an incredibly funny read and the brevity of the stories leaves you wanting more.
The book is witty and endearing, as it invites you to relive the moments that make every childhood memorable.
Kassoy’s hilarious renderings of the subtle comedies of youth make the book not only entertaining but almost inspirational, as you finish the book with an urge to indulge in the antics made forgivable by adolescence.
Kassoy has left behind a legacy by writing down these whimsical accounts of high school before moving on to college.
At only eight bucks per copy, with half of the proceeds being donated to the Columbus Literacy Council, you can’t go wrong with this hysterical memoir of high school.