Your Own Worst Enemy

by Gordon Jack

Three candidates, three platforms, and a whirlwind of social media, gaffes, and protests makes for a ridiculous and hilarious political circus in Gordon Jack’s second highly satirical novel. Perfect for fans of Andrew Smith and Frank Portman.

They say that with great power comes great responsibility. Unless you’re student body president at Lincoln High School. Then you get all the responsibility but none of the power. And the three candidates running for president know all about that.

Stacey Wynn is the front-runner, but she didn’t count on Julia Romero entering this race. Julia is challenging Stacey for the title while also putting the moves on Stacey’s campaign adviser and only friend, Brian. And then there is Tony Guo, the way outsider. Tony is usually oblivious to the school’s political campaigning, as he’s oblivious to anything that isn’t about getting high and drinking all the Space Cow chocolate milk he can stomach. But when his favorite beverage is banned at school, a freshman political “mastermind” convinces Tony to become the voice of the little guy. But what kind of voice is that, really?

If this were an ordinary high school election, the winner would be whichever candidate was the most popular. But this year, each candidate may have to sink to a new low to win an election that could change the course of...very little.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, Humor, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult Contemporary, Romance

448 pages, ebook

First published November 13, 2018

About the author

Gordon Jack always wanted to be a writer. In third grade, he put that on his “What I want to be when I grow up” list, just behind astronaut and professional dog walker. While working towards this goal, he had jobs as an advertising copywriter, English teacher, librarian, and semi-professional dog walker. The Boomerang Effect is his first novel. He lives in San Francisco with his family.

Reviews

[Susan Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it. It probably wasn't the best time for me to be reading this book. Politics has gotten under my skin and I all the whining is really annoying. So, more of that in a book was just additional, annoying whining.

However, I did love the diversity in the book and I did love a lot of the characters. Julia was probably my favorite character. Coming from Canada after making a huge mistake, she does come and really start over. I love that she accepts her faults and faces up to them. She is a great character.

Stacey was a bit of a good girl and overachiever, but she wasn't a bad character either. I loved that she befriended Brian when he was an overweight freshman. She is a bit pushy, but overall you just see she isn't a bad person. She has her faults, but she is another strong woman character.

Then there is Brian; he is an amazing character that I would have loved to have befriended. He is kind and loyal; he stand by his best friend Stacey through everything. He falls for Julia and tries to keep that relationship going without hurting his best friend. He is just an all around great guy with a twit for a younger brother.

Brian's younger brother is the tool of the book. Kyle is manipulative and seems to just want to make life for his older brother terrible. He is in therapy, which I'm not sure is working at all. He seems to manipulate the therapist too.

Then there is Tony, he is the third person running for ABS President along with Stacey and Julia. Tony is just an idiot. He is always high and gets manipulated by everyone so easily. I feel sorry for him because of his home life and it makes you understand why he is the way he is. It is just a sad situation with him.

This is mostly about the campaign going on for President. You see what each of their platforms are and how they are all playing the game during the running. You also see friendships bloom and the relationship between Brian and Julia grow. There are quite a few underlying stories going on during all of this and it definitely keeps you reading. I was a bit annoyed by some of the stabs taken at our current regime. I just think I'm annoyed at elections and politics as a whole. Everyone is really whiny and it really grates on my nerves that everyone is trying to bring everyone else down. I think I've just had enough, so I'm glad I'm finished with this one. With good character development, well written and easy to read, it was just okay for me.

[francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weirdly poignant and perfectly hilarious, Gordon Jack is one of my new favorite authors. His voice is authentic and unique, and his writing style is something to be rivaled in its rhythm and realistic twists. Your Own Worst Enemy is definitely a novel for our generation, capturing the complexities and confusions of Gen Z in the best way possible: the crazy political world we’re being forced to grow up in.

[el · Rating 2 out of 5]

The feeling, when you get sent an email approval for an ARC from Edelweiss, without having requested the book. 😭💖

Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for a spot on the blog tour and promotion of the book.

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[Stay Fetters · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Here’s some change I can believe in.
Make America baked again."

I devoured this book in less than a day. I could not put this down. It was clever and witty that I found myself laughing so hard that tears formed. But it also contained some serious subjects that made you look at the real world and what we’re currently dealing with. This was still a really fun read.

It makes you reminisce about the clown show we had to deal with with the last election. This was a lot more enjoyable since this was fictitious. The banter between the opponents was hilarious and a tad bit out there. But they were all enjoyable in their own way.

Tony has to be my favorite character. I mean, come on! I’ll never look at the bear-shaped honey bottle the same way ever again.

Gordon Jack is a genius. To take something that is still a tough issue to discuss and brings this creative pieces into our lives is beyond astronomical. And to perfectly get Stacey’s attitude and personality onto paper was amazing. We are quite the special species and this book will fill you in more.

With more boner jokes than you ever could imagine and a deep heartfelt look at unity, this book is definitely a must read. Maybe people will learn how to be beautiful human beings towards one another.

[Vicky Again · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

I was definitely really excited for this as I was going in, and it ended up being just as good as I expected.

I'm always a sucker for satire-novels, and one endorsed by Mindy McGinnis is sure to make it on my list. This didn't disappoint, balancing ridiculousness with truth really well.

I can't tell you how many times students in my own school have been so competitive over a class office position, and although Your Own Worst Enemy takes it to a whole new level, it was still wholly relatable in the way that yes--students can get this competitive.

Plus, I still found the satire part funny and a little bit silly in some of the characters and their motivations. I think Jack did a really good job of using stereotypes to emphasize something, but not overusing them and losing depth in his characters.

Yes, Stacey draws on basic overachiever white girl, but she also has other things going on at other times. And yes, Julia is the stereotypical underdog, but she also struggles with the fact that she doesn't actually know if she's Latinx (oh, the irony). And Tony is not a stereotypical Asian, but a pretty stereotypical stoner, and the fact that he's being controlled by a freshman mastermind adds to the novel.

But my favorite character would have to be Brian, who was honestly the root of a lot of the problems. He has connections with each campaign in a different way, and sorting through all of these is what I feel this book is really about. Brian has a lot to learn about friendship and love (and did I mention he's bi?) and family, and I think Jack did a really good job with the friendship and love part.

Yet, I still really wished Brian and Kyle's relationship was explored more. I think there was still a lot to go into with their relationship, and their ending together was so unsatisfying. Everything else wrapped up really well, but this was one of the most important relationships in the story in my opinion, and it just wasn't done justice (hence, the 4 stars).

I also thought some of the racial elements weren't done badly, but I also feel in some ways that what wasn't included could have been done. Yes, this is a satire, and Jack has to talk about race, since it's really critical to the political atmosphere at their high school.

But Stacey I felt like was still low-key racist at the end (in the sort of "don't discriminate against me because I'm white!!!" sort of way that isn't actually discrimination) even though she managed to make amends with Julia.

Also, I do wish that Jack featured more of non-Latinx minorities as well, though I did think it was nice that we got to see such a wide spectrum of Latinx characters.

Overall, this was a goofy and a little bit silly and exaggerated satire read about student politics, and one I definitely enjoyed and could relate to given my own time in high school. I'd definitely recommend if you're looking for a fun novel to just take your mind off of things!

Thank you so much to The FFBC and Gordon Jack for sending me an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

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[Kristi Housman Confessions of a YA Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC for blog tour.

Thank you to the publisher for giving me a copy through Edelweiss for review.

[Samantha (WLABB) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was what I was hoping it would be. Jack showed the highs and the lows of the political process, putting a hilarious spin on it all, while also including ideas of friendship, family, identity, and romance.
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I had featured this book as one of my Can't-Wait Wednesday picks. I had been expecting something along the lines of the movie Election, where the whole political process was depicted in a satirical way, and Gordon Jack definitely delivered that in Your Own Worst Enemy.

What seemed like a sure thing for Stacey turned into a cutthroat political race, which included false accusations, mud slinging, and even maligning by the media. Both Tony and Julia came out of nowhere to challenge Stacey, and to stop her rise to power.

I must say, I really liked all three candidates, even Tony, who was pretty ridiculous and really hilarious. Jack did a great job creating these characters, because though they were each crafted in a way to represent a specific type of political voice, they were still very human. It was their flaws, which helped me empathize with them, even when they were running off the rails a little.

It was easy to pick out all the current issues and ploys from the current state of American politics. However, because Jack was depicting all sides of just about every political hot button topic out there in an exaggerated manner, it didn't bother me. In fact, because he was showing all these things to the extreme, it showed how ridiculous we are about some things, while still shedding light on particular issues.

One thing I can tell you is that I laughed, a lot. This book was really funny, even hilarious at times, but it was also kind of deep and thought provoking, in a good way. Some truths are easier to digest when served with humor, and I found Jack's examination of the the political process and the current issues facing Americans to be quite palatable.

Overall: A hilarious and pretty honest look at American politics that left me laughing and thinking.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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[Sydney · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really, really wanted to like this book. Partially because I thought I owed it to my past self who had wanted to read this for so long and partially because it's not like I have anything better to do during social distancing, I read the whole thing. I believed in this premise so strongly (Class election comedy that tackles our crazy real-world politics? Sounds great!), but ultimately, there was a lot with the execution that just didn't work out. I'll start with what I liked first.
1. In a world where politics is pretty white homogeneous, Jack's commitment to diversity among his cast of characters should be pointed out. There were also many side characters (i.e. Brian's former friend, James, and Julia's friend, Jenny) that I really wanted to know more about as the story progressed.
2. I thought that Julia had a pretty compelling character arc. As a girl who recently transferred to the school from Canada, she really comes to fight for and care about her constituents (no spoilers here!)
However, there were some problems with this book that could not be ignored. The following list is in no particular order of annoyance.
1. The overuse of the word "munchkins" to describe the high school freshmen boys who are voting for Tony Guo (more on his campaign later). You might think that it's clever the first time, but after...

"'Even though I am no longer a pathetic munchkin like yourselves"

"'The delicious aroma drew every munchkin'"

"'I am running for ASB president to protect the rights of these munchkins.'"

And last, but certainly not least...

"'Munchkins! Help!'"

This is just a small sampling, and, let me tell you, it gets old.
2. I feel like the character of Kyle, Brian's little brother and Tony's campaign adviser, was not treated with the appropriate amount of sensitivity. Kyle struggles with his mental health and has to see a therapist, but, except for a page or two, he is treated more as a villain who wants to make his brother (and Stacey) miserable than someone who is dealing with a legitimate problem.
3. The intensity of it all. The blurb promises that the candidates are all competing for "very little" because the president has so little power. But that's not at all how the characters act in this book. They all treat this like an actual presidential election. Yes, I recognize that this is supposed to be a spoof of the 2016 election, but there are points where events become way too serious for their high school class election mold. Nearly all of the campaigns are so absolutely obsessed with taking down their competitors (or, as they would call them, enemies) that they will resort to vandalism, blackmail, and other ACTUAL CRIMES to try to win. I totally thought that class elections were just posters and the occasional candy bribery. Am I off base here?
-So yeah, if you want a book that tries so hard to be a satire that it doesn't really work with its original premise, then this is the book for you. But hey, if you really need something to take up time in your life, then it's always a viable option.

[Lyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

We all need a good laugh right now, and thank goodness someone's delivering. Gordon Jack's newest book brings the hilarious and ridiculous sides of politics to light in a novel about high school elections. If you loved the movie Election, this book will be 100% your cup of tea.

What Jack so brilliantly mocks is a system that brings out the worst in us. Human nature, whether you're 17 or 77, finds all kinds of new ways to scheme and lie and cheat. Stacey, Tony, and Julia are three candidates for student body president who forget their better angels while vying for the highest office in the land. Instead of their bad behavior leaving you worried about the fate of the free world, you're more likely to crack up and release some cathartic sighs in the realization human nature has always had this problem. We're not exactly breaking new ground with today's headlines, much as it might seem that way. The characters show us every kind of motivation for declaring candidacy--self-righteous altruism, manipulative curiosity, vaulting ambition, and a desperate need for chocolate milk.

Jack also takes on the fraught politics of multicultural school communities, exploring aspects of identity that so readily get politicized in the wrong kinds of ways--not because identity and political action are problematic, but because human nature loves to box people in, permanently ("colonize," in Julia's words). Jack deftly tackles white privilege and complex racial and ethnic dynamics in a school where power is shifting every second. This is a place where we seriously need a laugh somedays, partially because racial politics in this country are so bad, and partially because The Young People Will Win, as David Hogg likes to say. They'll win with their fresh perspective, their humor, and their open-mindedness. They think outside the boxes adults would keep them in. And they are breaking new ground with their activism. But they are fortunately the stuff of our nonfiction, today, and too good to skewer. What we need to mock is our worst devils and how elections seem to find all those gremlins, stat.

I can't think of a more perfect book to arrive in time for our insane midterms. Read it, America. Because you seriously need to chill.

[Mary Taugher · Rating 5 out of 5]

At a time when we all need a respite from ugly national politics along comes Your Own Worst Enemy, a hilarious satire about a high school election. I adored this book and could not put it down. Gordon Jack is one of the funniest and talented YA writers out there.

The characters vying for class president include Stacey, the frontrunner and traditionalist; Julia, the newcomer with a secret who throws Stacey off what was assumed to be a clear path to victory; and Tony, a stoner who just wants chocolate milk in the cafeteria. The hijinks start right away with a vandalized campaign banner, and as in real life we read that this might be a false flag ploy by the candidate whose banner was defaced. The chapters are told in alternating points of view, which I found fascinating as we got multiple perspectives on the same event. I also appreciated the structure of this book; its sections were labeled with titles like Endorsements, Opposition Research and Attack Ads, giving us a behind-the-scene look at what it takes to run a political campaign in high school — and it’s not just cupcakes and banners.

One of the most endearing characters was Brian, Stacey’s closest friends and her campaign manager. Brian is torn between his long friendship with Stacey and his budding romance with Julia, and his situation only gets more fraught when his younger brother, an avid Tony supporter, stoops to espionage. Aside from dirty politics, the books deals with important issues such as racial and sexual identity as well as socioeconomic differences and white privilege in what seems to be a fairly affluent public high school. The outcome of the election is a mystery until the very end, and I won’t spoil it. But I have to say that thanks to many laugh-out-loud moments and clever plot twists, Your Own Worst Enemy leaves you feeling lightened and hopeful. If teenagers can find a way to navigate a bitter election and come out stronger, more engaged and more tolerant than before its start, then maybe there’s hope for some sort of renewed civil discourse in these divisive times.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner from Gordon Jack, high school librarian by day, master novelist by night!
The characters in this book are so engaging and endearing, even when they're making bad choices. They're in competition with each other, but you can't help rooting for them all. The author's perceptiveness about human nature, and teenager nature in particular, makes the story realistic and touching, even in the madcap moments. I laughed out loud and didn't want it to end.
Writer another one, Gordon Jack! I'm waiting!

[Danielle Hall · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 60% for fatphobia.

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate]]

I'm not sure if a DNF is actually the appropriate shelf, because I did read the ending.

It's just that I skipped about 30 chapters to get there. It wasn't a bad book, but I got bored - as my friends can attest, I get bored very easily, and I usually require at least some romance to keep me interested.

[Blog] - [Bookstagram]

[Susana Herrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gobbled up Jack’s Your Own Worst Enemy in the same way I devoured The Boomerang Effect, in just a few sittings, forcing myself to slow down enough to savor the last few morsels of the surprise delicacies found in the form of a hilarious climax. Jack is a master at building tension with humor and wit. He expertly develops each of his diverse high school students, giving voice to characters we don’t ordinarily see in dystopian novels. I found myself rooting for each candidate against my own will, which is part of the point, exactly...This YA novel is a salty satire on America’s politics; Jack asks each of us why we vote the way we do: Is it race, class, resistance to a previous group in power or is it simply the right words at the right time to the right people who are actually motivated to go out there and vote? In this case, we examine the student government teens and then we must examine ourselves. What happened in 2016? Well, here’s one way to look at it that will actually make you laugh. And we laugh because it is true.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Brought up some interesting topics but felt too long, too satirical, and was lacking with most of the characters.

Full review: https://picturethisliteraturecom.word...

[Avid Reader and Geek Girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

FTC DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harper Teen through Edelweiss+. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

4 stars

I really enjoyed this satire of the election process. It had a great diverse list of characters, LGBT-wise and racially diverse.

We had:
Stacey-long time politician, I didn't really like Stacey until almost the end of the book, she's a perfectionist who can be a bit mean and self-centered at times, but she finally comes around to a better personality at the end of the book.

Julia- the new girl with some big secrets, including her unknown heritage, trying to atone for her sins, she was one of my favorite characters of the book.

Tony- the Asian stoner and obvious Trump of the book, who really isn't fit for office.

Brian- the sweet guy stuck between his new love and his best friend.

Kyle- Brian's little brother, who seems like a misogynist to me, and who hates the corrupt system.

Lance- the tabloid-like reporter and creep.

But for all of them they wanted parental approval and the acceptance of their peers. It showed the large differences but the underlying commonalities of them all. Stacey and Julia had the most character development, I was happy to see Stacey realize she wanted to be like her dad not her mom, who was just evil and self-centered.

The rotating POV really worked well for this story, if it had only been told by one of the MCs you wouldn't have liked anyone probably. The characters were perfectly flawed, which I really loved.

It didn't pull me in until near the end, that and a few too many unusual words is why I rated it down a star.

[Channa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to come!

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars

[Remy]

DNF at 69%. Haha.

This is without a doubt, the WORST disappointment of a book yet. I had high hopes for this, but by the time I finished the prologue I was checking if I'd picked up the correct book. And then it just went a continuous downward spiral.

I picked this up because of two reasons: 1) it was a high school satire of the 2016 American election. Of course I was fuckin' in. And 2) look at that cover! Awesome graphics! The summary was hooky as hell! I'd prepared to devour this in one sitting after spotting it in the library at long last.

Alas, it was not to be. I was immediately turned all the way off by the writing style- the story read like some 14-year-old wannabe edgelord's compo for English class and he's trying sOooOOOoooOOO HARD to impress the hot teacher. I get that it's supposed to be comedic, but the way it was written was just unfunnily exhausting or just straight up cringeworthy. I mean:

"If you placed Julia's breasts on any phylogenetic tree, they would be a unique species, something that didn't exist in the family of teenage girls. Then cue an ENTIRE paragraph about Julia's boobs.

"She didn't like surprises. Two years ago, she hook-kicked a cake platter out of Brian's hands when he surprised her for her birthday."

"The audience grumbled loudly. Julia heard quite a few people say things in Spanish she assumed translated to 'those small dick motherfuckers'."

"Stacey fought the urge to shove the cupcake she was holding into Jenny's face. How satisfying it would be to see the frosting splatter against her perspiring skin. How'd you like a taste of my culture, bitch?"

"On the screen was a photo of Tony exhaling an insane amount of smoke from a bong hit. When was that photo taken? Tony couldn't recall. He was pretty sure it was back in September, when his parents left him for their cruise down the Yangtze.
Underneath the photo was the caption "Is this who we want leading our school?" Doug scrolled down the page so Tony could read the answers. Almost every one of the 143 comments was an enthusiastic yes.
"Tony's got my vote."
"Here's some change I can believe in."
"Make America baked again."

And finally: the fucking funniest, worst offender of all:

"BRIAN'S PENIS WILTED LIKE A DEHYDRATED FLOWER." HAHAHA what the fUCK, MAN!

But wait! It's not over yet! I do have to admit that I did like the diversity in this book. However, I absolutely HATE the repetitive look-at-me-I'm-super-PC way race is discussed in the book. Did Jack google for ways to not describe POCs and then do tHE EXACT OPPOSITE? And adding on to that, I hate how Tony, the main Asian American, is nothing but bong-smoking comic relief. He barely appears and we don't get into his head or truly learn more about him.

Fucking arsehole. Truly the worst disappointment of a book I've yet to come across. I really hate using the term 'problematic', but no other words are coming to my mind right now to describe exactly how I feel about this god-awful mess. So,

i wAS ROOTING fOR YOU! WE WERE ALL ROOTING FOR YOU! HOW DARE YOU!

This book's own worst enemy? Itself.

[Sheila Grau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Your Own Worst Enemy. I came for the 2016 election spoof, but this book was so much more than that. It was genuinely funny, but also insightful and honest. The author didn’t take the easy route of creating caricatures to make fun of, or stoop to school election clichés.
Jack has created three very real characters vying for the position of student body president. Stacey represents the old guard – work ethic and tradition. Julia offers a voice to the previously overlooked members of the student body, questioning those very traditions. And then there’s Tony. Tony just wants the cafeteria to bring back his chocolate milk.
The story is fast-paced, alternating between these different points-of-view as we learn about what motivates these characters and what’s at stake for them. I flew through the book, thanks to Jack's hilarious narration and the hints of mystery surrounding the candidates.

[Donna Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best way to sum up why I liked this book is to quote my daughter who said "he writes like a girl...and I mean that as a compliment!" This book was so enjoyable because the dialog and the emotions of the characters were so believable. The author does a fantastic job of mastering the voice of multiple teenagers, regardless of their age, gender, interests or background. I found the plot truly engaging and enjoyed it even more given the relevancy to the election. The characters feel real and the issues they are facing are real and the author does an excellent job introducing the issues and making you want to care. Also illuminates the often hidden paths of need for approval vs desire to stand up for a cause that teenagers have to navigate every day in high school. Witty, deep, relevant. Definitely recommend this book!

[Annie Rupertus · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hilariously satirical novel about a high school election. You can read my full review and enter a giveaway for a copy of the book here!

Diversity Rep: mixed-race main character; Asian-American main character; POC and LGBTQ+ side characters

Warnings: microaggressions; some comments that are racist/fatphobic; vandalism of a poster with an anti-immigrant slur; teenage drinking & drug use (Please let me know if I missed any!)

Thank you to Fantastic Flying Book Club for including me on the blog tour and for providing me with a review copy! This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

[Cecil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Gordon Jack's Boomerang Effect and am thrilled to report that Your Own Worst Enemy shares the uniquely hilarious and honest take that made the first book stand out from other YA novels. He goes deeper in Your Own Worst Enemy making it an even more satisfying read. Stacey, Julia and Tony are delicious characters whose raw, funny and painful moments kept me turning pages, ignoring the clock well into the evening. Jack's clever parallels to the last election are also terrific. The book's honesty and creative genius touched me and also had me laughing and smiling ear to ear. Five stars! Now the long wait until book three. Ugh.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Your Own Worst Enemy. From the beginning to the end, the characters made me laugh out loud, which I rarely do. Three very different candidates equally ridiculous in their motives and platforms vie for ASB president. The election rings true by bringing out the worst in human interaction. The nice thing is, that despite the egos involved, there is a thread of inner good bringing hope to us all. It turns out that we are not beyond redemption.

[Rachel Lu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since the first 2 reviews start with "I loved Your Own Worst Enemy," I'll stick with the status quo and say I loved "Your Own Worst Enemy" too. Hilarious, I found myself chuckling throughout — yet the story also explored deeper issues, tackling diversity, people's voices and of course, a light parody on the 2016 election. However, unlike the election, this book ends with hope, with people from different backgrounds working together solve problems and issues.

[Ruthsic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warnings: racism, substance abuse, fatphobia, will probably make you relive 2016 all over

In a parody of the 2016 American presidential election, Your Own Worst Enemy explores the devolution of human nature when it comes to politics. Stacey thinks she is running unopposed for student body president, until Julia, a newcomer, and Tony, the school's stoner, both enter the race. As the candidates and their campaign managers figure out ways to one up each other, and defeat the other candidates, we see a slightly exaggerated portrayal of how identity politics can be misused and the original message lost in the mess. In a revolving multi-person POV of Julia, Stacey, Tony, Kyle and Brian, we see the countdown towards the student body elections from all angles.

Each of the people in it had their own reasons for getting involved, be it misguided altruism, an effort to seem mature, just the hankering for chocolate milk in cafeteria, or a sense of feeling power. I feel the most character development was done in the case of Julia's arc so I'll start with that first. Her arc is the most important issue in this story: her ethnicity and race paint a target on her back and is used to launch an opening volley into this battle. Julia herself doesn't know what race she belongs to, thanks to a close-lipped mother but due to her surname, everybody assumes she is Latina and the Latinx majority in the school flock to support her. Her message is probably naive in the start, but by the end she realizes she has a chance to make actual change, and the ideas on how to make the school year more inclusive.

Stacey, on the other hand, is an experienced student politician with a good sense of social issues and has worked hard to get to this position, but her desire to do good things is often overshadowed by her cold political sense to the point that it sometimes seems she only is an ally for political benefit, and her personal troubles often leak into her good judgement. She also has a take-charge nature, which means she has been taking care of her father when her mother dumped them both, but that very nature is seen as distancing by her peers (remind you of someone?). Brian, who has been her best friend and campaign manager is stuck between his friendship and his feelings (and frequent boners) for Julia. Tony - well, he is only a Trump in that he doesn't care about public service and doesn't have what it takes for the job - is being manipulated by Kyle into blowing up what could have been a good election race and essentially bring down the whole level. Kyle, a nihilistic little brat who embodies chaotic evil at just 14 years of age, should have been watched more carefully because he seems the type to be being radicalized by some alt-right peeps.

The story also goes into what good politics could like, if people stopped to listen to diverse opinions, acknowledged privileges and knew when to be an ally instead of drowning out voices. It takes a realistic approach to the situation, and present the characters as all flawed in their own way, but still being able to do good if they acted together. It talks about how sensationalization, unfair methods, manipulation, all in the context of the small pool of a student body, but also embodies the general spirit of how politics is in this current age. It also mentions the current social issues, and how they have impacted the discussion and voter engagement. And the multiple POV worked so well for this story, specifically because it kept the story from dragging in any particular parts, and by switching characters keeps your interest going.

Perhaps the only parts I did not really like were how the ending itself was rushed into, and the way Brian's and Stacey's dynamic was changed a bit towards the end to justify her anger towards him. In my opinion, there didn't need to be a romantic angle involved at all? Stacey particularly didn't seem like she would worry about that, so it seemed a bit out of character for her there.

Overall, a good satirical look at American political issues.

Is it diverse? It has a multiracial main character (Julia) who is suggested to be bi, and an Asian-American main character (Tony); another main character is questioning (Brian). Among the secondary characters, there is a gay black kid (James), a couple of Latina girls.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Viz Media, via Edelweiss.

[Halina Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is just fantastic. As soon as I picked it up I couldn't put it down. It deals with so many social issues in our country that millions of teenagers face everyday. In particular this novel tackles the idea of human identity and how we define ourselves. Each of the characters spend most of the novel holding on so close to small factors that contribute so little to their large and broad identity. They focus their energies on their accomplishments, involvements, sexual preferences, race, past, parents, etc. They get caught up in what defines them instead which hinders them from making connections with others and being themselves. Finding your identity is something every teenager goes through and this book goes through this process in a very real way. This book is no fairy tale, it is extremely realistic and unpredictable. My favorite part of the book is the author's voice of the characters. Although the book is written in the third person, the narration is so strong that I would often feel that it was the character speaking and I was inside their head. This book is great for teenagers and adults alike. Although it is funny and lighthearted it is a book that should be taken seriously. Our nation is currently so divided by all of our differences and we live in such in a politically tense climate. We need to focus less on how our identities make us different but how they make us stronger and more connected. There is no better example of this practice than the plot of this book.

[John Yingling · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book; I was very much looking forward to reading it after seeing the synopsis. And, I must admit, it was definitely a page-turner. But.....some of the scenes just didn't ring true with me. The whole idea of freshmen latching onto an upper classman, the dropping of f-bombs in a school assembly, the stereotypical clubs in the school, the outlandish behavior of certain characters that was straight out of Animal House, and the too-neat wrap up of the book didn't work for me. I was really hoping for the literary equivalent of the Reese Witherspoon film Election, but this doesn't come anywhere near that. And once again I am campaigning (speaking of elections!) for the reduction, in literature in this case, but also in films, tv and just life itself, in the use of the f-word. Take a look at an unabridged English dictionary; lifting it a few times, if you can, will give your arms a nice workout. In all those words, you (as an author, screenwriter or average person) can't come up with any one of hundreds or maybe thousands of words as a substitute?? I'm not a prude--I wasn't born on top of a Christmas tree--and I think it is just laziness to fire off the f-word or its variations. Sorry for the digression. Your Own Worst Enemy is just an ok book, nothing more.

[Guavicorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stacey Wynn is the model high school student, set to take student council president at Lincoln High. With her best friend Brian as campaign advisor and sassy nemesis James as her vice president, things seem to be right on track for Stacey’s senior year. But Stacey’s plans take a sudden nosedive as the new girl, Julia, and the high school stoner, Tony, enter the race. Three very different platforms, each with their own unique appeal, go head-to-head amidst some classic high school drama. Gordon Jack tells the story of this exciting political race, replete with high school drama and hilarious mishaps. Your Own Worst Enemy is a great book for anybody looking for a funny read, mixed with some sentiment and a powerful truth.

[Meen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know why, but I couldn't stop picturing Stacey as Paris Geller the whole time I was reading. I even read Stacey's lines in her voice. That's probably one the reasons why I preferred her out of the three candidates. I liked Julia as well, but she came to me a bit as a shoe-in --- rising to fame in no time, getting everything handed to her in a plate and all. I have seen some reviews symbolise Tony as Trump, but he doesn't seem that obnoxious to me. He fights for what he believes in and in this case--- his favourite chocolate milk, Space Cow. I would be pissed as well if one day I woke up and found out that CocaCola was banned.