SAINT IGGY by K. L. Going
Category: Contemporary
Age Recommendation: Grades 9+
Release Date: 9/1/06
Publisher: Harcourt
Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"
Rating: 5 Stars
Iggy Corso isn't a bad kid. He's not that bright, and he often does and says things long before thinking through the
consequences of his actions, but he isn't inherently bad. Iggy is the product of his upbringing, which includes an alcoholic
father, a junkie mother, and life in the Projects. His school file is crammed with notations regarding his run-ins with
security, teachers, and the principal. But this time, Iggy's been expelled from high school pending a hearing with the
Superintendent, and there's no one around for him to tell--no one around, in fact, to even care.
Iggy, though, has a plan. He'll contribute to the world, will somehow make a difference in these few short days before
Christmas and his school hearing, and convince everyone--from his parents to Principal Olmos--that they were wrong
about him. The first part of Iggy's plan involves getting out of the Projects, so he goes to the only other place he knows,
which is the dump where his friend Mo lives. Mo was kicked out of college, where he was studying pre-law, for smoking
pot, and now he lives in an apartment with a broken window and ratty furniture, alternately stoned and renouncing all
material things. But Iggy needs Mo's help to get him back into school, so he follows him along when Mo decides to get a
line of credit on some pot.
Iggy doesn't do drugs. Everything thinks he does, because of his home life, but being born addicted to crack did more to
Iggy than just slow down his brain. He's seen firsthand how it affects his family, especially his mother, who has been gone
for months now "visiting" someone. He's seen Freddie, his father's dealer, break his father's fingers when his dad didn't
have the money to pay for his drugs. So although Iggy doesn't do drugs, he goes along with Mo when he needs some
pot--and realizes that his plan isn't going very well when Mo goes straight to Freddie. When Mo gets his pot, along with
some other "free samples" on a line of credit, Iggy realizes that getting back into school might be the least of his problems.
But now it's Mo's turn for a plan--he needs a couple grand to pay off Freddie, so he'll go to his mother, who has more
money than she knows what to do with. But that doesn't turn out exactly right, either, and soon Iggy is involved in yet
another scheme involving drugs, a dealer, and a friend. For Iggy, who isn't a bad kid but also isn't Mother Teresa, there's
a fine line between contributing to the world and making something of yourself.
SAINT IGGY is a great, heartbreaking read. From the beginning, you can't help but wish a better life for Iggy, all the
while knowing, somehow, that things aren't going to end up the way you want them to. Iggy is a boy who has somehow
fallen through the cracks, and yet he manages to bring a sense of hope to every situation he finds himself in. Ms. Going has
done a wonderful job of bringing Iggy Corso to life, and you'll be forever grateful for the chance of getting to know him.
Category: Contemporary
Age Recommendation: Grades 9+
Release Date: 9/1/06
Publisher: Harcourt
Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"
Rating: 5 Stars
Iggy Corso isn't a bad kid. He's not that bright, and he often does and says things long before thinking through the
consequences of his actions, but he isn't inherently bad. Iggy is the product of his upbringing, which includes an alcoholic
father, a junkie mother, and life in the Projects. His school file is crammed with notations regarding his run-ins with
security, teachers, and the principal. But this time, Iggy's been expelled from high school pending a hearing with the
Superintendent, and there's no one around for him to tell--no one around, in fact, to even care.
Iggy, though, has a plan. He'll contribute to the world, will somehow make a difference in these few short days before
Christmas and his school hearing, and convince everyone--from his parents to Principal Olmos--that they were wrong
about him. The first part of Iggy's plan involves getting out of the Projects, so he goes to the only other place he knows,
which is the dump where his friend Mo lives. Mo was kicked out of college, where he was studying pre-law, for smoking
pot, and now he lives in an apartment with a broken window and ratty furniture, alternately stoned and renouncing all
material things. But Iggy needs Mo's help to get him back into school, so he follows him along when Mo decides to get a
line of credit on some pot.
Iggy doesn't do drugs. Everything thinks he does, because of his home life, but being born addicted to crack did more to
Iggy than just slow down his brain. He's seen firsthand how it affects his family, especially his mother, who has been gone
for months now "visiting" someone. He's seen Freddie, his father's dealer, break his father's fingers when his dad didn't
have the money to pay for his drugs. So although Iggy doesn't do drugs, he goes along with Mo when he needs some
pot--and realizes that his plan isn't going very well when Mo goes straight to Freddie. When Mo gets his pot, along with
some other "free samples" on a line of credit, Iggy realizes that getting back into school might be the least of his problems.
But now it's Mo's turn for a plan--he needs a couple grand to pay off Freddie, so he'll go to his mother, who has more
money than she knows what to do with. But that doesn't turn out exactly right, either, and soon Iggy is involved in yet
another scheme involving drugs, a dealer, and a friend. For Iggy, who isn't a bad kid but also isn't Mother Teresa, there's
a fine line between contributing to the world and making something of yourself.
SAINT IGGY is a great, heartbreaking read. From the beginning, you can't help but wish a better life for Iggy, all the
while knowing, somehow, that things aren't going to end up the way you want them to. Iggy is a boy who has somehow
fallen through the cracks, and yet he manages to bring a sense of hope to every situation he finds himself in. Ms. Going has
done a wonderful job of bringing Iggy Corso to life, and you'll be forever grateful for the chance of getting to know him.
Saint Iggy
by K. L. Going
by K. L. Going
