Review of Cheeseburger Subversive

By Paul A. Toth, author of Fizz.

To say Cheeseburger Subversive is a coming-of-age tale misses what makes the novel so much more than that. In this short book, one appropriate for both teenagers and adults, Dak Sifter must pass a series of tests as he moves toward manhood. But in Cheeseburger Subversive, almost all these tests involve power: whether Dak can overcome his first attempt at mowing the lawn despite the abuse of a macho neighbor; or somehow save an abused boy obsessed with contacting the alien civilization he believes will rescue him; or face down a local cult-like church.

First experiences with motorized power, or lack thereof, from said lawnmower to a minibike to a would-be hot rod, accentuate the battle between Dak's inner David and Goliath. An early and hilarious episode, in which a collection of Godzilla-like relatives invades the family Christmas, is worth the price of admission alone.

The theme of personal politics at boy's eye-level makes Scarsbrook's novel unique, one which will remind adults that childhood is filled with conflicts often more terrifying than those we later face, if only because we have yet to learn what motivates our adversaries...and how far they'll go in their quest for power.