Fourteen-year-old Will Carter is on the verge of high school and--he's positive about this--greatness. Except that he isn't. Because high school is A LOT harder than he thought it would be. And it has nothing to do with academics. Carter's ADD makes it really hard to concentrate, especially with all of those hot girls everywhere. He can't seem to stay focused in class or on the football field, but when it comes to trying to lose his virginity, his focus is laser-sharp. During his freshman year he will face an angry mob of drill teamers, suffer through humiliating try-outs, run from infuriated law enforcement officers, and commit social suicide. He may even learn a thing or two along the way.

Carter Finally Gets It is the guffaw-inspiring story of a fourteen-year-old boy navigating his freshman year of high school and making lots of mistakes along the way. Teen boys will find a kindred spirit in Carter, who has an authentic voice and expresses feelings some boys may be uncomfortable discussing. Carter straddles childhood and adulthood, and finds this vantage point on life extremely challenging. His flaws make him endearing, and while he doesn't always make the best choices, the reader will root for him nonetheless. He is completely obsessed with girls and invests way too much of his hard-earned money on a porn DVD that is permanently stuck on fast-forward. He can't seem to remember to hide it because, as he admits himself, "ADD and horniness are a bad combination." Both Carter's father and an older boy he looks up to convey the message that porn has nothing to do with a healthy sexual relationship in real life. Carter's own love life gets off to a pretty good start (he even gets as far as making out and actual contact with panties) but it crashes and burns when he kisses and tells too much in the locker room. He attends a few unchaperoned teen parties where there is lots of drunken behavior and implied teen sex (a friend admits to having unprotected sex) but Carter is not a fan of alcohol and secretly fills his beer can with Mountain Dew instead. Although Carter is not exactly a stellar student, he does show drive and determination on the swim team. While the publisher's recommended age for this book is 11-13 years old, strong language ("tig 'ol bitties," a-s, b-tch, d-uche bag, d-ck, sl-t, p-ssy, b-obs) and mature content make it most appropriate for teen readers. Fans can follow Carter in the sequel, Carter's Big Break.
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