Description:

Why is Elvin such a lightning rod for people trying to improve him?

For as long as Elvin can remember, it’s been just him and his mom, the only blood relative he knows. But out of the blue, his supposedly dead uncle, Alex, shows up. Elvin learns that years ago, Alex stole the money his dad had left to him and his mom—but now Alex wants to make amends with Elvin. He wants to improve all sorts of things, offering to fix Elvin’s hair and get him a gym membership. The problem is, Elvin doesn’t think his life needs fixing.

This ebook features an illustrated biography of Chris Lynch including rare images from the author’s personal collection.

From School Library Journal

Grade 8-10–In this darkly comic follow-up to Slot Machine (1995) and Extreme Elvin (1999, both HarperCollins), Elvin Bishop, 14, must deal with an uncle's return from the dead and unsettling questions about everything from his family history to his own sexuality. This novel can stand alone, but readers already familiar with the chubby, anxious, but kindhearted teen and his friends Mikie and Frankie may have an easier time getting into the story. Elvin, who lives with his widowed mother, is shocked to discover that his uncle--supposedly dead from a plane crash–is alive, well, and sitting on the living-room couch. Uncle Alex is out of prison and determined to make up for his checkered past by becoming a father figure to his nephew. Madcap adventures ensue, the funniest of which may be Elvin's attempt to replicate handsome Frankie's hairstyle. Inevitably, Elvin ends up with a frizzy perm and a color between orange and green. Alex's brief presence in Elvin's life creates chaos but also brings understanding. The teen learns to drop his sarcasm and self-deprecating humor to let his true emotions shine through. Some readers may struggle with his ongoing internal dialogue, which sometimes bogs the story down. Still, most will identify with Elvin's outsider status and enjoy his hilarious missteps on the path to adulthood.–Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library
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From Booklist

Gr. 6-9. Poor Elvin Bishop. Everyone is always trying to improve the portly 14-year-old--even his long-dead uncle Alex. Well, Alex isn't exactly dead, though Elvin has always been told he is. He's actually been in prison, which Elvin's redoubtable mom admits when Uncle Alex shows up on the doorstep. Anxious for redemption, Alex quickly becomes a fixture in Elvin's life, demonstrating by his dubious example that appetites are, indeed, the devil. This is Lynch's third book about the tuba-playing, wisecracking Elvin, his outspoken mom, and his best buddies, Mikie and Frankie, and though they haven't yet worn out their welcome, the humor seems a bit thin, and the rapid-fire dialogue forced. But because Elvin remains the quintessential adolescent male--worried about sex, personal identity, and just about everything--readers, especially boys, will enjoy this generally cheerful look at themselves. Michael Cart
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved