3.5/5 stars


Mr. 60% is about a boy named Matt who does the bare minimum in school and sells drugs on the side in order to care for his uncle who had been diagnosed with cancer. He soon gets told in order to pass, he needs to join a club and this is where he meets Amanda, the loveliest girl he could possibly meet.

Clete Barrett Smith managed to make my eyes water while reading this book. Cancer is a heavy topic, especially when you pair it with a "family" who can't financially support it. The plot is centered around Matt who's financially and physically responsible for his uncle. This obviously plays a big part in the book because he's been selling drugs in order to support his uncle and has been putting away his true personality because of his experience.


This book came off to be very relationship based rather than plot or character based. His relationships were the most interesting and really gave you a proper introduction to his character. His relationship with Amanda and his uncle were by far the most significant. Amanda is so sweet, probably one of my favorite characters, who ends up helping him in several ways with his uncle and his life in school. She supported him thoroughly when he hasn't had that kind of support in so long which really stripped him of that fake persona he had been putting on. His relationship with his uncle is so heartwarming but also heartbreaking because of the situation. His uncle used to live such a glorious life and ended up in a terrible situation. Even though he was put in that situation, he was more positive within it than Matt was and this lead to Matt's realization of how he had been acting ever since. The ending with his death was so upsetting but didn't excite the plot or anything. The plot stayed on a straight line throughout the entire book which was disappointing to say the least but didn't ruin it all together.


Out of the few issues I had with the book, one of them was slightly resolved. I feel like this book is very easy for someone to turn away. The description is intriguing and the cover is gorgeous but size of the book and the plot don't really work in terms of it being hyped. I had no idea who the author was and when I saw how short it is, it had me worried. The writing was very average which didn't ruin it because of how short it was, but it made it quite lackluster. With such a deep situation and topic that it held, it should've at least had some more complicated or "highlight worthy" quotes. Also, at the very beginning of the book, the way his uncle had talked about Matt with girls made me uncomfortable. I mean, this is obviously the character's speaking and not the author, but if it hasn't been resolved through his uncle denying his fat-shaming and Amanda speaking of her confidence, I would've definitely put it down after the issues I'd already come across.

Overall, I didn't hate this book. It was very entertaining but not something I'd obsess over or recommended. It was nice to see the representation of a poor family dealing with something like cancer and the ends you'd meet in order to help someone. It didn't carry that heavy weight of emotions that most books do when you talk about cancer but it wasn't very exciting either. As mentioned earlier, the book stayed on a flat line throughout the entire thing but it wasn't completely disappointing. I'd say it's a love or hate kind of book.

Mr. 60% is short and sweet but I recommend it 100%!

Mr. 60% is a teen/YA stand-alone novel. I decided to read this book when I saw it offered on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Matt Nolan (Mr. 60%) is his high school’s drug dealer. Any kind of drug you want he can probably get it for you. His reputation is known by the students and assumed by the teachers. His Vice Principle has yet to catch him in the act and is just counting down the days when Matt is finally caught red handed or finally flunks out. Matt isn’t what he seems though. Matt isn’t selling drugs for selfish reasons he is selling to care for his Uncle Jack who is dying of cancer. In order to stay in good graces at the school, Matt needs to spend time doing an after school club. At this club he is partnered with Amanda. Amanda is his opposite; she is cherry, outgoing, and loves school. Amanda eventually learns his secret and finally for once in Matt’s life he isn’t alone and has someone to share his burden with.

I really liked Mr. 60%. It’s a feel good emotional story that has a lot jammed in its 190-ish pages. I think my favorite part of this book is finally I read a book where the boy and girl are completely platonic and it completely works in this story. Had Matt and Amanda had a budding romance it would have been a complete distraction from their unique friendship and her friendship with Jack. The 3 main characters in this book are beautifully developed and realistic and by the end of the book you really care for each of them and where they are going. The story gets quite sad and raw when Matt is caring for Jack as Jack’s health deteriorates. I could not put this book down and read it in a few hours. The only reason I didn’t not give this book higher stars was the ending was weird. The story just ends making the book feel incomplete. I was hoping for just another few chapters at the end to tie things up a little nicer.

"She didn't know it wasn't a choice. He was alone."


I just found this book so sad and depressing and I could not find it in myself to be able to connect with any of the characters. Though, I did start to feel some of the characters much more midway through the book. The story and the plot was really slow and I cannot find the point of everything that was going on. I was not a fan of the incorporation of drugs into the story. Not my cup of tea.

Amanda's character was perfect. . .maybe too perfect for a story like this. It's not a cliche story but, I guess what I expected was a very cheesy love story, based on the title and how the cover made me feel when I saw it.

In the end, I felt bad for both Matt and Amanda (not exactly sure why). It isn't because I hated this book but more for the fact that I really didn't feel anything that was going on in the book. I am just more of a happy, light, deep person when it comes to books.

I thought this was a very unique and different read. I really enjoyed all the characters, and the plot might be a little fast-paced, but it truly was a great read.

Matt barely scrapes by at school, lives in a trailer park with his uncle who has a lot of medical issues and Matt is also often in trouble at school because of his actions.

His behaviour and grades land him in the Helping Hands group helping out with community tasks as he participates delivering books to the hospital with Amanda a girl who is a member of Helping Hands. With her, he finds a friend and confidant about his uncle's condition and the worse he gets as the cancer slowly drains him and Matt needs support as he faces a big life change.

This book was a work which tested me at times as I hate the idea of drug abuse or misuse, but we see the side of that which is never fully discussed in real life as it may be extremely necessary to people unable to get proper healthcare. Thus, we see Matt in a better light of getting by to help a dying relative which anyone would try to help ease their pain. A moving book that proves friendship can help in the worst of times.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Matt's only substitute parental caregiver, Jack, is dying of cancer and to fund their life, Matt sells drugs. Matt is intelligent but does just enough to get by in school. The school counselor assigns Matt to an after school club thinking it will help him stay on track for graduation and at that club Matt meets Amanda. Amanda befriends both Matt and Jack and Matt learns to let another person into his life.

This is well written but short and the ending seems unfinished.

The writing style was weird. I felt like the book was originally written in first person and then all the pronouns were switched.

This book was supposed to be some sort of coming of age story, but Matt's character never really changed. The turning point was when he didn't have to deal with Jack anymore--not when he decided what he wanted. He always wanted to graduate he just didn't put himself first. Matt didn't have to better his life before--he escaped his problem. Which seems awful to say under the circumstances, but he really did.

Maybe I'm being harsh, but the whole time I felt like I was being manipulated into liking the book. Like if you feel sorry enough for a character, you'll like the story. But I just didn't care enough about the characters to care about the story.

Mr. 60% is a book that is going to tug at your FEELINGS. I absolutely loved it!! It was a bit of a "pick up on a whim" sort of book and I'm so glad I did. It's heartwarming and it's really short, but packs a punch. And it's pretty gritty too, so no fluffy unicorns or rainbows here. It's about a teen who runs drugs in order to buy medication for his dying uncle. It so perfectly builds this scene of a boy and his uncle who grate against each other but LOVE each other fiercely.

I absolutely loved Matt. He's called "Mr 60%" because he does the bare minimum to get through classes. He's basically only in school so he can hook kids up with drugs = ergo to buy money for his uncle's meds. So he's a total antihero. He's closed off and silent and so so sad because everyone treats him like dirt. Everyone just think he's a no-good, loser, going-to-end-up-in-jail sort of kid and -- IT KINDA BREAKS YOU. He's also kind of sweet, but in a gruff way. The book is SO SMOL but I really cared about Matt in like a matter of heartbeats. Precious cinnamon scone.

I also adored the writing!! It was really concise, brisk, and to the point. The scenes are short and they PUNCH. I love it!!

And it showed a really gritty side of dying. Like Uncle Jack's sickness is messy and gross and here's Matt, 17, and taking care of his Uncle no matter what.

Also can we take a moment for boy-and-girl platonic friendships?!?? Matt teams up with super sweet Amanda for a school project but there is (a) no sappy insta-romance, and (b) Amanda doesn't take Matt's moodiness but she also doesn't force him to change. It's so healthy and good and I loved it.

Honestly it was moving and bittersweet and really powerful and the themes of love and family and friendship were so strong and tightly woven with moments of heartbreak and pain. A definite recommend!