This book was an emotional ride. I LOVED it, from start to finish. Ozzy was an enthralling character and I couldn’t stop reading. I empathised with him through every page.

4.5 stars.
The hero’s voice in “Stumped”, by Kate Larkindale (Evernight Teen), is the most enthralling element of the story, raw, honest, both snarky and innocent, capturing the myriad of emotions, changes and challenges Ozzy goes through as a seventeen-year-old suddenly so dramatically different.
The author managed to transmit all the pain, despair, resilience, stubbornness and incredible sense of humor of Ozzy. And still portray him as a very normal seventeen-year-old boy, full of testosterone.
I loved how in this journey we get to watch Ozzy dealing with very serious physical and mental health issues, even matters of life or death, yet the story is still a celebration of life, friendship, love between siblings and a mother’s infinite love and compassion.
Ozzy’s journey is hard, gritty, sad, but like Phoenix he rises from the ashes stronger and smarter. He’s a tough kid, a fighter, who learns to adjust his dreams and expectations to a new reality.
The representation of a competitive, driven adolescence dealing with a dramatically changed body is top-notch. Having Ozzy’s exclusive point of view is wonderful, it feels very real and believable, his thoughts and feelings matching the mind and soul of a seventeen-year-old.
I liked the dialogue and the interactions, Ozzy’s sarcastic considerations and self-deprecating humor, when facing hardships and experiencing mortification.
He’s his harshest critic, but even in the depths of despair there’s always the humor and no mushy feelings are involved.
Ozzy’s loss of virginity quest is filled with both fun and heartbreaking episodes.
I found the changes in the hero’s social life after the accident, with so many people disappearing from his circle, too cruel and hard to understand.