Learning to Swear in America by Katie Kennedy

Learning to Swear in America by Katie Kennedy

MUHSD Battle of the Books 2018 selection.

Yuri doesn't know how to swear in English.  In fact Yuri doesn't know how to do much of anything besides high level physics.  At 17 he is a professor at Moscow State University and is well on his way to a Nobel Prize when he is loaned to the United States to help stop an Earth-killing asteroid.  An accidental meeting with American teen Dovie and her brother Lennon introduce him to American culture and his first experiences of actually being a teenager, complete with sneaking out at night, going to prom, and meeting your girlfriend's parents.  In his spare time he is also trying to save the world-- and learn how to swear.

This story requires a fairly large suspension of disbelief, which is hard at first but easier as the story develops.  In the end the novel is the funniest apocalypse story you will ever read.  Yuri, Dovie, and Lennon are endearing characters whose hijinks will make you laugh and cringe in equal measures.  Highly recommended.