Read a novel where teenagers spontaneously combust in math class

Spontaneous — Aaron Starmer

Content warning: Today’s newsletter discusses death of teenagers. It’s a satirical book and is over-the-top and unbelievable on purpose, but it is full of gory details. Please take care while reading if needed.

What to Read This Week

Spontaneous by Aaron Starmer

What It’s About

It’s about spontaneous human combustion—yes, really. It’s a totally normal day for the senior class until Katelyn blows up in third period pre-calc class. It’s horrifying and traumatizing and the students are now covered in bits of Katelyn. But she is just the first.

Mara cannot believe what is happening as the entire class is quarantined and held for questioning as more of her senior classmates begin to pop, one by one. The FBI races in to try to figure out what is going on, but all she can do for now is wait and hope that it’s not her who blows up next.

Being a senior is hard enough, but now Mara and her friends are trying to take every chance they have to live their lives and just get by, all while trying to navigate normal teenage things like crushes, college, friendships, and holding themselves together (literally).

Why You Should Read It

This book is a weird one, I’m not going to lie. But it’s weird in a fun way and a way that might be a good escape from reality at the moment. While quarantining is a new reality we are all experiencing, spontaneous combustion is not, and Starmer’s humor in writing about the absurdity and strangeness of the situation make this book stand out. Spontaneous was also adapted into a movie a couple years ago, so this is a great one to read and stream if you’re looking for a more under-the-radar adaptation. If you’re a fan of both fun YA novels like To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and also strange horror like Stranger Things or Grady Hendrix’s My Best Friend’s Exorcism, you’re the exact kind of reader for this book.

And when you’re done, come back and talk with me about the ending. I’m not saying anything now but I’d love to chat with you if you’ve read this book! (And if you haven’t—I love to talk about anything you’re reading!)

Next Up

I made a chaos trip to the library, which I do occasionally. Sometimes I get overwhelmed by how much I love libraries and the value they offer to the community. And then I go overboard. No, realistically, I will not read all these books. But it’s so fun to check them all out and know I didn’t have to pay a cent. Ones I grabbed that I had never heard of and sounded amazing include The Bus on Thursday by Shirley Barrett, The Most Dangerous Place on Earth by Lindsey Lee Johnson, and From Hell to Breakfast by Meghan Tifft.

I also grabbed The Ugly Cry by Danielle Henderson after listening to her as a guest on the podcast Normal Gossip, which I am resolutely and resoundingly obsessed with and need more people to listen to and tell me their own normal gossip stories.

Let me know what your library hauls usually look like! Anyone else a chaos agent like me?

More Books

Can’t get enough, or looking for a different recommendation? Browse the archives, or check out some popular past recommendations: 

• Read an adrenaline-fueled futuristic adventure novel

• Read about a woman who lives in total darkness

• Read a small-town murder mystery set in an ice-cream shop

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