Seventh-grader Crash Coogan has been fearless and invincible for as long as he can remember, and he barrels his way through emotional relationships with the same bullying force that he exhibits physically. Crash's least favorite person--and therefore his favorite victim for teasing and torture--is Penn Webb. From the time he first met Penn, when they both were six, Crash has been driven nuts by the peaceloving vegetarian. The fact that Penn considers Crash a friend makes it worse. But on some level that he vaguely realizes, Crash is jealous of Penn, who has a close, involved relationship with his mom and dad, while Crash feels on the periphery of his own overworked parent's lives. Crash's voice is funny and fresh, and all the characters are so very human in this insightful, unexpected narrative that look at the life of a bully from the inside out. (Ages 10-13)