The plot is so absurd and such a mess it seems to me that CD Payne was coerced into writing a sequel (or maybe he just wanted to profit some more) and never had an ending in sight so he found himself writing into plot holes that could never be resolved except with things too absurd even for Twispian universe standards. His prose is different in this one too. Whereas the first one starts you off with a clear and vivid description of Nick, his mom, Jerry, etc and the brilliant recaptures of his date with Sheeni with Jerry and his mom, to his spying on Lefty, to meeting Fuzzy and Apurva, this time it seems like the characters are forced to meet each other, and can't get out of their predicaments unless some Divine Intervention occurs. There is not a funny moment in this book; it just cycles into the absurd and introduces so many characters it becomes annoying. I know the pattern in the first book was the same too; Lefty is a major player in the first one then suddenly disappears as Fuzzy and Vijay take over the spotlight; in this one, you go from Connie (?!?!) to Dogo and back again.

But in this book, when CD Payne creates a new character, by what else, Plastic Surgery (What the F***??!), I couldn't believe it. Nick goes to Mexico to get plastic surgery? I mean, geez, dressing up as Carlotta is reasonable, but this is just retarded, even for the Twispian world. This book is just so unbelievabe, the characters don't even seem to believe what they are saying because Payne is lost and seems to have forgotten how these characters would talk; its just one absurdity after another--and not only is it absurd in general, it's contradictory that these old characters would do the same things (Paul is no longer as ominous and Vijay no longer as conniving. Could you imagine Sheeni from the first book saying the same things?). The first one is just flat out better--the dialogue and Tarantino-esque situations are genius yet believable at least.

Revolting Youth seems forced and that it was written by an aspiring 11th grader submitting something to his AP English teacher. Also, if you'll notice, the reviews on this book are FOR YOUTH IN REVOLT. Interesting that there's not a single praise for Revolting Youth on REVOLTING YOUTH ITSELF. The botton line is, the first one was pure classic, impossible to top, and this just proves it.