Let’s be honest: if a book can hook teen boys, it’s basically performing witchcraft. And yet here we are. The Underachiever somehow pulls it off with surfing vibes, sarcastic humor, AI chaos, and a hero whose main life skill is professionally avoiding responsibility. Wyoming Plankston doesn’t want to save the world — he barely wants to pass senior year — which makes him instantly relatable to every student who’s ever treated homework like a personal attack.

This book is what happens when a chill, underachieving surf bro, a digitally erased girl with secrets, evil self-driving cars, an AI uprising, and elite boarding school chaos all collide into one absurd, fast-paced, futuristic fever dream. And somehow it works.
Like… really works.

The humor is sharp, the pacing is relentless, and the tone is light enough to keep it fun while still sneaking in real stakes. It reads like a Netflix sci-fi comedy series waiting to happen. Wyoming’s voice is sarcastic without being annoying, Kayleigh is mysterious without being exhausting, and the AI apocalypse feels ridiculous in the best possible way.

And as someone who tries to get YA boys to read for fun (my most stubborn demographic, truly), this is a unicorn book:
✔ action
✔ tech
✔ humor
✔ romance that doesn’t dominate the plot
✔ a male lead who isn’t a superhero or a genius
✔ zero literary snob energy

Is it deep, literary, and destined for a Pulitzer? No.
Is it wildly entertaining? Absolutely.
Would I hand this to a reluctant reader and expect success? 100% yes.

Perfect for fans of sarcastic sci-fi, chaotic energy, and stories where the least qualified person is somehow humanity’s last hope. Because honestly… that feels accurate.