If you only know me from my web site, you might think I'm nothing but a shallow jokester that never has a serious thought in his mind. This, like just about any assumption made based soley on someone's web page, is to say the least innacurate. In order to give you a slightly more well-rounded view of me, I've started this page.

Book Look will focus on interesting literature I've recently read. I may tackle a classic book, or I may share a hidden gem I've found. Today's book falls into the second category.

Impeach Screech! by Beth Cruise From the "Saved by the Bell" series, Collier Books, 1993

When I first read the title of this book, I naturally assumed it would be a dark Republican pro-Nixon manifesto. I was pleasantly surprised to find it to be a comedic novella with a surprisngly dark undercurrent based on the improbable acts of a group of popular (and not-so-popular) high school students.

Samuel "Screech" Powers, newly appointed school treasurer, is one of the major characters of the story- but the main focus of the book is on Zack Morris, the most popular student at Bayside High. When Zack, a loyal but morally suspect student, learns that his beloved school is broke, he agrees raise money by raffling off his greatest asset- himself. The reprecussions to Zack's life are harsh and swift. His girlfriend, Kelly, is understandably upset by Zack's willingness to sell himself. Meanwhile, Screech, who is acting as the bag man, manages to lose the money Zack has sacrificed himself for.

Even if the story was not as compelling as it is, this book would be worth reading just for Beth Cruise's dynamic and telling writing. When she describes Jessie as having "a terrific brain cooking underneath a gorgeous exterior," she paints a picture more clear than any photograph. The same is true for her thumbnail sketch of Lisa Turtle- "She was a pretty African-American teen who hated exercise but always stayed slim." Fourteen words that Shakespeare would have killed to have created.

Now, I haven't quite finished the book yet- it is over 120 pages long with no pictures- but I feel confident that the story will hold up. If you are looking for a powerful story of courage, sacrifice, betrayal and redemption, you can find no finer work than Impeach Screech. I hope a studio head finds this book- I believe it could be made into an excellent film. In fact, the characters are so rich that they could easily entertain for years on television.