High school senior Jesse Alderman is a master
manipulator.
He knows how to get what he wants by getting
other people what they want.
To Jesse, people are predictable.
Easy to understand.
Well, most people.
Strangely enough, the one person Jesse doesn’t
seem to understand at all…is himself.
Jesse can get anyone anything they need.
For the principal, he’ll dispense with an
undermining troublemaker.
For the football players, he’ll provide
kegs.
And for the popular guy who has it all, except
for Bridget, the high school’s most perfect
girl?
Jesse’s got all the right words to woo her,
too.
But there’s a problem: In the course of
figuring out how to woo Bridget, Jesse ends
up falling for her himself.
Collateral damage includes Mr. Dunkleman at
the nursing home, who pretends to be Jesse’s
grandfather—and then wants to be friends.
There’s also Bridget’s annoying younger
brother who just won’t get lost.
Jesse’s not an appealing character at first.
Like I said: he’s a manipulator.
Except, what makes this story so compelling—and,
in fact, redeeming—is that even as Jesse
wheels and deals, it’s clear he’s in it
for more than the cash.
Does Jesse Alderman actually care?
It’s not until Jesse turns his powers of
observation on himself—perhaps with the
help of a few new friends—that he discovers
not just that he does care, but that he also
actually wants to.
