The Field Guide to the North American Teenager
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The Field Guide to the North American Teenager Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Ben Philippe (Author), James Fouhey (Narrator), HarperAudio (Publisher)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 468 ratings
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William C. Morris YA Debut Award Winner!

A hilarious contemporary realistic YA debut novel about a rather cynical Black French Canadian teen who moves to Austin, Texas, and experiences the clichés and joys of the American high school experience - including falling in love. Perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon, When Dimple Met Rishi, and John Green.

Norris Kaplan is clever, cynical, and quite possibly too smart for his own good. A Black French Canadian, he knows from watching American sitcoms that those three things don’t bode well when you are moving to Austin, Texas.

Plunked into a new high school and sweating a ridiculous amount from the oppressive Texas heat, Norris finds himself cataloging everyone he meets: the Cheerleaders, the Jocks, the Loners, and even the Manic Pixie Dream Girl. Making a ton of friends has never been a priority for him, and this way he can at least amuse himself until it’s time to go back to Canada, where he belongs.

Yet against all odds, those labels soon become actual people to Norris…like loner Liam, who makes it his mission to befriend Norris, or Madison the beta cheerleader, who is so nice that it has to be a trap. Not to mention Aarti the Manic Pixie Dream Girl, who might, in fact, be a real love interest in the making.

But the night of the prom, Norris screws everything up royally. As he tries to pick up the pieces, he realizes it might be time to stop hiding behind his snarky opinions and start living his life - along with the people who have found their way into his heart.

Previous page
  1. Listening Length
    9 hours and 12 minutes
  2. Author
    Ben Philippe
  3. Narrator
    James Fouhey
  4. Audible release date
    January 8, 2019
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    HarperAudio
  7. ASIN
    B07HPBBVX8
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 9 hours and 12 minutes
Author Ben Philippe
Narrator James Fouhey
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date January 08, 2019
Publisher HarperAudio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B07HPBBVX8
Best Sellers Rank #128,217 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#20 in Fiction on Emigration & Immigration for Teens
#78 in Teen & Young Adult Fiction about Emigration & Immigration
#225 in Coming of Age Fiction for Teens

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
468 global ratings
SUCH a good read!
5 Stars
SUCH a good read!
Norris is such a likeable character with so much humor and a great outlook on the “new America” world around him. All other characters are so interesting and fleshed out. Five stars!!!WARNING: Both my teenage daughters saw this book at different times and gave me a hard time because they thought I was reading up on THEM!!!
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Top reviews from the United States

Katie
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2020
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What a fun read! I love reading young adult fiction before bed. This one was particularly good at keeping me interested in the storyline. The characters examine a different side to race relations in America just through their experiences. I’m grateful the author wrote this book and shared these stories. Do read this! It’s a fun story about high school and moving and finding out what’s important.
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Erika
4.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly Lovable
Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2020
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The characters were written so well. I felt like I really knew these kids. I expected a cheesy happy ending, but that’s not what I got. It was realistic, but still super cute. Overall, the story just felt good. I thought the author did a great job with this book.
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P. McGraw
5.0 out of 5 stars Staying in Touch
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2019
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As parents and grandparents, we have a choice. We can look the other way as our teens struggle their way through the pitfalls of middle and high school, or we can read books like this one that keep us up on the way teens talk, the way they think, the way they treat each other, how they behave in school, how they feel, the words they use, the kinds of scrapes they get into. I found myself comparing it to my own high school experience. Actions and words and expectations were a little different; the angst and alienation remained the same.

As Norris struggles with his total lack of control over his own situation, sympathetic to his newly divorced, newly employed mother, but anguished at leaving his buddies and his comfort zone in Canada, he is not an ideal candidate for a happy ending. He has a rocky beginning, alienating two major groups of high viz students in his new school, and making himself increasingly miserable as he compares his current life of misery to his former one which glows in hindsight.

It cut me to the core. I mothered a teen who moved, and often. it was OK until middle school, and then hormones, an increased need for autonomy and normal parent/teen conflicts began, and we were told he was "at risk" for dropping out of school. We pulled together, and my major fear was never dropping out, but teen suicide. Statistics for teen age males in the US are grim; moving and losing friends makes you even more vulnerable to that dark despair than the average despairing teen.

Norris comes across a good variety of other teens with problems, in fact, what I loved about this book is that even the glossiest teens have their secret problems, and it is finding community and strength in their friendships that pulls them through, that gives them the boost that helps them survive.
10 people found this helpful
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Jackie Dever
5.0 out of 5 stars Great characters, smart dialogue, funny and honest
Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2019
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This has been one of my favorite YA reads of the year. Norris is the kind of prickly-hilarious-heartfelt protagonist I always fall in love with. He's sarcastic and sharp-tongued, but he's also deep-down kind, capable of self-reflection and growth, and empathetic. He progresses from seeing his classmates as caricatures to seeing them as fully rounded people with their own hopes and fears. I adored the lot of them.
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Olga Lukmanova
3.0 out of 5 stars ok, but fairly forgettable
Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2019
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The best part about it is the genuine feel of personal experience woven into the story. It was fine, but fairly forgettable. A one-time read - and I feel like I needn't have read it. Needless profanity which feels like a shortcut. I am always on the lookout for fresh contemporary fiction for young adults, but I will not be recommending it to my ESL students.
5 people found this helpful
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Alicia Rivas
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Read!
Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2019
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I loved the characters, they had so much growth throughout the story! I also love the topics that are tackled, and most importantly I like that this story didn't have a happy overly optimistic ending. It's just a book that is as real as real life!
One person found this helpful
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BookishBlondeNerd
4.0 out of 5 stars Great story
Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2020
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This book is definitely a must read. It's refreshing and riveting. The character is not likeable at times. He is brash, cynical, and judgemental. But Norris is real which makes him relateable. He uses his wit and angst to protect himself from a world that isn't always kind, especially to a young black male. The story is told through Norris' perspective when he moves from Canada to Austin, Texas. He hates everything about Texas until he doesn't. The story is about his journey and the people he meets along the way. It's about rasicm, suicide, depression, immigration, divorce, not fitting in, messing up, consequences, and having to face your mistakes. It's deep and personal and utterly riveting. This book is definitely worth the read.
5 people found this helpful
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Karenb
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent novel
Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2020
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Great characters and storyline. The only thing is that it left me wanting more. I really would love a sequel
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Top reviews from other countries

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iHeartBooks
5.0 out of 5 stars long but very beautiful read
Reviewed in Germany on September 5, 2023
Verified Purchase
Long book, took me a long time to finish as it took me a while to settle in. But between hearing the audio book while walking the baby, characters came alive. Issues came alive, general teenage issues, issues about race, identity. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
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Léa
3.0 out of 5 stars meh
Reviewed in France on December 31, 2020
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This was... the epitome of average. The idea and some scenes were really good but the MC is mean and always victimizes himself which is insufferable and kind of kills the book
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Dave
5.0 out of 5 stars Clever, funny and original
Reviewed in Canada on February 17, 2019
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Norris Kaplan is a struggling teenager. His parents are divorced and he is forced to move away from his home country to the USA where he tries his best to fit in to his new school and make new friends. Norris is alienated, frustrated and mean - but it's still easy to root for him because he is genuine and the reader understands where he is coming from.

I loved how each chapter starts with witty notes that set the stage and how the character dialogues are witty and smart. The story has surprising moments and twist that I didn't see coming. Really enjoyed it, and highly recommend it!
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Marie
5.0 out of 5 stars Accrocheur et intéressant!
Reviewed in Canada on February 22, 2021
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Vraiment bien comme lecture!
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