Last Laugh

Before his best friend Kevin was diagnosed with leukemia, Robbie's biggest problems were zits and a prominent unibrow. Oh, and, vying for who was the funniest guy in the universe: him or Kevin? In Last Laugh (a YA novel), two sixteen-year-old best friends use humor to deal with problems. As their lives become complex and serious, Robbie (the least popular kid at school) grows less concerned with having the last laugh. When Robbie is forced to go on a family vacation to Costa Rica-the day after Kevin's diagnosis-he learns of a vine that supposedly heals leukemia during a guided tour of the rain forest.

But what was he thinking when he snuck back into the rain forest in the late afternoon to try to find the vine, only to get lost and hurt? What was he thinking when he tried to smuggle his vine through customs, only to get caught by a sniffer dog? And what was he thinking when he solicited help from Kevin's spoiled rotten, bitchy (but beautiful) younger sister, Bea, to sneak Kevin a tincture made from the vine-which Robbie later found out could compromise Kevin's bone marrow transplant procedure?

As each boy becomes involved with their first love, the story careens to a surprising final, dramatic twist that finally answers the question of who gets the last laugh.

Perfect for fans of John Green's The Fault in Our Stars or Nicola Yoon's emotional teen tales, this coming-of-age story captures the fierce love of friendship in the face of illness. With authentic voices, laugh-out-loud moments, and unflinching honesty, Last Laugh reminds us that even in darkness, two boys can rewrite the ending.