Pinocchio is Punching You - Lex Wilson - Bog

After he got his wish to become a real boy, Pinocchio wanted what every real boy wanted:
To be trained by ninjas. "In this funny sendup of the classic fairy tale, Pinocchio, having been made a boy, wants one more thing: to be made a ninja. Pinocchio hangs out at the mall, where a bully convinces him that ninja mastery can be had--at a price. The story sharply outlines the oddity of pre-pubescent boys' fixations (ninjas, zombies, petty theft and bra straps), and its playful blend of realism and fantasy is just right. The author has a sharp ear for dialogue and for the unusual highways and byways that adolescent conversations take. It's a clever idea executed ably; lots of laugh-out-loud moments and off-beat humor pepper this fun, inventive romp." - Publishers Weekly A modern day retelling of/"sequel" to the timeless coming-of-age story. (Publishers Weekly reviewed this little guy as part of a semifinalist award in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest. A novella among proper novels, Pinocchio is Punching You snuck in there like a ninja.)