A lovable underdog whose antics carry surprising depth.
Billy 9F by David Finley spins a darkly hilarious dystopian tale where humor is forbidden and laughter itself becomes a dangerous act of rebellion. In a world dominated by schools that control every facet of life, fifteen-year-old Billy 9F is a menace: a natural class clown whose mischievous pranks—fake snot, barf, and even turds—threaten to ignite resistance. When his antics attract the regime’s attention, Billy finds himself drawn into an underground movement led by an eccentric cast of allies: the enigmatic new student Jamie 9F, her battle-scarred grandfather the Major, the legendary revolutionary Poopoo the Clown, and Uncle Mike, Billy’s malfunctioning android mentor. Complicating matters, his sister has been recruited as a spy for the authorities, his parents remain imprisoned, and the clock is ticking to rescue them. To succeed, Billy must embrace his chaotic spirit, reclaim the subversive power of laughter, and bring joy to a world designed to suppress it. Fast-paced, absurd, and remarkably heartfelt, Finley’s novel blends slapstick comedy with sharp social commentary, delivering a story about resilience, rebellion, and the irrepressible human spark that keeps humor—and hope—alive.
David Finley has a natural flair for humor, and it is organically infused into this delightfully outrageous story. The result is a laugh-out-loud dystopia that proves comedy can be revolutionary in the right hands. Every sentence lands with confident timing and clarity, and the ideas unfold with smooth, logical precision. Yet, each one carries just the right sting in its tail—satire that bites when it needs to, but never loses its heart. As protagonists go, a fifteen-year-old may not be most people’s first thought for a dystopia of this magnitude, but Billy is a lovable underdog whose antics carry surprising depth. He serves as a wonderful conduit as the absurd humor and sharp social commentary flow generously. Readers will certainly get a kick out of the inimitable Uncle Mike, who, with a brilliantly tongue-in-cheek approach in his dialogue and personal android drama, is one of the funniest and most endearing sidekicks in recent YA fiction. The world-building is a compelling mix of chilling, off-putting moments and interesting, amusing situations, echoing an Orwellian style of storytelling while carving its own original, irreverent path. Recommended as a perfect read for teens and adults who love subversive humor, Billy 9F is an important and hopeful reminder that laughter can’t be silenced, no matter how dark the world gets.
