Benjamin has always been the type of guy who stands to the side and watches the classic all-American, pretty boy badasses swoop in and get the girl. They always seem to know how to act, and being charming and cool is effortless for them. Meanwhile, curious, contemplative, and comically awkward, Benjamin, who relies on his razor-sharp wit and books to help him navigate the world, remains completely clueless. It was only a few weeks ago that Benjamin’s ineptitude cost him everything. On a day that was expected to be perfect, everything ended with his dad dying on his drive home to deal with the mess Benjamin had created.
After Benjamin suffers a mental breakdown and attempts suicide, his mom packs up the family. She moves them to her upstate childhood hometown of Lima, a suffocatingly small town with a complicated history and an uncertain future—a future, unbeknownst to Benjamin, that is tied to him by lineage and circumstance.
When Benjamin meets reckless, charming, and equally alienated Theo, a kid who is nothing like anyone Benjamin has known before, he gets roped into Theo’s dreams of being the next Evel Knievel. With Benjamin’s guilt bearing down around him as he haplessly relives the day of his father’s death and the lengths to which Theo will go to achieve his dreams becoming increasingly dire—and illegal—the boys strive to overcome their challenges together. Will Ben and Theo persevere as the consequences of their choices threaten to overwhelm them, or will their actions lead them on a collision course with disaster?
About the Author
Benjamin Rosenberg was raised in upstate New York. A huge fan of stories that detail the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of the human spirit, he hopes that his first novel, The Misfits of Lima, contributes a meaningful verse to the “powerful play.” Benjamin lives with his wife and daughter in Los Angeles, California.
Photo by Ben Abkaryan
** Misfits is intended for children ages 14 and older. The book contains suggestive dialogue, coarse language, sexual situations and, limited violence.**
Press
Sarcastic, intelligent, and bitter, Benjamin, the teenage protagonist of The Misfits of Lima by Benjamin Rosenberg, is immediately relatable and likable, despite the numerous flaws he perceives in himself. In fact, even though Benjamin has inadvertently caused the death of his father, he becomes a sympathetic character as he and his family attempt to move on and move out from the city they know so well to Lima, which only makes Benjamin’s situation worse. Luckily, though, Benjamin quickly meets Theo, a boy with his own set of problems. As Benjamin and Theo forge a friendship based on humor, family tragedy, and self-destruction, the reader quickly jumps on for the ride, anxious to find out what will become of the two boys. Despite the dark subject matter of the book, author Rosenberg employs a lively writing style filled with highly entertaining conversations. As Benjamin, his mother Eleanore, and younger brother Laurence engage in wordplay and clever one-upmanship, they prove to be worthy of any quick-witted, rapid-firing Aaron Sorkin character. Furthermore, although Benjamin is in his teens, the intelligence with which Rosenberg has imbued his protagonist makes Benjamin a character that readers of any age can appreciate. Young adults will find someone whose characteristics mirror some of their own, and older readers will appreciate the fact that they have, hopefully, outgrown some of these tendencies. Either way, The Misfits of Lima is an extremely entertaining, sympathetic look at teenage life. Be ready to come along for the ride.
Sara Bigley
What a great read! It’s a coming of age story that really grips you by the heart strings and wont let go. The twist and turns throughout the story keep you on the edge of you seat in anticipation for what will happen next. It a story of friendship, understanding and forgiveness with bits of action thrown into the mix. This is one not to be missed! Highly recommend.
Bailee Taylor
The Misfits of Lima is an engrossing story of what happens when the despondency of one teenager matched by another’s desire to belong, drives two boys towards disaster. What happens to these two misfits takes many turns. Will the ending be a happy one or a tragic one? The author keeps us constantly guessing and just when we think we know the answer, we are hit with another twist. As a mother of two teenagers, I really related to Benjamin’s mother, Eleanore. Her situation is truly tragic and her attempts to keep cool, to relate to her out-of-control son is just so true to life. I just loved it when Theo, who reads Benjamin so well, points out that Benjamin’s much more his mother’s son than his father’s. The Misfits of Lima is an honest to goodness page-turner, and definitely worth the time.
Phylis Kurs
The book was nothing like I expected and I enjoyed it so much more than I was expecting to. Rosenberg has a really unique voice, one that skillfully combines intelligence and irreverence, and he really nails this story of a teenage boy's life gone off the rails under the craziest of circumstances. Of three families in crisis. Once I got hooked, I was totally hooked, as Rosenberg really keeps you guessing as to what comes next. And, I really started to care about what came next! Most importantly, Rosenberg’s setups, PAY OFF! A total recommend!
