Full Tilt by Shusterman

This was the first book I'd ever read by Shusterman, who is now my personal writing god. I devoured it in about 2 hours because I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. Literally. It's that good. The story follows a pair of brothers, as unlike each other as possible. Blake is a college-bound brainiac with a guilt complex. Quinn is a dysfunctional oddball with a middle finger ball cap. The first chapter details how he climbed 50 feet to rescue said ball cap from off the tracks of a moving roller coaster. He's a quintessential thrill seeker. The boys get invited to a secret, free, nighttime carnival by a gorgeous redhead. The redhead is, unfortunately, Satan. Each ride in the carnival is a piece of the rider's personal hell. All the victim has to do to escape is successfully ride seven rides before dawn without dying or going insane. In typical headlong fashion, Quinn enters the carnival. Blake and two friends go in after Quinn to try and bring him out. The resulting tale is an intelligent, insightful tale that has a Dante's inferno feel. The writing is an 8 and the story is a 9. Definitely worth the few hours needed to read this book.