Michael grew up in Queens, earned a Master’s from the Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins, lived in Manhattan for many years, and has raised two children as a stay-at-home dad in Montclair. Along the way, he has also published many short stories, as well as feature articles and op-eds in the New York Times and other publications.
A local author with a lot of adult and YA titles under his belt and great reviews besides, Laser’s new adult novel, a dark comedy for adults, My Impending Death, is set in New Jersey.
"Laser works writing magic… [T]he novel becomes a seesaw of tender moments, total screw-ups, and a suspense that becomes unbearable… Laser... mounts a steamroller of a novel. This book is a well-written, welcome surprise."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Laser’s third novel is a charming and satisfying story, funny without being an out-and-out comedy, a beautifully executed character study… Laser isn’t as well known as he ought to be, but, with any luck, this book will give him some serious exposure."
—Booklist
"With clever writing and surprisingly fitting humor…. My Impending Death is more a story about living than about dying… Infused with humor about both the most serious of topics and the most mundane elements of life itself, My Impending Death never disappoints."
—San Francisco Book Review, ***5 Stars***
"Michael Laser has written a down-to-earth New Jersey love story that convinces with every detail and rings powerfully true—a real achievement. Funny, mordant, soulful, with a sneaky plot that grabs you, My Impending Death is a hard book to put down."
—Ian Frazier
"A well-developed cast of secondary characters, some intriguing high-tech cheating tools, and a late-breaking plot twist round out this entertaining debut that will go over well with fans of David Lubar and Gordon Korman."
—Booklist
"...the hyperbolic novel raises provocative questions: how do we teach students about ethics and honor in a corrupt world? Is there ever a good reason to cheat? Several characters in the book weigh in, but Laser reveals his true message through Karl's friend and longtime crush Lizette, whose disappointment in him is devastating. Karl is a realistically conflicted teen, and the hot topic and fast-paced story line hold appeal."
—Horn Book
"When a student's life is laid waste by an evil school vice-principal with a McCarthy-like penchant for hunting down cheaters, geek genius extraordinaire Karl Petrofsky steps up to the plate and conspires to aid and abet a band of Robin Hood-like rogue cheaters in his high school….The message isn't all yuks, however, especially when Laser uncovers an ugly political underbelly beneath the city's education system. The lines between right and wrong become skewed as Karl begins to question authority and his future, and what results is a full-on Animal Farm style attack on No Child Left Behind, where readers find themselves illicitly cheering for the underdogs."
—Kirkus Reviews
My Impending Death by
Cynical. Obese. Misanthropic. A Saint?
Angus Truax - Mr. Misery to his colleagues - profiles victims of misfortune. His articles touch hearts and inspire charity. Unfortunately for Angus, he loathes his job, his subjects and his life - so much that he decides to end it.
More fool than Hamlet, this unlikely hero jokes his way to the grave, soothing his own despair with rude, audacious honesty.
But even a suicidal hermit can't shut out life completely. Before he can make his exit, one last unlucky soul comes knocking at his door, pleading for help. Angus finds himself in what he calls the world's oldest trap.
To his astonishment, he discovers that his story isn't over yet.
The Watermelon by
Jenny Fox goes to South America to build a school in her grandfather’s country — but her summer adventure turns into much more than community service when she meets Nelson, the charismatic leader of the project.
Jenny isn’t the only one with her eyes on Nelson. As she and her flirtatious rival get closer to Nelson, though, she discovers his dark side: an ugly prejudice against his country’s enemies across the border. She doesn’t want to lose him,
but how can she accept his bigotry?
While love and conscience clash inside her, a real war threatens to break out around her. This is a summer she’ll remember for the rest of her life.
Cheater by
Karl Petrofsky has spent his years in school trying to hide the As on his papers. He sees himself more as a shy maverick than a geek. When the smoothest guy in high school asks him to aid and abet a ring of hightech cheaters, Karl flatly refuses. But then the tyrannical assistant principal makes an example of a hapless studentaand threatens anyone caught cheating with expulsion and an indelible stain on their permanent records. This means war With a droll narrator and a delightfully intricate plot, this satire of school pressures and modern-day ethics will provide welcome laughs between exams.
