Published: Feb. 04, 2012
Words: 26,882 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781465771872

Short description

Laid off from her job, high school history teacher Suzie Jimenez doesn't get mad--she goes rogue! Joining a rebel band of ninjas in their quest to fight the power and the pirates that support it, Suzie is swept up in the ultimate battle between good and evil. Can one woman beat the system, or will Suzie be consigned to the dustbin of state history?

Extended description

Suzie Jimenez is a high school history teacher who's always taught her students to push back against systems of oppression. In Texas, this kind of rabble-rousing doesn't sit well with the status quo, but since the biggest dilemma her students face is whether to eat beef or veggie burgers, she's been lucky so far. Flying under the radar with her alternative curriculum, Suzie teaches her students about non-violent protests, peaceful rebellion and freedom fighters who employed these methods. But all of that is about to come to an end, thanks to Governor Nick Harry.

Like the rest of her fellow teachers at Rebel Yell High School, Suzie gets the memo that they've all been unceremoniously laid off the week before classes are set to resume for the fall. The Governor has declared war on teachers with his recent round of budget cuts to Texas public schools, effectively cutting their jobs from the register and leaving students in the lurch. With her political ideals on her sleeve, Suzie strike.. (Read more) Suzie Jimenez is a high school history teacher who's always taught her students to push back against systems of oppression. In Texas, this kind of rabble-rousing doesn't sit well with the status quo, but since the biggest dilemma her students face is whether to eat beef or veggie burgers, she's been lucky so far. Flying under the radar with her alternative curriculum, Suzie teaches her students about non-violent protests, peaceful rebellion and freedom fighters who employed these methods. But all of that is about to come to an end, thanks to Governor Nick Harry.

Like the rest of her fellow teachers at Rebel Yell High School, Suzie gets the memo that they've all been unceremoniously laid off the week before classes are set to resume for the fall. The Governor has declared war on teachers with his recent round of budget cuts to Texas public schools, effectively cutting their jobs from the register and leaving students in the lurch. With her political ideals on her sleeve, Suzie strikes back at the Governor with everything she's got. But this time, it's personal.

Joining a rebel band of ninjas in their quest to fight the power, Suzie quickly discovers she's in over her head. Not only does Governor Harry have a secret weapon, but he's also employed a ship full of pirates to protect him as he launches a campaign for the Presidency! Suzie and the ninjas have to act fast to prevent another Texan from taking the White House, but in the ultimate battle of good versus evil, it's every ninja for himself. Can one woman beat the system, or will Suzie be consigned to the dustbin of state history along with Cesar Chavez and her fellow freedom fighters?
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Tags

liberty, texas, humor, teachers, fantasy, politics, satire, football, revolution, pirates, parody, austin, election, black humor, martin luther king jr, che guevara, rebels, gandhi, freedom fighters, ninjas, presidential election, university of texas, cesar chavez, hipsters, rick perry, election 2012, governor rick perry, evil politicians, nonviolent protest, bevo

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Reviews

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Review by: jane anne on April 23, 2012 :
3.5*

Written in only 72 hours this was Laura Roberts entry in Canada’s 3 day Novel Contest.

Just a week before the start of the new term, History teacher Suzie Jimenez received an E-mail from the head teacher informing her that due to Governor Nick Harry’s budget cuts their school would be closing it’s doors indefinitely and she was fired. Angry, confused and looking for answers she contacts all the other teachers and together they set up a protest march in front of the Capitol building. This is just the beginning of what turns into a full on battle between the people and the state. But it’s no ordinary war this one not only has the ‘evil politicians’ but they share the stage with ninja’s and pirates in this tongue in cheek political novella.

‘Rebels of the 512’ is a satirical novella about Texan politics. Being neither a Texan nor an American, a lot of the references are lost on me but this in no way takes away my understanding of the plot. Politicians are the same world over and the subject normally sends me to sleep. Amazingly this book didn’t have the yawn factor I imagined it would, Laura Roberts is witty and her ability to write humour kept a smile on my face to the end.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: Eighty Six on April 22, 2012 :
It's a wacky premise: a corrupt Governor shuts down a high school causing a wave of demonstrations soon leading to ninjas battling pirates. It's ludicrous. It's fun. It has sex scenes. It was written for Canada's Three Day Novel contest.

It is a political satire picking on conservative religious greedy politicians and backwards hick Texans. I never felt that it was real or deep enough to be a truly scathing criticism. The descriptions, characters and plots feel underdeveloped like someone wrote the book in three days and could not take the time to flesh it out.

Suspend your disbelief and don't ask too much of the diction and you'll find this to be a fun book to read. It's unpredictable and original. With more work it could be awesome.
(review of free book)

Review by: Wade Laing on April 18, 2012 : (no rating)
A solid romp of mayhem and slapstick fun, whether it's cavemen vs astronauts or in this case ninjas vs pirates you get what you want. It's a no holds barred, keystone cop style battle royal with some other sweaty sport thrown in for good measure. A little cheek to poke at society through the bars with a good stick and you are off and running in your Tabi boots.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Joseph Valentinetti on March 25, 2012 : (no rating)
Some very funny stuff. At first I thought the character might wake from a dream. When she didn't I relaxed and enjoyed the ride. The author's tongue's in her cheek and should stay there. She has an unsubtle subtlety.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Benjamin Sobieck on Feb. 18, 2012 :
Does it really matter what political parties "stand for" any more? What if you stripped away the bumper stickers, the phony piety and hollow everymanism to expose their true essence? You'd probably end up with something similar to ninjas and pirates. Both hate each other. Why? Who cares. Let's fight.


There are similar scenes in Laura Roberts's excellent humor novella, Rebels of the 512. (Note to author Roberts: I know you're an editor and may ding me for using "Roberts's," but I stand firm on using 's on singular nouns. Just be glad I didn't write "scene's" just now. You'd probably kill me.) In a pitched battle between ninjas and pirates, the exhausted sides agree to settle it on an arm wrestling match.


While this makes for good humor, it reveals a potent remark about politics. Heated debates often devolve into childish gestures hurled between sides. Whoever puts up the strongest fight wins, regardless of whether it was the best outcome.


Understanding the political references isn't critical to enjoying Rebels of the 512. Neither is living in Austin, Texas, where the piece takes place. Nor is knowing much about Texas Gov. Rick Perry, parodied here as villian "Nick Harry."


All you really need to know is that Gov. Harry's budget cuts put teacher Suzie Jimenez out of a job. She goes on the warpath with a group of ninjas determined to defeat Harry's pirates. Hilarity ensues.


But the plot isn't what makes Rebels of the 512 tick. It's Roberts's sense of comedic timing that really matters - and shines. Writing humor is all about knowing when to plant and harvest a joke. It's something that can't be taught. An author either has it or doesn't. Roberts has it in spades.


That's why Rebels of the 512 is such a fine read. This is an author who knows how to write humor. Don't be fooled by the slapstick, it's not an easy thing to do. That she wrote it in three days as part of a contest proves Roberts's humor chops beyond the remotest shadow of a doubt.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

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