First love is always hard, but it was even harder in 1986. Finally ... a bodaciously true story about teen life in the 1980s. Bodaciously True & Totally Awesome is an authentic coming-of-age novel that captures the unfiltered experiences of teenage life in suburban America before the internet, algorithms and smartphones tracked our every move. More than mere nostalgia, it's an unapologetically honest look at Gen X adolescence. In 1986, Avery "Ace" Craig is a high-school sophomore who seems to have it all: he's smart, athletic, and naturally charming. What he doesn't have is a clue: about girls, relationships, or manhood. On a school trip to Washington D.C., Avery shakes hands with President Reagan, gets a glimpse of his future, and has a sexual awakening, setting off a chain reaction of trouble. As Ace struggles with school, parents, hormones and growing up, his only guidance comes from his equally clueless friends, a Boy Scout Handbook , and a Princess Leia poster. Bodaciously tells the story of a reluctant teen heartthrob who must navigate the perils of romantic relationships while working toward his dreams. Will Avery learn the nature of true love, or will his choices send him down a path of self-destruction? Combining the humorous sexcapades of Fast Times at Ridgemont High , the introspective narrative of The Catcher in the Rye , and the exuberant adventure of Ferris Bueller's Day Off, with writing that is so choice , this first book in a series offers a righteous, heartfelt portrait of latchkey adolescence. In all, Bodaciously is a time machine back to an authentic 1980s experience, created by someone who actually lived it. The Atmosphere: From page one, you'll experience the music, fashion, lingo, and everyday details of '80s teen life, like MTV, mixtapes, rotary dial telephones, and concert T-shirts. The Drama: A fearless look at first love, teen sexuality, heartbreak and the grody path to adulthood. The Freedom: Sneaking out at night, blasting your tunes, and testing your limits in an era of no adult supervision. The Soundtrack: Echoing with bands from A-Ha to ZZ Top, it's the ultimate mixtape in book form. Episode "mixtapes" are available on Spotify as "Bodaciously" playlists. So, if you want to go back to the greatest decade to be a teen in America, then buy the book. Or don't. Whatever. It's all good. - Bodaciously is a 9-book episodic novel, with new episodes every 12 weeks. Advance Praise for the Bodaciously Series: "...a standout. ... the 1980s comes to life in a way few other novels could achieve .... Libraries looking for coming-of-age stories that bring the 1980s to life ... will find Bodaciously ... an outstanding choice . Highly recommended ... a different coming-of-age novel that simmers with discovery." -D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review "A comical teen coming-of-age novel set in the 1980s from author [Chris] Orcutt. ... Ace is cool . [He] must navigate the intricacies of teenage crushes and fooling around while also pulling off seemingly impossible stunts such as making President Reagan laugh. ... fast paced, steady action on the page. ... A light-hearted, swift adventure that sees its young protagonist woo just about everyone he encounters." -Kirkus Reviews "[Bodaciously] is a coming-of-age story, a love story, an adventure story, and an odyssey; it's what you'd get if you put War and Peace, The Odyssey, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High into a supercollider ; it's an epic-length tale about an age group that has seldom been taken seriously in literature-teenagers-and it's written for the routinely disregarded generation of adults who lived it." -Summer Jensen, Ph.D., from the Foreword " As Ace himself might say, 'Awesome, Dude .' " -Blueink Review *Starred Review* Chris Orcutt is an American novelist and fiction writer with over thirty years of writing experience and 20 books in his oeuvre, including his latest-a 9-book episodic novel about teens in the 1980s, Bodaciously True & Totally Awesome . The first book of Bodaciously - Episode I: Bad Boy -will be published on January 20, 2026. Born in Maine, he has spent most of his life in New York. He attended college in Boston, graduating summa cum laude with a degree in philosophy. His professional writing career began at the Taconic Newspapers (where he was honored by the New York Press Association), followed by freelance reporting for the Poughkeepsie Journal , New York's oldest newspaper. In his 20s and early 30s, while honing his craft as a fiction writer, Orcutt earned a living as a high school American Studies teacher, college writing instructor, and speechwriter. His earlier fiction-including the Dakota Stevens Mystery Series and One Hundred Miles from Manhattan -has earned praise from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews . For over a decade, Orcutt immersed himself in '80s teen culture and shunned the internet in monastic devotion to his magnum opus. Writ