JACK

by A.M. Homes ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1989

Jack's folks divorce; Mom has a new, beer-drinking, live-in, Zen-carpenter boyfriend; and Jack must face news he finds devastating: his father has just told him that he's gay and in love with Bob, his roommate. This tough, unresolvable theme is handled smoothly in this first novel (though it only touches on fear of AIDS). At first, Jack gets nauseous thinking about his dad, or meeting Bob at their apartment, or thinking about their lovemaking, while Jack's mother goes through a period of bitterly rejecting Dad's attempts to keep up ties with Jack. There are also rough times at school, where someone writes ""FAG BABY"" on Jack's locker. Jack's unhappiness does lighten when his new girlfriend's dad also turns out to be gay, part of his own dad's circle. But then his best friend's family fails apart (battered wife). Still, by the time Jack earns his driver's license in time for his 16th birthday he has learned that ""I'm Jack, that's all. I'm Jack, just Jack out there by myself."" Fresh, likable style, Windex-clear all the way.

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1989

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 188

Publisher: Macmillan

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1989

Categories: CHILDREN'S