FAST TALK ON A SLOW TRACK

by Rita Williams-Gareia ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1991

Queens student Denzel Watson has coasted to the top of his mediocre high-school class on flash and smooth talk, but a preliminary remedial summer session at Princeton sends him down the slope in a hurry. So who needs a fancy college? Denzel privately sets his sights closer to home, meanwhile stringing his proud family along and spending the summer at a game he can control: selling cookies door-to-door, competing with a ragged collection of losers and ne'er-do-wells. The author puts it to her college-bound readers: When the time comes, will they have what it takes to step up to a new, very challenging world? Though much of the force behind her question is dissipated by a loose, rambling plot, she does build a strong case and uses language well. There are also frequent humorous scenes--often with a bitter edge--and some satirical characterizations that some readers may view as stereotypical. Eventually, realizing how few and dreary his contemporaries' options are, Denzel bows to everyone's expectations and enters Princeton--to find that, with a little humility and some serious study, he can hack it. A mixed effort, but the best parts are penetrating and direct. Sure to be controversial.

Pub Date: March 1, 1991

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 192

Publisher: Lodestar/Dutton

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1991

Categories: CHILDREN'S