GRAND AND HUMBLE

Harlan is cool and Manny is a geek, but both inhabit this unnamed town, and their paths crisscross in odd ways. Harlan is the son of a Senator and a star swimmer whose mother is in total control of his life. Manny’s the lighting guru for the Drama Club and his father is a solo parent since his mother died when he was three. Both boys suffer from nightmares that foretell disaster, often connected to the intersection aptly named in the title. Pushed by their need to know more about their childhood and family history, Harlan remains focused on trying to take control of his own life, while Manny struggles to get the information he needs from his father. While the main characters aren’t connected, the people in their lives intersect; Harlan’s best friend, openly gay Ricky, runs into Manny in a casual encounter similar to the way Manny’s friend Elsa, who happens to be deaf, manages an important connection with Harlan. Suspense builds as the ominous dreams become more intense and each boy struggles to find a way past their fears. Parallels and double meanings abound in this tricky, but satisfying, double narrative. It’s all about fate and connections for the grand and the humble. (Fiction. YA)