NOBODY GETS ON NEIGHBORHOOD KNOCKOUT

In White’s coming-of-age novel, a boy in a financially struggling Southern California neighborhood yearns to be on a local game show.

In 1974, sixth-grader Michael Kovacz has a tough home life in the Los Angeles suburb of Glassell Park. Since his grandmother’s death, he’s been living with his fragile aunt, Shelley, and Ray-Ray, Shelley’s sketchy boyfriend. He finds comfort in his late Granny Lou’s favorite TV program, Neighborhood Knockout, a quiz show in which teams from different areas of the United States compete in a trivia contest. Michael keeps applying to appear on the show without success, while Shelley struggles with her mental health and Ray-Ray runs various get-rich-quick schemes. His neighborhood is full of memorable characters, including heavy-drinking mechanic Duffy and genteel, eccentric Miss Lange. All mourn Grandma Lou, who made the neighborhood feel like a close-knit community. Meanwhile, Neighborhood Knockout’s host, Sir Nigel Newcastle, is reeling from a bitter divorce and longs to make meaningful art by returning to the theater. When Michael and Sir Nigel’s paths intersect, the Glassell Park crew finally get a taste of the high life. Nigel, in turn, is exposed to the lives of non-famous people and grows very fond of Michael; the meandering plot crescendos when the boy finally appears on Neighborhood Knockout. White’s story is told via various third-person perspectives, which gives readers a vivid picture of the lives of the residents of Glassell Park, and it’s one that challenges stereotypical portrayals of underprivileged neighborhoods of the era. However, the heart of the story lies in the contrast between Michael and Sir Nigel—two people from very different worlds who share a bruised idealism. Although the sections told from Nigel’s perspective are familiar tales of Hollywood disillusionment, his interactions with other characters soon give him greater dimension.

A sunny, if sometimes-rambling, novel that places well-drawn characters into a heartfelt story of love, loss, and friendship.