A throwback coming-of-age novel featuring fine messages but predictable narrative beats.
In McCoy’s debut YA historical novel, a teenage boy searches for role models among the older boys at a Boy Scout camp.
It’s the summer of 1978. Thirteen-year-old Danny Novak was having a difficult time even before his mom dropped him off at Camp Baker, near Florence, Oregon. He’s still acclimating himself to life after his parents’ divorce, including his mother’s decision to move him and his brother from a nice Portland suburb to Lebanon, a small lumber town. His job at the camp is supposed to be a welcome respite from his difficulties at home, and he wants one of the sought-after positions working at the lake—“on the waterfront,” as it’s known: “They’ve got the coolest jobs,” one of the other workers tells him. “They hang out in the sun, swim, and paddle boats all day.” To land a spot, however, Danny will have to pass a swim test. He’s not used to swimming in lakes, as he’s only done so in pools before. He’s placed under the tutelage of the biggest, baddest kid on the waterfront, 16-year-old Mark, whom the adults see as a troublemaker. Mark has been warned that he’ll be sent home if he doesn’t turn Danny into a competent swimmer. The unlikely pairing becomes an unexpectedly cathartic friendship—until tragedy intervenes. McCoy’s prose effectively captures the emotionally fraught state between childhood and adolescence: “This time, I didn’t fight the tears,” narrates Danny. “I knew I was acting like a baby, feeling sorry for myself….I didn’t feel I fit in with the guys in my troop, but the guys on staff viewed me as a little kid. I just don’t fit.” In many ways, the book feels like an artifact from an earlier era, and not just because of the title, which recalls the acclaimed 1954 Marlon Brando film. Although the narrative grapples admirably with the issue of toxic masculinity, it ultimately takes a hard turn toward the sentimental, with an ending some may find a bit sappy.
A throwback coming-of-age novel featuring fine messages but predictable narrative beats.Pub Date: Oct. 31, 2022
ISBN: 9781736602188
Page Count: 196
Publisher: Blaster Tech
Review Posted Online: Feb. 14, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A contemporary hero’s journey, brilliantly told.
The 17-year-old son of a troubled rock star is determined to find his own way in life and love.
On the verge of adulthood, Blade Morrison wants to leave his father’s bad-boy reputation for drug-and-alcohol–induced antics and his sister’s edgy lifestyle behind. The death of his mother 10 years ago left them all without an anchor. Named for the black superhero, Blade shares his family’s connection to music but resents the paparazzi that prevent him from having an open relationship with the girl that he loves. However, there is one secret even Blade is unaware of, and when his sister reveals the truth of his heritage during a bitter fight, Blade is stunned. When he finally gains some measure of equilibrium, he decides to investigate, embarking on a search that will lead him to a small, remote village in Ghana. Along the way, he meets people with a sense of purpose, especially Joy, a young Ghanaian who helps him despite her suspicions of Americans. This rich novel in verse is full of the music that forms its core. In addition to Alexander and co-author Hess’ skilled use of language, references to classic rock songs abound. Secondary characters add texture to the story: does his girlfriend have real feelings for Blade? Is there more to his father than his inability to stay clean and sober? At the center is Blade, fully realized and achingly real in his pain and confusion.
A contemporary hero’s journey, brilliantly told. (Verse fiction. 14-adult)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-310-76183-9
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Blink
Review Posted Online: April 30, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2017
PERSPECTIVES
An enticing, turbulent, and satisfying final voyage.
Adrian, the youngest of the Montague siblings, sails into tumultuous waters in search of answers about himself, the sudden death of his mother, and her mysterious, cracked spyglass.
On the summer solstice less than a year ago, Caroline Montague fell off a cliff in Aberdeen into the sea. When the Scottish hostel where she was staying sends a box of her left-behind belongings to London, Adrian—an anxious, White nobleman on the cusp of joining Parliament—discovers one of his mother’s most treasured possessions, an antique spyglass. She acquired it when she was the sole survivor of a shipwreck many years earlier. His mother always carried that spyglass with her, but on the day of her death, she had left it behind in her room. Although he never knew its full significance, Adrian is haunted by new questions and is certain the spyglass will lead him to the truth. Once again, Lee crafts an absorbing adventure with dangerous stakes, dynamic character growth, sharp social and political commentary, and a storm of emotion. Inseparable from his external search for answers about his mother, Adrian seeks a solution for himself, an end to his struggle with mental illness—a journey handled with hopeful, gentle honesty that validates the experiences of both good and bad days. Characters from the first two books play significant secondary roles, and the resolution ties up their loose ends. Humorous antics provide a well-measured balance with the heavier themes.
An enticing, turbulent, and satisfying final voyage. (Historical fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-291601-3
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2021
© Copyright 2023 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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