Antsy Bonano of The Schwa Was Here (2004) continues his trend of befriending boys named after vowel sounds and diacritics, when he strikes up a strange relationship with classmate Gunnar Ümlaut. When Gunnar casually reveals that he’s dying of Pulmonary Monoxic Systemia, Antsy just as casually offers Gunnar a month of his own life. But the friendly offhand gesture prompts other students to follow suit, in a trend which soon spirals out of control, leading to school-district–sponsored rallies and door-to-door time collection. Meanwhile, Antsy struggles with his attraction to Gunnar’s gorgeous older sister, Kjersten. Though Antsy’s feel-good realizations ought to feel saccharine, they fit perfectly into this tragicomic romp which runs from a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade raccoon-balloon disaster to a chorus of the Swedish national anthem and Abba’s “Dancing Queen” sung—simultaneously—in a sketchy Catskills casino. Silliness balances out the maudlin, keeping Antsy’s story from either bathos or antic excess. (Fiction. 11-13)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-525-47825-6
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2008
PLB 0-7868-2389-5 From Griffin (The Other Shepards, 1998, etc.), a poignant, perceptive tale of a teenager on a self-destructive spiral, seen through the eyes of his younger, more grounded stepbrother. Written as a monologue Ben addresses to his older stepbrother Dustin (“I never met anyone with less need for people than you, but not needing isn’t the same as not touching”), the story develops around the last time the two boys meet, in a hospital room after Dustin’s latest semi-intentional accident, and concludes with a memorial after Dustin ends his life. Through Ben’s second-person narration, readers learn how Dustin never recovered from his mother’s death from cancer, and how he behaved with unalloyed hostility when his father, Lyle, met and married Gina, mother of Ben. Gina, ever-restless and irresponsible, eventually moves on, and Dustin is the one who follows her across the country, while Ben stays behind, more comfortable with Lyle’s roots and boundaries. Ben comes off as a sharp, strong-minded observer, aware of what makes the people around him tick, and with a gift for pinpointing the traits and attitudes on which relationships are founded or founder. Thoughtful readers will appreciate his insight, enjoy the ringside seat as restrained, rational Lyle meets Mallory, a flamboyant, take-charge TV personality, and come to understand both the dangers and the appeal of Dustin’s choices. (Fiction. 11-13)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-7868-0440-8
Page Count: 159
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1999
By virtue of a brief but meaningful friendship, two dissatisfied girls from sharply different backgrounds come to realize the value of what they have. Glory Bea Goode, who just finished seventh grade, hates living in her rural Missouri town in an old historic home that doubles as a junk shop. But Glory’s stable life in “a house without wheels” is the envy of Marvalene Zulig, who travels around the country with a touring carnival. Although they are at opposite ends of the temperamental spectrum—Marvalene is in-your-face assertive while Glory is timid and diffident—each embraces past hurts that poison their lives. Marvalene holds her father and the grueling carnival life he loves responsible for her mom’s disfiguring stroke, while Glory, whose face is marred by a large birthmark, is too self-conscious to make friends. In the course of this colorfully written novel, Glory finds out that if she sees herself “as imperfect, other people will, too,” and Marvalene comes to learn that she’s a true carnival “firefly,” a person who “only shine(s) while on the wing.” Peopled with a quirky mix of improbable characters and somewhat lacking in emotional punch, this humane story conveys, in a quiet but stubbornly persuasive style, that happiness comes from within. (Fiction. 11-13)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-399-23419-5
Page Count: 273
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1999
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
