CANS

A high school senior living in poverty does everything he can to make his dream of attending college come true in Thompson’s YA novel.

Gilbert Neely is a senior at Edison High School who dreams of becoming a teacher. But that requires a college degree, which demands both the grades to get a scholarship and the money to even apply. Gilbert quietly works toward his goal by helping his father drive around each night collecting cans for recycling in order to earn some desperately needed money. But despite how hard they work, the family’s problems just seem to keep piling up: The landlord has decided to raise the rent, Gilbert’s father starts secretly drinking again, and Gilbert’s attempt to study for an important statistics exam becomes that much harder when the Neelys can no longer afford internet access at home. Gilbert’s frustrations finally come to a head when a school bully vandalizes his locker and his actions put Gilbert’s entire future in jeopardy. With the help of his crush, Fiona, and a teacher who won’t give up on him, Gilbert learns that the path to success rarely follows a straight line. Thompson writes in short, simple sentences that are ideal for young readers, but while Gilbert’s perseverance is certainly moving, many moments rapidly veer from inspirational to maudlin. Gilbert walks to school with his cousin Billy, for example, and observes: “His limp is almost gone. It’s been eight months since the car accident. His mom and dad were killed. And he’s still recovering from his skull fracture. But he never complains. And he never gives up.” This sentimentality, combined with stiff dialogue (“You know how it is…He lives on the other side of the train bridge”), undercuts the emotional reaction that the Neely family’s plight stirs up. While readers will cheer Gilbert along his path, the journey ultimately proves a bit too saccharine-sweet.

An inspirational tale bogged down by wooden dialogue and over-the-top melodrama.