Friday, June 15, 2007

The One Where the Kid Nearly Jumps to His Death and Lands in California by Mary Hershey



I seem to be on a run of books that are solid and quite enjoyable, but I'm not certain how much to get behind them. With this one though, I'm giving this smart and funny book a YAY. Alastair is a teen who gets sent to say with his Dad and new Step Mom in California. He absolutely does not want to be there or get along with anyone, but he meets a girl that gets him to join a swimming competition. As the story unfolds the story behind his amputated leg also comes out. This is a quick moving story with some realistic characters and I give it a YAY.

4 Comments:

At August 12, 2007 at 3:39 PM , Blogger kathy said...

I finished "one where the kid..." in one night - worth the read - funny, explores complicated parent/child relationships, issues of being an amputee, alcoholism and taking charge of one's life.

the family dynamics seem realistic, character development authentic, and enough quirks (soap opera star and Jingle Boy) to keep the humor balanced with the heavy parts. Sports, beach access issues, family tension, dedication to personal commitments, hidden unwashed shorts, and the idea of labor to pay for a coach's time all combine to make a solid story.

YAY

 
At August 13, 2007 at 10:29 AM , Blogger Kara Fredericks said...

I just finished this and it left me with a great feeling about the story and characters, which were very realistic to me and could appeal to teens of all ages. I especially enjoyed the wit of Alastair, the main character. I loved it.
YAY

 
At October 26, 2007 at 8:50 PM , Blogger Iris said...

I cried through the last 50 pages.. in a good way, of course. Yay.

 
At November 29, 2007 at 7:05 AM , Blogger Zandra said...

I loved this book! A believable, quick-paced story with realistic characters and situations. I for one immediately cared for Alastair and I was curious about his intense anger with his father. This book kept my attention to the end. A big, enthusiastic YAY from me!

 

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