I was almost finished with Rucker Park Setup before the camping trip, and then I forgot to bring it! So I started Jerk, California by Jonathan Friesen and I have finished both books. Rucker Park was a very "teen boy" book -- it's about a basketball street tournament. It is also about murder and betrayal in the inner city. It's short and absorbing. I think a lot of teen boys would like this book and, as always, Volponi's book packs a powerful message. I think some of the emotion is absent -- J.R. get's murdered and all of the sudden it is two weeks later. Maybe it's that way because of the appeal to boys, but I thought there was a missing emotional progression. Volponi does flash back and fill in some details, but it made the whole murder kind of superficial to the story.
Jerk, California is about a boy with Tourette Syndrome, but it really is much more than that. It's a "coming-of-age" novel in the truest sense. Sam has lived with a dysfunctional step dad (who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder) and after Sam graduates from high school, circumstances allow him to get away and begin a quest to find out about his real dad, and in the process, discover himself. Touching, heartwarming, and uncomfortable -- all at the same time. This book is the last one left for me on the Abe Lincoln High School Book Award list for 2011!I have now chosen The Orange Houses, by Paul Griffin. I don't remember why it's on my list, but it is also about some struggling teens, one of which is partially deaf. I guess I'm stuck on a "troubled teen book" kick.
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