Author: Ari Rosenschein
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: One Night in a Thousand Years by Craig Cunningham
Crash Landing by Li Charmaine Anne
Rating:
.JPG)
Summary (provided by publisher): It’s the late ’90s—the final days before smartphones and the internet changed the teenage landscape forever. Zack and his mother have moved from Tempe to Berkeley for a fresh start, leaving behind Zack’s father after a painful divorce. A natural athlete, Zack makes the water polo team which equals social acceptance at his new school. Yet he’s more drawn to Matthias, a rebellious skater on the fringes, who introduces him to punk rock, record stores, and the legendary Telegraph Avenue.
As their friendship intensifies, Matthias’s behavior reminds Zack of his absent dad, driving a wedge between him and his mother. Complicating matters is Zaylee, a senior who boosts Zack’s confidence but makes him question his new buddy, Matthias. Faced with all these changes, Zack learns that when life gets messy, he might have to become his own best friend.
My opinion: It's a set-up we see sometimes in novels - a character takes a move to a new town as a chance for reinvention. It's less common for that character to be a teen boy. And to be fair, Zack doesn't set out to change; the change happens naturally as he adapts to circumstances. He stays open to new experiences which lead him to question things he's held to be true about himself. This allows for a plot that is introspective and thoughtful without digging very deep. Zack draws quick conclusions, not changes wrought through long struggles. While the book doesn't push too hard, it is reflective enough to make for a quiet, contemplative read.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
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