Bullying by Hollis
is the terror of Robert’s school days. The start of eight grade is
worse than ever, Hollis decides to flush him down the toilet. Robert
has an unlikely rescuer, Nathan, the new boy in school. The incident
results in parents being called to school to deal with the problem.
Robert’s parents are willing to back off, but Nathan’s dad is
having none of it. Bullying is wrong and he calls the principal on
it.
From this beginning,
Robert and Nathan become fast friends. They stick together through
personal loss and all the angst of teenage boys growing up and
learning about the world. Robert is timid, but Nathan prizes freedom.
He wants to fly like the kites his father makes.
The novel is filled
with the joy of friendship and the tragedy of loss. The characters
are very well conceived. Hollis gives you someone to dislike and
Nathan is someone you’d like to have for a friend. I enjoyed the
book. The juxtaposition between everyday life, friendship, and
tragedy is a heavy mixture. It keeps you reading.
I highly recommend
this coming of age story. The setting is well done and the characters
come to life.
I received this book
from Penguin for this review.
No comments:
Post a Comment