Thursday, May 20, 2010

Review -- My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger


by Steve Kluger
Penguin, 2009
416 pages
*I borrowed this book from the library.

Summary: Three friends (T.C., Augie, and Ale) write about their freshman year as an assignment for 11th grade English class. Through their diary-like entries, they tell a tale of love, baseball, movies, and showtunes.

Review: I think this novel would make an excellent television show for ABC Family. The characters (both main and supporting) are so vivid and wonderfully written. This book is like a cross between Gilmore Girls and Glee. The style of the prose is engaging and keeps the reader invested in the story. However, I do feel that this book is a fantasy of what high school could be like, not what it is truly like. But I struggle with whether that matters or not. There are great lessons in tolerance and acceptance that all young adults (and even some adults) could learn from. Rating: ****1/2 out of 5

1 comment:

Literary Feline said...

"A cross between Gilmore Girls and Glee" is a strong endorsement! Although I've only seen maybe two episodes of Gilmore Girls, it's a show that comes highly recommended, and I really do like Glee. I've only read one of Steve Kluger's books so far and enjoyed it. I'll have to look for this one.