RATING
3/5 stars. Liked it, wasn't a favorite.
CONTENT WARNINGS
Alcoholics, homophobia (f and q slurs)
SUMMARY
Ben is not like everyone else at his new conservative Christian high school after his family moves from Boston to a small town in Colorado. For one thing, he doesn't believe in God. But when he's bullied at school for his beliefs and falls head over hells for his cute classmate, Tess, he has to determine what's really at stake and what's worth fighting for.
His only friend at school, James, is struggling with his own problems trying to take care of his alcoholic mother. If only Ben's older brother and sister were around to help! But Pete is serving in Iraq, and Emily is off at college with her own life lessons to learn.
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This quirky coming-of-age story revels in the awkward moments, lingers on the joy an act of kindness can bring, and proposes that respecting everyone's beliefs can be painfully difficult, but work the effort.
REVIEW
This was definitely a very good book. It included topics many readers would be going through, while also having a lighthearted joking side. I liked reading from a character I really connected with - a scientific based student, trying to make his voice be seen. There have only been a few characters I've seen like that (Melchior Gabor from Spring Awakening) and it's nice to see these characters in different forms.
The writing style is slightly hard to get through - I felt like this was pulling straight from the characters thoughts without editing (which is good for some readers, I personally don't like reading like that), and the dialogue at some points are strands of a few words each that take up a whole page without telling who says what.
A few of the characters "redemption arcs" weren't well shaped. Kenny - the main bully of the book - had his arc through the death of his older brother who was stationed in Iraq. Kenny and Ben connected slightly over both of their brothers serving, and Ben worried about his brother's chances of death when Kenny gave Ben facts about how slim the chances were of Pete's death. There was never really a formal apology or any punishment directed at Kenny, and it gave the slight of him getting off somewhat scot-free because of pity points.
Overall, this was a fun read, and I recommend it!
