The book begins with 13-year-old Josh Mendel playing spin the bottle in a basement closet, the girl bolts when Josh gets aroused. Five years later cut to Josh decking his baseball coach. The background is of a boy molested by his middle-school teacher. Josh, a senior of above average intelligence, narrates the story.
In the arrogant, self-centred, naïveté of childhood the victims of sexual abuse often hold themselves responsible for their sufferings just as the children of divorce often blame themselves for their parent’s breakups. Every boy should have a best friend as understanding and loyal as Zik and a girl friend willing to wait 5 years for their beau to get over himself. The book tackles a delicate subject with deep if rather mature understanding. It is rather full of baseball statistics for anyone lacking the interest but otherwise it is well-written. It seems to be current style to write stories in a non-linear fashion but given Josh’s costant flashbacks it seems only appropriate and here it is easy to follow.
In the arrogant, self-centred, naïveté of childhood the victims of sexual abuse often hold themselves responsible for their sufferings just as the children of divorce often blame themselves for their parent’s breakups. Every boy should have a best friend as understanding and loyal as Zik and a girl friend willing to wait 5 years for their beau to get over himself. The book tackles a delicate subject with deep if rather mature understanding. It is rather full of baseball statistics for anyone lacking the interest but otherwise it is well-written. It seems to be current style to write stories in a non-linear fashion but given Josh’s costant flashbacks it seems only appropriate and here it is easy to follow.
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