A Tale of Two Summers by Brian Sloan
|
What We're Reading:
|
Young-adult authors have often led the way
in incorporating e-mails and instant messaging into novels, and Brian Sloan has
taken the next step by writing his new book, A Tale of Two Summers, in
the form of a shared blog. Sloan, author of Another Fine Prom Mess, writes in the thoroughly authentic voices of two best friends: Chuck, who's off to summer drama camp and Hal, who's stuck at home in driver's ed. These high-schoolers chronicle their severed summer in a private blog that allows them to keep in touch and also gives them space to air out the unspoken side of their friendship. Throughout their blogging summer, the guys' main subject line is romance. Chuck wants to woo the leading lady of his theater camp, but he finds himself flailing to speak without a script. For his part, Hal crosses paths with a French diplomat's son who throws off a lot of sparks (and smoke: sweet-smelling illegal smoke) but often leaves Hal feeling burned. On-line, the two friends argue and encourage, debating whether their suffering comes from love or just delusion. Hal and Chuck are like Eeyore and Tigger, opposite sides of a coin. While Hal mostly hangs back and expects things will go badly, Chuck is squeaky perfect and craves the spotlight. Not surprisingly, they hit each other's nerves. Chuck tries to edit Hal's moping and thrill-seeking, and Hal responds to his own envy of Chuck by getting mad and making a lot of poor decisions. Sloan makes excellent use of their one-sided blog entries as stand-ins for normal back-and-forth conversation. With no immediate feedback and no one to interrupt, each guy ends up writing his feelings a lot more plainly than he otherwise would. As a result, their shared blog is by turns raunchy, confessional, and hilarious. Hal steadily supports Chuck's career dream of being an actor, and Chuck gradually grows more comfortable with Hal being gay. Each comes to realize how important their friendship is, that it's worth all the work they put into it. Their blogging, and the novel itself, rises far above its gimmick to offer an honest and affecting portrait of two young men with promising things futures. A Tale of Two Summers is recommended for older teens due to frank talk about sex and drug use. Review by Mark David Bradshaw, August 15, 2006 For another open, confessional teen read, try The Notebook Girls: Four Friends, Once Diary, Real Life: http://www.watermarkbooks.com/review0506-007.html
|
