K.M. Soehnlein
Kensington
Reviewed by: Nancy
5 out of 5 stars
Overview
K.M. Soehnlein's
trenchant, emotionally honest debut novel unfailingly captures the spirit of a
generation and an era. "The World of Normal Boys" is told in the
haunting voice of thirteen-year-old Robin MacKenzie, a modern-day Holden
Caulfield, whose struggle for a place in the world is as ferocious as it is
real.It is the late 1970s in suburban New Jersey, and while "normal
boys" are into cars, sports, and bullying their classmates, Robin
Mackenzie enjoys day trips to New York City with his elegant mother. He
dutifully plays the role of the good son for his meat-and-potatoes father, even
as his own mind is a jumble of sexual confusion and self-doubt. But everything
changes in one, horrifying instant when a tragic accident wakes his family from
their middle-American dream and plunges them into a spiral of slow destruction.
As the MacKenzie family falls apart, Robin embarks on an explosive odyssey of
sexual self-discovery that will take him into a complex future, beyond the
world of normal boys.
My Review
I've read lots of
coming-of-age stories, but none have dredged up as many sweet and painful
memories as this one has. The author has done an amazing job bringing the 70's
to life and creating a character that is so believable and so easy to identify
and connect with.
Robin MacKenzie is 13 years old and living in a New Jersey suburb with his parents, brother and sister. In many ways he is a typical teenager, wanting to make friends, fit in, and be “cool”. Though Robin is gay, this is a truly universal story about growing up, discovering one’s sexuality, and finding one’s way in the world. It is about friendship, family relationships, grief, guilt, and coping with loss.
There are a variety of well-drawn and dynamic secondary characters with their own baggage that make Robin’s life difficult and help contribute to his growth. This is a wonderful, thought-provoking, rich and compelling story that very accurately portrays the life of a confused and troubled teen.
I am looking forward to the sequel.
Also posted at
Goodreads.
Robin MacKenzie is 13 years old and living in a New Jersey suburb with his parents, brother and sister. In many ways he is a typical teenager, wanting to make friends, fit in, and be “cool”. Though Robin is gay, this is a truly universal story about growing up, discovering one’s sexuality, and finding one’s way in the world. It is about friendship, family relationships, grief, guilt, and coping with loss.
There are a variety of well-drawn and dynamic secondary characters with their own baggage that make Robin’s life difficult and help contribute to his growth. This is a wonderful, thought-provoking, rich and compelling story that very accurately portrays the life of a confused and troubled teen.
I am looking forward to the sequel.
