If Jack's in Love
Aug 1, 2012
Author: Stephen Wetta
Reading level: Ages 18 and up
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam (September 29, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0399157522
ISBN-13: 978-0399157523
Coming to Paperback in August, 2012
Book Description:
It's 1967. Jack Witcher is a twelve-year-old boy genius living in a Virginia suburb at an address the entire neighborhood avoids. Jack's father has lost his job-again-and he's starting fights with other fathers. Jack's mother, sweet but painfully ugly, works as a cashier at a local market. Jack's older brother is a long-haired, pot-smoking hippie.
If all of that isn't bad enough, Jack's brother suddenly becomes the main suspect in the disappearance of the town's golden boy. And to make matters even worse, Jack is in love with the missing boy's sister, Myra. Mr. Gladstein, the town jeweler and solitary Jew, is Jack's only friend; together, they scheme to win Jack Myra's love. But to do that, Jack must overcome the prejudices, both the town's and his own, about himself and his family.
Idgie Says:
We all know what it's like to be embarrassed by your family. But when you're completely ostracized by the townfolk because of your father's antics... well that's really hard to overcome.
At 13 Jack has met the girl of his dreams, Myra. But he cannot openly court her for several reasons. The main three being that his father beat up her father in front of everyone; her brother, the star going off to college is found murdered and his brother is the suspect; and the entire town considers Jack's family trash.
This is a very well written "year in the life of a young boy" book. His angst, actions with his family, his growing into manhood and all the other perils that young kids have as they head toward adulthood are in full view here. Poor Jack just has some additional issues surrounding him that give an extra disadvantage to his growing and becoming a part of the community. I quite like Jack and root for him to find his way.
________________________________________________
Reviewed by Idgie. If you would like to have the Dew review a book, please contact me at dewonthekudzu@gmail.com
