It's always a pleasure to read another book by Joyce Carol Oates, even though most of them are not happy books about happy people. They are real books about real people.
Like here. It's fascinating how she manages again and again to get into people's brains, how to explain to us how others think, what their ideas are, their conviction. Her grasp of language is just as great as her empathies.
This is a young adult novel but can be enjoyed by adults alike. Actually, I think it should be read by any adults who have a teenager in the house, there is so much to it, so much insight that your own children will not give you. Says the mother of two boys. I know a lot of teenage boys who never talk about anything personal to their own parents and this is depicted so well in this story. The confusion going on in their heads is brought to paper but in a way that we can begin to understand their confusion and how they try to deal with it.
As most of my readers know, JCO is one of my favourite authors and this story, like all her others, is fascinating.
From the back cover:
"North Falls swim team member Darren Flynn is a guy' guy, a jock. He 'shows promise' and has integrity in the classroom - just ask his teachers. He's shy, but sexy. Just ask the girls who are drawn to him like moths to a flame.
Darren Flynn is something different to everyone he encounters, and that’s fine by him. Until something disturbing, something ambiguous happens that rocks Darren to the core, making him wonder: Who is Darren Flynn?"
I too like JCO a great deal. Nice review.
ReplyDeleteEvery year when the new Nobel Laureate for Literature is announced, I hope to hear her name. I think she deserves it so much.
DeleteAnd thanks for the compliment. Did you read this particular one?
Greetings,
Marianne
Sounds like one to be added to my TBR list. I like her writing too. It's so hot here that all I've been doing is really light-weight reading.
ReplyDeleteI know the feeling. Extremely hot here, too. Not good for me but what do you want to do?
DeleteIf you like JCO, you will know that her books are not light-weight. However, this is supposed a YA book, so it's a little easier and shorter than her other novels. Still her typical style, though. I just love everything she has ever written. so far.
Have a good weekend, hopefully not too hot,
Marianne