Gentlemen: A Review

Title: Gentlemen
Author: Michael Northrop
Pages: 256
Recommended: With reservations
Age/Gender: 8th Grade and Up, Boys or Girls


I consumed Gentlemen, by Michael Northrop, in two big bites. The protagonist, Micheal (sic.), is a wounded, tough-talking teenager who hangs with a tough group of guys. One of the group goes missing, and the boys soon come to suspect their English teacher, who starts acting strangely while teaching the book Crime and Punishment in the boys' English class.

The only reservations I have about recommending this book stem from the fact that the protagonist never really steps up and becomes the hero of the story. Instead, he stands by while his friends behave badly, and only by chance does he avoid any great wrongdoing. Perhaps the author is writing his own version of a modern existentialist novel; I just hope young readers are sophisticated enough to understand that the hero's lack of action to stop wrongdoing makes him just as culpable as his fellows.

The White Darkness

Review: The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean
Age suggestion: High School and adult
Cultural references: Antarctica, Symmes's Hole, Deafness/Disability
Recomended: Highly

The White Darkness is one of the most original books I have read in a long time. The narrator is a 15 year old girl who is willingly abducted by her eccentric uncle to go along on an expedition to the South Pole. The book is quite masterful in its characterization of the narrator in that only slowly does the reader realize that the narrator herself is both unreliable and eccentric, if not quite as crazy as her uncle. The book is suspenseful and fun to read. I suggest it for high school and above because I think most middle schoolers will miss some of the subtle ways the author introduces the foibles and self-delusions of the narrator.

Peak

Review: Peak by Roland Smith
Age suggestion: Upper elementary and middle school
Gender suggestion: Both boys and girls will like this book
Recommended: Yes

Wow, it's been forever since I posted on this blog! Shame on me. Anyway, I just read a fun book, clearly geared toward boys, called Peak by Roland Smith. It's about a 14 year old boy who gets a chance to climb Mount Everest. I'm kind of a Mount Everest freak--I read John Krakauer's book Into Thin Air at least 3 times, and I've read several other books about that same disastrous climbing season. I've also seen all the movies and documentaries about it. This book, Peak, uses some very accurate climbing detail in the context of an engaging story with interesting characters, a likable protagonist, good writing. Suggested age group--middle school.