Monday, August 1, 2011

Okay For Now

Book:  Okay For Now
Author:  Gary D. Schmidt
Like/Don't Like:  Loved so much

When I finished this book I thought, "This is the type of stuff I want to read all the time."  It is sweet and funny and clever and thoughtful.  I loved it.

It is a follow-up to The Wednesday Wars, which I also loved.  One of the characters from the book, Doug Sweitek, moves to a new town and his family instantly becomes that family, the one with the alcoholic father and hooligan brother all living in a dump of a house.  He struggles with these things and more as he begins a new school and tries to fit in.  What I love about it is that the voices are so clear.  I love it when a character is so well written that you know what he's going to say and think.  So the twists and turns of the story surprise you just as much as they surprise him because you're right there with him.  It is such simple and lovely writing that when the powerful stuff comes it sometimes took my breath away.  I love being surprised by books.

1 comment:

Rach said...

Thanks for another book to add to my list of need-to-reads. I'm getting less mobile and need something to get me through August.