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American Boy (2011)

by Larry Watson(Favorite Author)

3.54 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

1571310789 (ISBN13: 9781571310781)

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

publisher

Milkweed Editions

review 1: An Americana-style coming-of-age story; moving and meaningful. This is the story of Matthew Garth, a 17-year old young man in a small town, in western Minnesota in 1962; his best friend is Johnny Dunbar, and he spends a lot more time with the Dunbar family than he does at home with his single mother who works long hours. He is like part of the Dunbar family, until things go askew and his involvement and passions leave him adrift and alone. He experiences first love, with a woman who is older and generally unattainable; he experiences a friendship that is tested; and he deals with the disappointment of being let down by someone he looked up to and admired. This is a fairly short, easy-to-read novel that has a lot of “meat”, one of those books that you realize has g... morereat substance once you’ve finished it.
review 2: This is a haunting story about moral choices a boy makes, and in the process, he grows into a man. I kept expecting certain characters to die in the story, and in the end, well, I don't want to spoil it! Having grown up in Minnesota, I can relate to the cultural landscape and social structure that are painted so beautifully in this story. One thing I don't remember, though, was wandering out into the freezing sub-zero winter nights in snowstorms without a coat. But then again, I was never a teenaged boy! This is an amazing book, and I can't wait to discuss it in my book club next week. I'm sure this will make a great book club read, hands down, especially for readers in Minnesota. less

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