Novel #3
Title: About a Boy
Author: Nick Hornby
Grade: A
Brief Summary: Will is a cool, up-to-date, 36-year-old bachelor living in London. His biggest worry is coming up with things to do during the day, as living off his father's wealth means he doesn't work. Marcus is a peculiar, old soul, 12-year-old boy who is being bullied at school and is worried that his mother is crying at breakfast and coming home early from work. When Will pretends to be a single father to pick up single mothers, he meets Marcus, and an unlikely friendship begins. Will teaches Marcus how to be a kid, and Marcus teaches Will how to grow up.
Review: I found a copy of this novel at the Desert Industries in Rexburg, and I got so excited. I love the film adaptation of this novel and decided that I would read the novel (and being priced at 50 cents, I couldn't pass up the deal!). As I was already familiar with the story, it didn't take me too long to catch on to the plot. What I love is that in the book, you really get a sense of Will and Marcus' characterization, as the book is written in both their points of view. You immediately get the sense of Will's slightly arrogant and conceited personality, and Marcus's interesting, simplistic, and truthful view of the world. You can't help but love both of these characters. There are moments of laugh out loud goodness. If you are a fan of the movie, you'll be a bit surprised by the ending, as it is different than the movie. However, the ending in the novel is the perfect way of showing the growth of not just Will and Marcus, but as Marcus's mom, Fiona as well. This book is endearing and a good read for those wishing to rediscover youth, and in a way, this is a coming-of-age novel, as both Will and Marcus start to act more their age at the end of the novel. However, I would not recommend this novel to anyone under the age of 16, because there is a bit of language (the author is British, enough said about that) and there are a few conversations about sex.
Title: About a Boy
Author: Nick Hornby
Grade: A
Brief Summary: Will is a cool, up-to-date, 36-year-old bachelor living in London. His biggest worry is coming up with things to do during the day, as living off his father's wealth means he doesn't work. Marcus is a peculiar, old soul, 12-year-old boy who is being bullied at school and is worried that his mother is crying at breakfast and coming home early from work. When Will pretends to be a single father to pick up single mothers, he meets Marcus, and an unlikely friendship begins. Will teaches Marcus how to be a kid, and Marcus teaches Will how to grow up.
Review: I found a copy of this novel at the Desert Industries in Rexburg, and I got so excited. I love the film adaptation of this novel and decided that I would read the novel (and being priced at 50 cents, I couldn't pass up the deal!). As I was already familiar with the story, it didn't take me too long to catch on to the plot. What I love is that in the book, you really get a sense of Will and Marcus' characterization, as the book is written in both their points of view. You immediately get the sense of Will's slightly arrogant and conceited personality, and Marcus's interesting, simplistic, and truthful view of the world. You can't help but love both of these characters. There are moments of laugh out loud goodness. If you are a fan of the movie, you'll be a bit surprised by the ending, as it is different than the movie. However, the ending in the novel is the perfect way of showing the growth of not just Will and Marcus, but as Marcus's mom, Fiona as well. This book is endearing and a good read for those wishing to rediscover youth, and in a way, this is a coming-of-age novel, as both Will and Marcus start to act more their age at the end of the novel. However, I would not recommend this novel to anyone under the age of 16, because there is a bit of language (the author is British, enough said about that) and there are a few conversations about sex.
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