Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Ella

T.C. Keller, Augie Hwong, and Ale Perez, ninth graders, live in Brookline, Massachusetts. T.C. speaks with a strong Boston accent, lives for the Red Sox, and lives with his father, Pop. Augie is a male theatrical star - and everyone knows that he's gay except for himself. Ale is a transplant from Mexico City - she's also the ambassador's daughter, and living under the pressure of impressing foreign dignitaries every weekend.

The book is told through letters, emails, instant messenger, and regular prose. I loved how this was done, as well as the way it switched between all three main characters. The story was excellently written, and it honestly wasn't all that predictable (except for the relationships), which adds to the charm.

The characters were great, and very realistic. However, I didn't like how Augie realized that he was in love with Andy, and then he seemed so sure of himself. Personally, I feel like he would at least care a little bit about what the people at school though of his coming out. However, this definitely didn't detract from my fondness for the book.

T.C. meets an eight year old deaf boy, Hucky, and he and Augie (who are have been practically brothers since they were eight), as well as Ale, take him under their wing and become great friends with him. Hucky loves Mary Poppins with his whole heart, and the two boys and Ale have a lot of fun with Hucky.

I thought that this was an excellent book for both adults and teenagers alike. I loved it.