I have been enjoying my summer so much this year. I didn't have to take a class, I wasn't being paid to do any extra school work, and nobody really needed me for anything. It was bliss. I got a bit of reading done, of course. This post is a continuation of my thoughts on my latest reads.
I've had Winger by Andrew Smith sitting on my shelf for years now. In my ongoing efforts to clear off shelf space, I finally picked it up. I read Grasshopper Jungle by this author way back in 2016 and really enjoyed how it blended science fiction and realistic teen coming of age elements. This book was quite different from that one, but still enjoyable nonetheless.
Winger follows a fourteen year old boy named Ryan Dean West through his sophomore year at a boarding school. He is very smart, and, due to him skipping a grade in his younger years, is viewed as a kid by many of his classmates. The story follows his struggle to fit in with his peers and his budding romance with his best friend, Annie. This is a coming of age story, and a solidly realistic one. It's filled with the immaturity and selfishness you'd expect from a teen boy, but it's surprisingly heartfelt as well.
There was one aspect of it that bugged me a bit. Right at the end of the novel, a jarringly serious and tragic event occurs . It didn't really match the tone of the rest of the novel and there was not enough time to watch the characters process it. I can see how it fit into the story and how Smith tied it into his overall themes of growing up, but I thought it could have been incorporated into the story better. As it was, it kind of smacks you in the face and then the story is over. I would give this one 3/5 stars.
Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult follows Ruth, a labor and delivery nurse in Connecticut. She is a strong nurse, but her reputation and integrity are called into question when a white supremacist family delivers a baby in her hospital. They request that Ruth, who is African American, not be allowed to touch their baby. The hospital complies with their wishes and instructs Ruth not to care for the infant. Later, when the infant dies after a routine procedure, the family blames Ruth and decides to sue her, claiming that she let their baby die on purpose in an act of revenge against their family. The story is presented from three perspectives, that of Ruth, the infant's father, and the lawyer who takes Ruth's case.
I enjoyed this novel and thought it touched on difficult topics like racism, privilege, and relationships with grace and wisdom. It's always tricky when a white author takes on a story like this one, but I thought Picoult did a good job presenting Ruth's feelings. The ending was a little bit too ideal in some respects, but overall I thought this was a good read. 4/5 stars.
2024 Reading Challenges Tally:
Goodreads Reading Challenge: 14/30
Clear the Shelves 2024: 13
