Content BOOK REVIEW - The Screwed up life of Charlie the second by Drew Ferguson
Last Updated on Monday, 10 November 2008 20:01 Written by Thomas Basgill Saturday, 08 November 2008 03:00
Reality isn’t always pretty. And you can forget about the sensitive geek who meets a soccer hunk, hits it off right away, and rides (something or other) into the sunset. Author Drew Ferguson has a more down-to-earth vision of what it is to be an adolescent. His main character, Charlie, spends his time obsessing over sex while fruitlessly attempting to fit in. This novel is his diary, and his voice is at times confused, cynical, sarcastic and emotional.
Charlie’s loneliness takes a new form when he starts to date the hot new kid on his soccer team. Coming from an all-boys school, Rob Hunt seems to be the perfect boyfriend for Charlie, experienced but not jaded. But that perfection lasts about as long as it does for anyone who experiences love for the first time. Rob’s mom is terminally ill, and this strain on Charlie’s and Rob’s relationship creates both uproarious and touching moments between the two.
Charlie does not hold back in his journal and his caustic wit gives the novel a nice bite. He portrays his friends brutally, his parents even worse, and his sex in great detail. Ferguson’s treatment of sex is nothing like a juicy, 70’s rag; it’s awkward and at times funny, serving more to move the plotline and strengthen the characters than to excite the reader. Refreshingly, we see Charlie as just another teen with an interesting story; his sexuality is part of him but does not define him.
Ferguson’s debut nobel is an invigorating look into the life of the less-than-average teen.
ISBN-13: 978-0-7582-2708-9
ISBN-10: 0-7582-2708-6
http://www.drewferguson.com
