Steve Kluger

Three teenagers in Boston narrate their experiences of a year of new friendships, first loves, and coming into their own.

a novel of love, Mary Poppins, & Fenway Park

My most excellent year

Ella Dewars

This is my comfort book. I first got it from my public library, and read it four times end-to-end. Then, I recently bought it on Amazon, and did the same thing. Steve Kluger makes all of his characters so real, and there were several times in the book where I wanted to reach in and hug them, or hold their hand, or laugh with them, or just walk down a snowy street with them.

Alè is exactly the kind of person I want to be. I want her life, minus the famous parents and all that. I want the sweet and slightly idiotic guy, I want the amazing dancing and singing talent, I want the hilarious best friend who's boy obsessed (oh, wait... I already have plenty of those), and I want the gay guy who loves me like a sister. 

T.C. (or Anthony, which I personally like better) is fantastic. As I'm sitting here, I can't think of any other word to describe him. I could use amazing or any of that other blah which is in Twilight waaaaay too much, but fantastic seemed the best word to me. He had a hard childhood, and he knows how to use that well. Why couldn't I be the one to go and meet Mary Poppins? Oh, and thinking back to my use of fantastic, I'm beginning to think that "special" would be a better word.

Augie is like Anthony. He's not as much of your stereotypical 'guy', but I like him a lot better as a musical obsessed, singing, dancing, guy. Because of him, I am now going to watch every single old musical that he mentioned, just because I can and I want to. And, I want the dad that owns the bookstore. That is a dream of mine. 

Hucky is the definition of cuteness. For a long time, I didn't think that little kids could get much cuter than my cousin, and then I met Hucky. He would probably hate being called cute, and then make his mad face, but that would only make him cuter. :)

To be perfectly honest, this book makes me want to move to Boston, simply because I think that maybe I'll get to meet a guy like Anthony, make a friend like Augie, help somebody like Hucky, and be Alè. I want to go to NY and meet Mary Poppins, and I want a mom like Nikki (there isn't anything wrong with the one I have now, but I would love to have grown up with Nikki as my mama). Whenever I read this book, I always want to cry happy tears, and it's one of those books where you just sit and hold it for ten minutes after you're done with it, because you can't decide whether or not you should read it again. You'll end up reading it again, believe me.

My most excellent year a novel of love, Mary Poppins, & Fenway Park

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