A Boy Called Hope by Lara Williamson

Rating: 3/5

Summary:

A Boy Called Hope tells the tale of a young boy's quest for his father. Dan is a likable and funny young man who confronts his life's issues head on. His desire to find solutions is admirable, and the reader will both laugh and weep as a result of his efforts.

Strengths

This book is just fantastic. The consistency of Lara's writing astounds me, and I adored this book. Dan, the main character, came to life on the pages of this book; he was a fantastic narrator, such a sweetheart who dealt with such difficult situations that I cared for him. I understood what he was going through.

Weaknesses:

I couldn't determine which age group this book would be best suited to and enjoy. The humour and characters seem to be directed at teenagers, but some of the themes and vocabulary seem to be from a young adolescent novel. I also found some of the examples were exaggerated, to the point that you had to figure out what some of the sentences were attempting to convey due to the abundance of similes and metaphors. Divorce, breakup, adultery, parental abandonment, and parent death are among the topics explored. While I believe it is important for children's books to address these issues, I believe there was much too much of it in this novel, to the point that the plot was lost.

My Opinion:

A fun, well-written book that will cater to tweens and younger teenagers, especially those who might be going through family problems and need a character to relate to. The story's key thread is somewhat repetitive, but the bittersweet conclusion saves it from this flaw.