My Most Excellent Year A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, and Fenway Park by Steve KlugerRating: 4.5/5
Genre: Contemporary
Release Date: 2008, paperback 2/19/09
About the Book: Three high school friends are asked to reflect back on their best year.
Augie and T.C. are such close friends they have adopted each other as brothers. When Ale moves to Boston freshman year and the three become a trio. Romance, baseball, musical-theater, and learning sign-language make freshman year the most excellent year.
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: It's really hard to explain what this book is about, because
it has so much. But trust me when I say it's a fun and charming read. It was a light read, but wasn't total fluff, as some of the storyline dug a little deeper. It'll pull at your heartstrings-in a good way, not a bawl your eyes out way. In a lot of ways, I could see this one easily turning itno a teen movie. The novel is told from three points of view-Augie, T.C. and Ale are all the main narrators. There are journal entries, letters, websites, e-mails, that move the story along. Ocassionally there's an e-mail put in from some of the parents, but for the most part the teens carry the story. Each teen ends up with a project and something changing their life during freshman year. T.C. falls for Ale, but has to work to win her over. Augie is put in charge of a school production, realizes he's gay, and starts to crush on a cute boy at school. Ale, the diplomat's perfect daughter, discovers a love for musical theater and doing what she wants. There's also a story about a young deaf boy and Mary Poppins that comes into play later on in the novel.
So you can tell there's a lot of stuff going on in this novel-but it all works! It's a modern fairy tale that (for the most part) is believable. You may have to suspend reality for just a moment, but I like to think anything can happen! :) My Most Excellent Year left me smiling. I wanted to step into their world and befriend T.C., Ale and Augie.
There really is something for everyone-musical theater, romance, baseball, political activism. I think readers who may shy away from typical romancey-type books might give this one a try. Honestly, I can't say enough good things about this one. It really stood out for me because it had a really unique feel to it. It's going in my favorite reads of the year pile for sure!
Side note-I posted both the hardcover and the paperback covers. (Hardcover is on the left, paperback is on the right) Which one do you prefer? I like them both-the first one is simple, but the second tells you a little bit more about the book, I think.
This definitely sounds like an interesting read! I think I lie the paperback better. It catches my eye. If I were to just randomly see the hardcover, I'd think it were a book about baseball and bypass it. I tend to judge books by their covers a bit too much, I think.
ReplyDeleteThis was one of my favorite reads from last year. Thanks for writing about it. I favor the hardcover, but that might because it's the one I'm most familiar with. If the paperback catches more people's attention, and draws them to this book, then I'm in favor.
ReplyDeleteThe second cover, definitely. After reading and not loving Mudville I am skittish around baseball books. The second one looks so much more like something I'd read!
ReplyDeleteI loved this book! It was definitely one of my favorite reads of the year. I've been recommending it to everyone I can and I keep finding ways for it to end up in various displays around the library.
ReplyDeleteI do have to say I prefer the hardback cover better. Something about the headless people on the paperback version just doesn't do it for me.
<3 BOSTON RED SOX.
ReplyDeleteyeh. of course this book is awesome. i actually didn't read it, since it was the end of the year and I couldn't check it out at my school library. but i'll read it sometime in december when i have time.
I'd never heard of this one! Thanks for posting about it.
ReplyDeleteI think this is one of those times both covers came out well (really rare if you ask me).
ReplyDeleteI like the paperback cover better. It sounds like good book with more of a boy influence.
ReplyDeleteOne of his earlier books, Almost Like Being in Love, is one of my favorite books. His writing style is really cute and full of humor, but maintains enough emotion to keep your heart crunching for the characters.
ReplyDeleteNever heard of this so thanks for the review. I'd go for the paperback cover.
ReplyDeleteAs one of the headless people in the paperback cover, I appreciate the votes!!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love this book! I discovered it in the summer before my Senior year, and I've read it at least four times since then, and I've got my little sister reading it as well.
ReplyDeleteThe hardcover is definitely my favorite, probably because that's the version that I discovered first. That and I just can't make myself get used to the headless people.