The Scar
Boys by Len Vlahos
Expected
publication: January 21st 2014 by Egmont USA
Rating: 3
out of 5 stars
“I’m ugly and shy and my face, head, and neck are covered
with hideous scars. I was almost struck
by lightning. I wish I had been struck
by lightning. I was a methadone addict
before the age of 10. It’s my fault that
my best friend almost got killed. I
played guitar in the greatest punk rock band you’ve never heard of. And that was all before my 19th
birthday, which isn’t for another five months.”
Harry was tied up to a tree by some bullies and left
there. The only problem was that a
lightning storm had just started. At age
8, Harry was struck by lightning and was burned severely. Since that moment he has been the resident
freak at school, lonely, and uninspired by life… that is until he meets
Johnny. Johnny is a popular boy in their
middle school, who one day stands up for him and takes him under his wing. Together they start up a band, The Scar Boys,
in high school and slowly Harry realizes that he is holding himself back from
living. Harry also realizes that Johnny
might not have his best interest at heart.
I really liked the story and the direction it took towards
the end… sorry Johnny, I guess you will see how life has been for Harry all
this time. I wish there was more time
with Harry, but seeing how he was able to process that changes within him in
this short read, it is okay that there wasn’t more to the story (the story is short due to the fact that this is Harry reflecting on his life for a college essay.) I found this to be a complex, compelling, and
bittersweet. If you are looking for a
real-fic book with social issues and a main character that is easy to feel for,
this is the book for you.
Thank You Edelweiss and the publisher for this ARC in
exchange for an honest review.
No comments:
Post a Comment