If I Ever Get Out of Here

This has already been compared to [b:The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian 693208 The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Sherman Alexie https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327908992s/693208.jpg 829330] a whole bunch and like, I get it, they're both stories about young American Indian boys going to largely white schools. This one's set across the country, in New York, and in the 1970s. And it's less... cynical, maybe, than Alexie's.Lately there's been a whole wave of “historical” YA set in the 80s but I haven't read much in the 70s, and I really appreciated all the talk of 70s music–specifically how they were all kind of still in shock about the Beatles breaking up, but also really into Wings. I liked how sweet Lewis was, and a very frank narrator about not being sure how to make new friends. I also appreciated its frankness about bullying and the realistic closure from that arc.