Jenni's Boy

For the short version, I'd say I'm pretty settled on a 4.5* for this book overall.

Mildly Spoiler-y

At the opening of the book, when everyone is in high school, some thoughts, days, or even scenes go on for the entirety of the chapter (or multiple). I think he perfectly matched the tone and feel of everyday life as a kid in high school–the way Luke feels whenever something happens, the way he thinks everyone stares at him, and even how hard he has to force himself to read his test questions when thinking of Jenni. The way the author has taken pieces of the town we grew up in and the school itself (even our Latin teacher's name...), made the opening of the book both more enjoyable and more real to me, as it already felt familiar. 

Once the book moves out of high school I felt the timing to be much harder to read. Sometimes days, months, or even years pass and it gets a little hard to distinguish. However, I will say that this kind of felt on purpose? Like how life just kind of happens to you as you get older and suddenly you're 30? Only the time was hard to read to me, it didn't make the story confusing...And the retail work? Damn. I am a retail worker and let me tell you, it felt like reading about my days of full time work and full time community college. So in that sense it really does literally feel like 413 pages of REAL life. At points I actually found myself cringing at some of the more “cringe worthy” dialogue–mostly between Luke and various girlfriends. Then I realized that it was all things I had heard said before (or said) in real life. As opposed to many authors, Lewis is writing what's real, what really is said and happens, rather than trying to sound like 99% of what dialogue is in books (you all know what I mean by that...). [In that sense it made me think more than once about the movie Paterson, starring Adam Driver. Certainly not my favorite movie ever or anything, but just a really good REAL depiction of life.]

I think the standout highlight of this novel for me is the dysfunctional family. Both in how it starts, levels out, and eventually ends. How Luke would rather stay in school than go home and hear his parents yell, or how he escapes into his fantasy books as refuge from the war going on at home. Then, when his parents are so finished with the fighting that they've given up and avoid each other, he'd rather walk into town alone than bear the weight of the silence. How it draws out so long and emotionally hard, that by the time their father finally leaves, Luke is excited for it. All of these steps felt real to me, each part had it's place and felt like an actual experience. 

I also would add how this book perfectly highlights infatuation, and just how unhealthy it can be. Luke is a prime example of how unhealthy self image can lead to years of infatuation and obsession. It could be argued that Luke and Jenni are meant to be and that it is love, but after finishing the novel we get the full picture of how every decision he ever made was more than loosely tied to his obsessive thoughts of her. That is not to say that infatuation cannot turn to love, or that being infatuated cannot mean you treat someone well if you ever actually get to be with them, it is just worth noting that Luke definitely ruined or allowed the other good things in his life to pass him by because he was so hung up. 

To put it plainly, the ending of this book is f**ed. I just knew I was going to cry, and I did. It's so very worth reading. I really enjoyed Luke's journey and I think overall I landed on 4.5 simply because the novel really would have benefited from an additional editing. I wouldn't say the typos/errors are incessant. Nor do they in any way prohibit the enjoyment of the story, but as someone who reads a lot I did notice them.