I came across this book in one of the (many) book blogs I peruse and put it on hold at my local library. When it arrived I tore through it in a couple of days (this was made easy by the fact that it is a novel in verse). This novel explores themes of friendship, identity, neurodivergence, prejudice... but all in a very accessible manner.
Set in New York in the 80s, the novel features a ton of pop culture references across many cultures. As a child of the 80s myself I loved the cultural references but I imagine that today's young'uns will have to Google some of them. The story is told from the alternating perspectives of two young boys. JJ's family has had to move to another part of the city and he starts at a new school. It's at this school he meets Pierre, a really smart kid whose mother is suffering with some undisclosed mental issues. JJ is a keen observer of his surroundings and his insight into some of the goings on around him are very thought provoking.
Both boys are quirky but I got the sense that Pierre was a bit more accepting of his own quirkiness than JJ. Perhaps some experiences in the past have made JJ less open to trusting new kids. The boys bond because of their shared quirkiness and also introduce each other to a variety of different things, Although the ending wasn't exactly what I would call happy, I was okay with it because not all stories have a happy ending and it's good for kids to see that. I would recommend this book for ages 9 and up. Some similar reads told from various perspectives and that deal with similar themes to this novel are Hope Larson's All Summer Long, Steven Frank's Armstrong and Charlie and Paula J. Chase's Turning Point.
