A review by meg_in_progress
The Lost Boys of Montauk by Amanda M. Fairbanks

informative sad tense medium-paced

3.0

I read this book as a parent member of a book selection committee for the school district my children attend. This book was being considered for 10th grade and the teachers saw its value as an option for a small literary circle rather than a whole class read. 

My thoughts, as shared with the district, under spoiler text just in case:

Spoiler

As a parent, I am comfortable with this book being offered as an option. I think there is value in the book for the right student. I trust our educators to identify the students that might connect with The Lost Boys of Montauk and to have conversations about any heavy material. 

Overall, I was ambivalent about the book. I liked elements of it, but it did have faults. I think it was longer than it had to be and following the character friend and family trees was confusing at times. The two things I liked most were: 1. The theme of family influence and patterns passing generationally. We are defined by our roots and sometimes by the struggle to rebel against our families of origin. 2. Looking at the research that went into this book. The author left no stone unturned and followed every rabbit hole. This did, unfortunately, lead back to one of the faults in the book being longer than necessary. Even that thought could be an interesting conversation regarding self-editing. 

There were descriptions of prolific drug use by kids as young as middle school. The people involved lived in the 60s-70s, before my time. This would be around the age many students grandparents were teenagers. I understand it was a different time. I do want to be candid about this only so any teachers who choose it would be ok with engaging with any questions raised.