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jugglingpup 's review for:
Grand & Humble
by Brent Hartinger
To see more reviews check out MI Book Reviews.
Brent Hartinger is one of my favorite authors, has been since I was in middle school. He is one of the authors that I actively check in on to make sure I am caught up on his books. Somehow this book passed me by. I grabbed a copy from the library the second I could and I am glad I did.
Did you ever wonder what your life would be like if you had different parents? While this question is a spoiler, it doesn’t spoil things completely. I try to keep endings a secret, this instead is a reference to the adoption plot of a secondary character. He brings up that his dad doesn’t like him being gay, but that he is also adopted so he knows his dad feels like his “real” kid wouldn’t be gay. It was a wonderful little interlude in the middle of the book. The character was mentioned by both the main boys, but in varying degrees. I was really surprised that this background character was so fleshed out. There was so much to him, but he didn’t really play a major role in the book. He was a background best friend that swam with Harlan and ate lunch with Manny once. That’s it. He just left such a big impression on me that I had to gush about him.
Another secondary character was Elsa. She was also a character that went between the two boys to varying degrees. She was Manny’s best friend, but just a girl to Harlan. There is implications that Harlan and Elsa might go on a date at the end of the book, but I don’t know where I see that going. He is the popular boy going through a hug emotional crisis, he probably isn’t ready to date anyone (read that as I love Elsa and I don’t want her hurt while Harlan figures out his stuff). Manny is clueless to how amazing she is and how much ambition she has. She is a bit of a pushover and that worries me. Again, another fleshed out secondary character. I would love a book about Elsa, but I doubt I will get one this far after this one was published.
The main plot follows two boys, Harlan and Manny, as they deal with anxiety. They have anxiety for different reasons and they manifest in different ways, but they are both experiencing anxiety for reasons they can’t figure out on their own. They turn to the secondary characters to help them. It was a wonderful look at anxiety in teenage boys, something not often discussed. The boys weren’t gay, which is huge. The only teenage male characters I have read that have depression or anxiety have been gay. This gives straight boys something to help them deal with their anxiety.
Brent Hartinger is one of my favorite authors, has been since I was in middle school. He is one of the authors that I actively check in on to make sure I am caught up on his books. Somehow this book passed me by. I grabbed a copy from the library the second I could and I am glad I did.
Did you ever wonder what your life would be like if you had different parents? While this question is a spoiler, it doesn’t spoil things completely. I try to keep endings a secret, this instead is a reference to the adoption plot of a secondary character. He brings up that his dad doesn’t like him being gay, but that he is also adopted so he knows his dad feels like his “real” kid wouldn’t be gay. It was a wonderful little interlude in the middle of the book. The character was mentioned by both the main boys, but in varying degrees. I was really surprised that this background character was so fleshed out. There was so much to him, but he didn’t really play a major role in the book. He was a background best friend that swam with Harlan and ate lunch with Manny once. That’s it. He just left such a big impression on me that I had to gush about him.
Another secondary character was Elsa. She was also a character that went between the two boys to varying degrees. She was Manny’s best friend, but just a girl to Harlan. There is implications that Harlan and Elsa might go on a date at the end of the book, but I don’t know where I see that going. He is the popular boy going through a hug emotional crisis, he probably isn’t ready to date anyone (read that as I love Elsa and I don’t want her hurt while Harlan figures out his stuff). Manny is clueless to how amazing she is and how much ambition she has. She is a bit of a pushover and that worries me. Again, another fleshed out secondary character. I would love a book about Elsa, but I doubt I will get one this far after this one was published.
The main plot follows two boys, Harlan and Manny, as they deal with anxiety. They have anxiety for different reasons and they manifest in different ways, but they are both experiencing anxiety for reasons they can’t figure out on their own. They turn to the secondary characters to help them. It was a wonderful look at anxiety in teenage boys, something not often discussed. The boys weren’t gay, which is huge. The only teenage male characters I have read that have depression or anxiety have been gay. This gives straight boys something to help them deal with their anxiety.