Bill Condon (1) (1949–)

I want to write a review of this book, truly I do, but all I keep doing is singing "Groovy Kind of Love" by Phil Collins and thinking about Aussie contemporary YA lit. "When I'm feeling blue, all I have to do, is take a look aaaaat you, then I'm not sooo blue." That's where I stop singing, lest this turn into some sort of awkwardly sexual booklove situation. It is true that Aussie YA books and I have a groovy kind of love, though. [b:Raw Blue|6989576|Raw Blue|Kirsty show more Eagar|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266111020s/6989576.jpg|7231905], [b:The Piper's Son|7417780|The Piper's Son|Melina Marchetta|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1333662548s/7417780.jpg|9362085], [b:A Little Wanting Song|7124053|A Little Wanting Song|Cath Crowley|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1276426809s/7124053.jpg|7385632], [b:Six Impossible Things|8579486|Six Impossible Things|Fiona Wood|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1279095275s/8579486.jpg|13448579], [b:Holier Than Thou|13480258|Holier Than Thou|Laura Buzo|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1344409352s/13480258.jpg|19012539]; these books all just knocked it out of the park for me, and my favorite thing about them is that they aren't really about anything but living. While slice-of-life stories are common for every age group, young adult books can very quickly become angst-ridden "no one can understand me, my pain is so singular" types of stories, which really alienates me as a reader. Somehow many Australian authors seem to be successful at conveying the depressing bits of life, all the while with the undertones of the familial and friendship connections as an anchor that keep the narrative from getting to negative.

In A Straight Line to My Heart, Tiff(any) is trying to enjoy her summer after finishing high school. She has an internship lined up at her local newspaper and a new crush on a footballer from a nearby town, but the story doesn't dwell on one plotline throughout. Instead, it basically just follows Tiff through about a week of her summer. The cast of characters is fairly controlled and there are not a lot of random mentions, which allowed me to really get the feel of several of the central players--Tiff, her family (who are actually more a surrogate brother/uncle, Bull, and grandfather, Reggie), Bull's girlfriend Zoe, her supervisor at the newspaper, and Tiff's new love interest, Davey. In addition, the setting is contained to only around three or four locations. While I do appreciate lots of action and plot twists in most genres, contemporary fiction is the place where I'll give up basically everything for the characters and a connection. I loved Tiff's voice from the initial library scene opening where she is annoyed to be rudely interrupted while she is lost on the moors with Heathcliff, and I couldn't help but laugh at the note that Davey gave her later in the book:

I like you but you mightn't feel the same way about me, and I wouldn't blame you. To save us both from any awkward moments I've figured out an easy way to do this. Nod if you're even slightly interested in getting to know me. Write a ten page explanation if you're not.

"Write a ten page explanation if you're not?" That is so classic, and I really hope I remember to use it on someone in the future. Because I loved Tiff so much, it was lovely to see everyone else through her eyes. She thought about people's motivations for their actions--what did Bull's girlfriend want to hang out with her for? Why was Reggie trying to avoid going to the doctor? I wish I could contemplate and remind myself that there are usually reasons for everyone's bad attitudes or, alternatively, for their acts of kindness. Quite surprisingly, this book did not make me cry, but I believe that Tiff is so lucky to have the family relationship she has (and likewise, her family is lucky to have her), and I think she makes a few more valuable connections with people during her summer. Tiff would be a very hard person to dislike, but I could totally see her just fading into the background. I'm so happy that Condon picked her out of the crowd and decided to tell her story.

The list of people who might love this book is pretty long. I'd recommend it for fans of the books I mentioned earlier, though I think the style most resembled a mixture of Cath Crowley and Fiona Wood. Bill Condon did a fabulous job of making me totally forget that he was a male writer with a female narrator, so I'd add anyone who is looking for a successful example of writing a main character, in first person, of the opposite sex. Also, this book is for anyone who is a fan of slice-of-life stories full of heart and a bit of humor.

4.5/5 stars.

Thanks to Arlene from WinterHaven Books for lending me her copy. You're a star.

Read this review and many others at The Readventurer. show less

‘No worries’. It’s a great Australian saying. Brian Talbot would like no worries, but when you’re seventeen and just left school these days, it seems worries is all you have.

The ‘family next door’ is thrown out the window in this book and Condon deals with some real life social issues as he lovingly hand feeds us on Brian’s doubts and desires until our empathy becomes over-whelming.
Coping with a new job and work-mates is one thing, but Bri has other, more pressing distractions show more that would send most kids over the wall. His father, for one, who decides family life (especially his own) is not to his liking and distances himself from them by moving into the back shed. And his mother is a walking time bomb that Brian spends a great deal of his time trying to defuse. Throw in a girl who sends his pulse racing and gives him x-rated daydreams and we have an ordinary kid coping with some extra ordinary pressures.
Condon has done his research and come up with some believable teenagers in today’s society. No Worries lays out several of the problems that are currently being handled by many youths today and the title seems to be a hint at simpler times when the basic family unit was not something the average kid had to wish for.

After being through so much with Bri, in the end I would have liked a little more closure. Let’s face it, if it was a girl she would have at least ended with a diary entry! But then again, it is typical of a teenage boy not to communicate, is it not? show less

Age 13+ The cover of this book shows a grinning devil with a red heart standing out against his black body. This really sums it up ? the book is full of heart. It is a most enjoyable read.

Jack is sixteen and 'stuck in deep neutral'. He drifts through school trying to avoid being noticed. This all changes when a new student, Thorns, arrives. Thorns is continuously smiling, joking and doing things that make him (and Jack, as they become friends) stand out. The new boy confides in Jack that he show more has a condition that means he is unlikely to live long. He has a list of things that he wants to do before he dies and enlists Jack's help in their execution. Before long, the two boys are involved in a hopeless fight with the school thugs and climb onto the roof of the school (because it is there).

This novel is a delight ? it covers some emotionally difficult territory, but in a light way, with the characters' warmth shining through at every turn. The ultimate message ? experiencing life deeply as you are living it ? comes through vividly via Thorns and Jack's adventures. The supporting characters add to the mosaic of the deeply lived life: Thorns's ex-jockey step-dad, fishing without hooks because he doesn't like hurting the fish; octogenarian Herman, formerly a stand-up comedian; the mysterious girl at the lingerie shop. While not always finely drawn, these individuals enhance the story.

As an addition to a school library, or a set for literature circles or whole class study, Dare Devils will have wide appeal.

Les Strong (WA) show less

Lovely, moving novel about a friendship between two boys. Jack and his mother are still recovering from the death of Jack's sister in a car accident when into their life steps "Thorns". T is suffering from a weak heart - he has already had 3 by-pass operations - and knows his time on earth is short. He asks J if he will help him complete his list of things to do before he dies - ride a racehorse, get chased,etc. J is reluctant at first but Thorns' charm wins him over and J soon meets T's Mum show more ( a carnival fortune teller) and his step-dad Scobie ( an ex-Jockey) and together they help T prepare for the inevitable. I bawled my eyes out at the end! Wonderful book that is better than No Worries Condon's CBC award winning book. show less