Sebastian Stuart

This is an entertaining read but a little flat. The idea that money doesn't buy you everything is explored, but not in any original way. The one part I did find authentic and original were the scenes where Shelley was being a doctor - giving matter-of-fact advice and not being cowed by the celebrity & money status of her clients.

I really enjoyed the beautiful writing of this novel about Arthur MacDougal, an incoming senior (having flunked out of Colleigate HS) to this alternative boarding school in Conn. run without rules, tests, and based on the UK system of tutors and indvidualized learning.

While there, he is among 7 other graduating seniors, but the story is based on him and his clique of: Sapphire, Nicholas and Katrina Felt-daughter to a famous movie star.

Told with an almost whisper and sparing words, this show more novel brought me directly into the world of young Arthur. New York/downtown in the late 1960s-a time when drugs, and sex began to open up worlds;and the young were finding their voice. Arthur is also discovering his own budding sexuality, which is done with grace. Can't wait to read more by this author. show less

Things I liked about this book:
Stuart's writing style
Reading the perspective of a gay teenager (I don't know that I ever have before)
The dialogue in Sophia's class

Things I did not like about this book:
I wanted more--more to happen in terms of conversations between Arthur and his parents about him being gay, more in terms of Arthur finding Katrina in the present (though this is selfish of me),and more in terms of growth of the characters. On that note, I know that it is natural for people to show more just grow apart, especially at high school age, but that does not mean that people NEVER have the conversations they need to have. This does happen some of the time. Arthur never talked to Katrina about her bad choices and her family relationships, Nicholas never tells Sapphire how he feels, Arthur and his parents never really talk about his homosexuality, etc.


I suppose that it says a lot about this book that I wanted more rather than wanting it to end. Stuart wrote a humorous (at points), entertaining take on what could've been a typical "boarding school coming-of-age" novel. I read it in one afternoon. show less

spoilers abound.

I don’t know if it’s savage or shocking. Emma’s suicide was provoked. Charles turned into a killer but it’s strange that he pulled back on this one. He wanted to drive Emma crazy and have her committed so he could steal her book. How did he drive her crazy? I know that he had pills that were supposed to be sedatives and while she was out he would steal her notes and drafts. His character definitely deteriorates from the start of the book.

Anne is more difficult to show more grasp. Yeah she’s a successful businesswoman (a la Martha Stuart) but she’s also stupid by not seeing where her benefactor was taking things. He raped her and continued to finance her operations. Then she wouldn’t get an abortion and has a sort of attack at the clinic. Suddenly morals.

In the end, she divorces him and holds him to it because of the pages of ‘his’ now very successful comeback book. The pages are written in Emma’s hand and editorial notes are in Charles’ hand.

Emma is unclear. Yes, she’s mentally disturbed. She wounds herself with razor blades and lit matches. She still hears the taunts and threats from her dead mother in her head. Her mother is dead at Emma’s own hand. Beaten to death when Emma was still a minor. Charles discovers the truth in old newspaper accounts. Emma is predator and prey. She wants Charles. She wants Anne out of the way but her reasons aren’t clear. She can function outside the mental hospital, but she’s not very calculated. Her malign presence seems by chance, not by design.

I am glad the ending wasn’t the traditional and over used happy, everyone lives a wonderful life ever after. This ending was risky and not bright but it worked. show less