Tilt

CBC published a list of 100 YA books that make you proud to be Canadian. I had only read 10 of them prior to this year so I was delighted to find a few more at a library book sale. This was one of them. I'm sure I would never have picked it up if it hadn't been for the list and I'm glad I did.

Stan is a 16 year old high school student trying to make the JV basketball team at school and wondering what to do about the new girl at school, Janine Igwash. Then he learns that JV basketball is cancelled for the year and Janine Igwash comes over to him during biology class and sort of asks him to a dance. He is dumbfounded and can't even reply to her. At home things are complicated too. His father left the family 5 years before because he got a show more young woman pregnant. His mother has a new boyfriend that takes up a lot of her time. Stan looks after his young sister, Lily, a lot but Lily is prone to spinning fantastic stories. When Lily says their father is coming for dinner with their half-brother, Feldon, Stan and his mother thinks it is just a story Lily made up. Imagine their surprise when they come home from a meeting with Lily's principal to find Ron and Feldon on their porch. It's a lot for a 16 year old to process especially when he just wants to get naked with Janine.

I really liked Stan. Yes, he thinks about sex a lot but he is also really sweet to Lily and he helps around the house and he has really deep feelings for Janine. Janine is also a great character. The book's title comes from the fact that rumour has it that Janine is tilted i.e. she likes girls. But Janine also really likes Stan and she is trying hard to figure out her own sexuality. Great book about all those hormonal feelings that teenagers have. show less