From: Megan Schliesman <Schliesman>
Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 08:54:00 -600

Like Robin, I also took the incidents in SLOT MACHINE as literal rather than hyperbole. At the very least, my impression is that whether or not these specific incidents are "real" in the lives of male adolescents, the anxiety they generate certainly is.

My feeling is that not every young man will be able to identify with the situation itself as presented in SLOT MACHINE, but that most will recognize the feelings of Elvin and his friends. Indeed, I think in his depiction of Elvin and his two childhood friends, the author took care to develop characters who represent a range of responses to the peer pressure males face - to be tough, to fit in, to be "one of the boys."

In fact, I think if anything is exaggerated in the book, it is the young men's responses rather than the events (or the intensity of the events) themselves. As a young man resistant to "slotting," Elvin manages to use humor to survive with his sense of self intact, and I admire the way in which Chris Lynch allowed us to sense Elvin's pain through the sarcasm. Still, Elvin's wit and ability to fight and endure (I realize these are heavy terms, but the experience in the book is brutal, despite the humor - one did have to fight and endure to survive on an emotional level) are a bit exaggerated, in that I don't know how many young adults would have been able to maintain themselves like Elvin did. Then again, this speaks to the strength of his own sense of identity and self-esteem, and the wonderful relationship with his mother that no doubt fostered much of this.

Likewise, Elvin's friend Mikie manages to stay just enough removed from the goings-on at the camp to move from one role to another with relative ease. He is above it all, while Frank is so desperate to be one of the leaders that he loses all sense of identity. In these three characters, I think Chris Lynch has exaggerated, or rather, distilled and made slightly more potent, adolescent responses to the challenges of growth and change. But I believe this is one of the things that makes it excellent fiction, in addition to the wonderful story and humor.

Megan Schliesman Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education UW-Madison schlies at macc.wisc.edu

I just finished reading _Slot Machine_, and I didn't take any of the peer pressure as exaggeration. I haven't read many books aimed at young adult males (I've tended to gravitate toward female protagonists in the past), and if this book hadn't been scheduled for discussion this month, I'm not sure when I might have read it (not because it's not deserving, but I just wouldn't have picked it up on my own, I don't think). I really enjoyed Elvin's humor -- it seemed very juvenile (appropriately enough), and also very revealing and self-aware at the same time. Yet, at times I found the humor almost painful -- Elvin's defense against the teenage male world. I took all of the peer pressure literally, and was affected by all of it
(especially the scene at the end). I am surprised that someone would consider it an exaggeration -- that thought hadn't even occurred to me! How would a teenage male read it? As exaggeration? I'm really curious now! Do any of you work with middle-schoolers or teenagers, and how have they responded?

Hoping to hear more opinions . . .

Robin
Received on Thu 14 Mar 1996 08:54:00 AM CST