From: Susan Stan <stan1sm>
Date: Wed, 8 Dec 2004 08:59:40 -0500

I'll be interested to hear other comments about Bucking the Sarge. I listened to it on tape and enjoyed the narrator's voice, but I'm puzzled as to why it is considered a YA book other than the fact that the main character is 13, has adult magazines stuffed under his mattress to aid in his nightly activity, and has become aware of girls and his own attractiveness or lack of it. Well, I guess that is sufficient for a YA classification. But take those elements out and the narrative line is not really affected--Luther doesn't have the introspection or identity issues that I've come to expect in YA books, and it felt like a children's book. Also, I can't see where the character really changes. This is hard to talk about without revealing the ending, so I'll just say that his actions imply a change in character but to me this was not well supported by the characterization. I had a hard time believing he was a different Luther T. Farrell by the end of the book. For me it was entertaining (and at times upsetting) but not a satisfying read. Susan Stan
Received on Wed 08 Dec 2004 07:59:40 AM CST