After his extremely creepy books The Marbury Lens and its sequel Passenger, Andrew Smith hits a lighter note in Winger, at least through most of the book. This book is heartbreaking and funny at the same time. Ryan Dean West (Ryan Dean is his first name. He doesn't like to talk about his middle name.) is a fourteen year old genius who is a junior in an expensive boarding school and the winger on the school's rugby team. He lives in the dorm set aside for trouble-makers and his roommate is the biggest meanest kid on the rugby team. What did he do to get into trouble? He hacked into someone's cell phone to make calls back home. Students at Pine Mountain Boarding School aren't allowed to have cell phones, so Ryan Dean had to be inventive if he wanted to contact his parents. Anyway, in the first couple of months Ryan Dean (nicknamed Winger for his position on the rugby team) manages to piss off just about everyone he cares about, and a few that he just plain fears. As he attempts to maneuver his way through junior year, he learns some valuable lessons about friendship, love and just getting along with others whether he likes them or not. Ryan Dean is an artist, and the book is peppered with his sketches and cartoons which add to the whimsy. The ending comes out of left field and will break your heart. I highly recommend reading this stunning book.
Another "boarding school book" that I am currently reading is Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg. Rafe moves from his high school in Colorado where he is known as the "gay kid" and completely accepted to a school in New England where he knows no one and attempts to redefine himself by "acting straight", however you do that. He wants to be known for something other than being gay. It's a different take on LGBT books, and so far I am enjoying it very much.
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