we meet San Lee, a boy of Chinese ancesty who has been adopted by Anglo parents. San and his mom have moved to, as San calls it, "Nowheresville" Pennsylvania from Houston. He is not happy about the move and is avoiding talking to his dad on the phone. San thinks that this new school is the perfect place to re-invent himself. His school is studying Zen and San decides to fake being a Zen master. It doesn't hurt that the girl he has a crush on is impressed by his new Zen persona. As you would expect, San ends up in trouble by not being honest, but the journey is fun. Full of humor, a little romance, and even some sports, this is a great read.
I just finished Sonnenblick's newest and confess to being a tad bit disappointed. After the humor in the face of life and death adversity in his 1st two books, Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie and Notes from a Midnight Driver, San Lee's struggles to fit into a new school seemed a bit trivial.
ReplyDeleteHowever, Sonnenblick's voice is strong and appealing to YA readers, good things happen in the end, and I will await the next effort with enthuiasm.