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This novel opens with a simple trick: a rabbit disappearing into a top hat. However, the magician—and not necessarily the magic trick—captures the sixteen-year-old narrator's attention. For Amaro, the narrator, Worcester, Massachusetts, is both prison and home. He navigates a demanding father and complex family dynamics. As the novel progresses, the narrator proves himself to be a brilliant teenager, one who reads Oppenheimer's biography and recites Arendt. He makes careful observations about his area's (and the country's) socio-economic climate, all while navigating loneliness in a small town. Amaro recognizes his abilities, but questions his self-worth and future. Modern and lovably complicated, this novel explores what it means to be young and misunderstood.
Marcello's book creates a poignant discussion about the current loneliness epidemic. The narrator observes that, for him, the issue of loneliness is not "just about the girls." Rather, it is "wider and bigger." He makes a carefully detailed observation about both America and the world: "The country was teetering and sliding toward authoritarianism. The climate crisis was a nightmare, and emissions, even with the work of so many, continued to climb." He infers that all of these things combined have led teenagers like himself to believe that a bright, happy, successful future is unobtainable since the present is rife with uncertainty. Thus, Amaro's experience mirrors that of many teenagers today who want to change the world for the better yet feel powerless to do so.
The novel also emphasizes the importance of finding one's own place as well as being involved in a supportive community. As the novel progresses, the protagonist begins facing turbulent, even physically violent circumstances with his father. One of the novel's important characters, David, reminds Amaro that those around him see his brilliance and determination. David, unlike his friend's father, supports Amaro's interests. David also provides a safe space for the narrator, one which allows him to openly talk about the father-son violence he has experienced. Their friendship is a great reminder of how one's life can change for the better when one finds the right support group and community. Sadly, the novel also explores what it is like when that community and that support unexpectedly disappear.
This is a powerful work that tackles many difficult issues faced by young adults, families, and the broader population. In its examination of being an outcast, finding unexpected emotional support, and what it means to be in and maintain a family, it leaves no socio-cultural issue unexplored. It is similar in theme to cult classics like The Perks of Being a Wallflower. In fact, Amaro can be considered a more modern version of Charlie, the main narrator of The Perks of Being a Wallflower. For anyone who has never fit in, who has broken free of a small town's binds, or who has been brilliant in their own way, this is a novel with which they will truly relate. It's a riveting, emotional page-turner with an unforgettable narrator whose determination and insights into love, life, and being will surely inspire its audience.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review