SuitabookNot with a bang
Gail Sidonie Sobat
- Reading
- Consider reading together or checking in after the story’s serious illness material. Let the young reader choose whether to talk about Al’s situation or focus on Jan’s changing interests and relationships.
- Themes
- Mentorship and change: Jan and Al begin by resenting one another; over time, Al becomes a mentor and father figure as Jan considers different possibilities. The story links Al’s guidance with Jan learning to value compassion and decency in relationships.
- Worth knowing
- The plot includes Jan’s guilty plea for marijuana possession and Al’s diagnosis of terminal cancer. These bring legal trouble and serious illness into the relationship-focused story.