From the author of The Summer We Fell Apart, an evocative and emotionally resonant coming-of-age novel involving three friends that explores what it means to be happy, what it means to grow up, and how difficult it is to do both together. The summer he's fifteen, Sam enjoys, for a few secret months, the unexpected attention of Suzie Epstein. For reasons Sam doesn't entirely understand, he and Suzie keep their budding relationship hidden from their close knit group of friends. But as the summer ends, Sam's world unexpectedly shatters twice: Suzie's parents are moving to a new city to save their marriage, and his own mother has suddenly left the house, leaving Sam's father alone to raise two sons. Watching as her parents' marital troubles escalate, Suzie takes on the responsibility of raising her two younger brothers and plans an early escape to college and independence. Though she thinks of Sam, she deeply misses her closest friend Bella, but makes no attempt to reconnect, embarrassed by the destructive wake of her parents as they left the only place Suzie called home.
Years later, a chance meeting with Sam's older brother will reunite her with both Sam and Bella-and force her to confront her past and her friends. After losing Suzie, Bella finds her first real love in Sam. But Sam's inability to commit to her or even his own future eventually drives them apart. In contrast, Bella's old friend Suzie-and Sam's older brother, Michael-seem to have worked it all out, leaving Bella to wonder where she went wrong. Spanning over a decade, told in alternating voices, The Grown Ups explores the indelible bonds between friends and family and the challenges that threaten to divide them.
3.5 Cocktails
The Grown Ups seemed a fairly familiar story to me. It may be that I am still in contact with many of the friends I had throughout childhood just like the characters in this book. Antalek accurately depicted the adolescent thoughts and dialogue of the characters just as thoroughly as when they grew up into adulthood.
The reader feels as though they know Michael, Sam, Suzie, Bella and the rest of the neighbors from the story from the beginning. It kind of reminded me of The Wonder Years, although a little more “raw”. As teens, they spend summers by the pool, go to dances, get drunk in the basement, etc. pretty typical stuff. Antalek also touches on the more difficult (and I guess still typical) life events like illness, divorce, adultery, and betrayal.
Antalek tells the story from the points’ of view of various characters—focusing mostly on Michael, Sam, Suzie and Bella. I found myself sympathizing mostly with Sam. He seemed the most lost of the group of “kids” and maybe the most sensitive. He also endured a lot of pain and loss and had to overcome it basically all on his own.
While this had my mostly-happy-ending going for it, the author told a realistic tale. There was a lot of heartache and loss, just like in real life so I thought there was a good balance to the book. Definitely worth a read.
Reviewed by Joelle for Cocktails and Books
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12 February, 2015:
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