Review: Hautman, P. (2017). Slider.
LSSL 5385: Best Fiction for Young Adults
Hautman, P. (2017). Slider. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.
This 2018 Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee, listed among YALSA’s “Best Fiction for Young Adults,” is directed at middle grade readers, but well-suited to a broad range of ages and interests. David and his best friends HeyMan and Cyn--“the three musketeers”--will be starting high school together in the fall, but only if he can remedy and survive an impetuous decision he makes over the summer. David is not only a talented competitive eater, he is a fan of well-known champs among eating contests; thus, he gets caught up in a bidding war over Jooky Garafalo’s supposed one-half hot dog that infamously lost him an important title, and mistakenly pays two thousand dollars--using his mother’s credit card. David and his friends then devise a scheme to repay his mother before she discovers his treachery--he will simply train for and win the upcoming pizza-eating contest, the “World-Famous” Pigorino Bowl.
Told through first person narrative, David’s adolescent hijinks and inner workings are humorous but genuine, his exploits complicated by his family and friend relationships. HeyMan and Cyn have clearly entered into an area beyond platonic friendship, and David’s older, overachieving sister Bridgette has a pretentious, annoying boyfriend. But most frequently occupying David’s time and attention at home is his ten year-old brother Mal, who has autism, though Mom doesn’t believe in labels, and whom his parents expect him to frequently “check on,” assist, and comfort. Mal has low verbal skills but is responsive to David, who loves his younger brother, though David notes he is physically strong and difficult to restrain during “meltdowns,” and has indiscernible triggers, at times screaming in a “vortex of fury and frustration” (27).
The world of competitive eating and weeks of food training occupy the protagonist’s thoughts, juxtaposed with his teenage daily observations on being a primary caretaker for his brother, discussing in detail what foods Mal himself is and is not willing to eat; David ever attempts to introduce new foods, as well as capabilities. Before redemption he must of course face the consequences of his actions, but also finally voices his emotions to his parents about being the middle child, feeling unnoticed and underappreciated, sandwiched between two more noteworthy siblings. He eventually learns that his family does love and support him unconditionally, and that together they work successfully as a family unit in their own unique composition. This novel will reassure young adult readers that both smaller and larger concerns and challenges in their lives are significant, and that honesty and perseverance go a long way in helping meet those challenges.
Comments
Post a Comment