Review: Scarily Realistic
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 3, 2013
I'd classify this YA novella as a coming-of-age story. It has been made into a movie, which I've not seen.Almost Kings is the story of Bug's (aka Ted Wheeler's) fall semester as a high school freshman. Bug is the younger brother of Truck (aka James Wheeler). Truck and a few of his football buddies make up a loose clique called "The Kings."As seen through Bug's naive eyes, The Kings are hulking, tough demi-gods of their rural high school. Being heroes of the football field affords them golden ticket passage through high school. The girls desire them. The other boys fear them. They are untouchable. They are Bug's heroes.But Bug's perception of the world around him is limited. Reading between the lines in this short novel, the truth emerges. High school administration sees The Kings as bad kids, troublemakers, brawlers. The Kings are sexual predators. They drink too much. Even Truck, the leader of The Kings, comments none of The Kings have much of a future ahead of them.Over the course of a few months, Bug discovers the truth about his brother and the other Kings. The explosive lesson he learns will mark him for life.The author's presentation of these kids could be interpreted as stereotyping of an entire high school or town, but I don't think it is.  Kids like the ones in this novella are part of every high school social structure. Reading this reminded me of people I knew and things I saw growing up. This peek into that almost forgotten world-through Bug's eyes-is intimate, poignant...and harrowing. I'll remember the way this story made me feel for a long time.