Angry Young Man

Gr 9 Up—Robert may have spent his early years tormenting his younger brother, Alexander, but the truth is, he really loves him. Presently, loving him is kind of hard. Now going by the name Xan, he's a strange 17-year-old who gets intensely passionate about injustice in the world. Their mother, a struggling waitress, faces her own brand of injustice when a slimy bill collector begins harassing her on an almost daily basis. While tension builds in the family's household, Xan makes a new friend in Harry, a mustached braggart with whom he begins spending all of his free time. Robert begins to suspect something is amiss with his brother—maybe something even more than the usual weirdness. After Alexander gets arrested for vandalism while espousing one of his causes, Robert fears that his brother may truly be beyond saving. The story is told entirely from Robert's perspective, and Lynch's dry and sardonic wit makes him a likable and charming protagonist. The story is well paced and provides an eerie look into the small town of repressed aggression in which the boys grew up. Alexander's actions may ultimately be wrong, but his heart is in the right place as he fights to make the world just a little bit better. A quick read, but one that will stay with readers long after it's over.—Ryan Donovan, New York Public Library