Two Truths and a Lionel

Gr 7-10–Lionel’s heroic rescue of a stranger during a freak kitty-litter fire at a pet shop would have made his recently deceased grandfather, the iconic actor known as Papa Shades, proud. Lionel just isn’t 100 percent sure that the shadowy figure doing the rescuing was him. That doesn’t stop the teen from basking in the limelight, much to the annoyance of his ex–best friend Mickey. As the premiere date of Papa Shades’ final and posthumously released film grows closer, Lionel finds himself facing several uncomfortable truths about both himself and the grandfather he hero worships. The events of the book are larger than life in a manner more standard for a middle grade novel, and the simplistic themes will similarly speak more to a tween audience. However, there is a perplexing mismatch between the thematic appeal and the vocabulary choices, which tend to be both esoteric and lacking in natural flow. These elements combine to make for a didactic narrative that older teens will find off-putting. The fast pacing is necessary and well executed, balancing character development and plot progression effectively. Most of the cast is racially diverse, and a secondary character is gay.