Genre: YA Contemporary
Published: January 21, 2014 by Egmont USA
Length: 256 pages
Source: Egmont USA (ARC)
“A severely burned teenager. A guitar. Punk rock. The chords of a rock ‘n’ roll road trip in a coming-of-age novel that is a must-read story about finding your place in the world…even if you carry scars inside and out.
In attempting to describe himself in his college application essay–help us to become acquainted with you beyond your courses, grades, and test scores–Harbinger (Harry) Jones goes way beyond the 250-word limit and gives a full account of his life.
The first defining moment: the day the neighborhood goons tied him to a tree during a lightning storm when he was 8 years old, and the tree was struck and caught fire. Harry was badly burned and has had to live with the physical and emotional scars, reactions from strangers, bullying, and loneliness that instantly became his everyday reality.
The second defining moment: the day in 8th grade when the handsome, charismatic Johnny rescued him from the bullies and then made the startling suggestion that they start a band together. Harry discovered that playing music transported him out of his nightmare of a world, and he finally had something that compelled people to look beyond his physical appearance. Harry’s description of his life in his essay is both humorous and heart-wrenching. He had a steeper road to climb than the average kid, but he ends up learning something about personal power, friendship, first love, and how to fit in the world. While he’s looking back at the moments that have shaped his life, most of this story takes place while Harry is in high school and the summer after he graduates.“
The Scar Boys by Len Vlahos is a fantastic read about a boy named Harry who was almost struck by lightning when he was 8 years old. It is written in first person point of view, and it was a fresh read for me since the story is told from a male perspective. I think this is the first time that I read a young adult contemporary book that had a male narrating the story. What I love about this book is that the characters had their own personalities which means it’s easy to tell them apart and they’re realistic. Also, there is a character development with most of them which I really liked.
I also want to share with you 2 weird coincidences I had with this book. I got it from Edelweiss without reading the summary, and right when I was about to do my essay for college applications, I read the first page of the book, and guess what our main character, Harry, was doing? He was writing his college essay! Another coincidence is that I decided to stop at page 200, and when I checked the time, it was 2:00 a.m. Have you guys ever had any coincidence with the book you’re reading? If so, please share in the comments below!
Anyways, I totally recommend this book. If you’re looking for a great, quick read that involves music, friendship, obstacles, and a little bit of romance, I highly suggest you pick this one up.
