Tuesday, March 29, 2011

What I Have Read # 2 - "Boofheads" by Mo Johnson

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MATES
FOOTY
CHICKS
PARTIES

Life is pretty sweet for Tommo, Casey and Ed. But things are changing - and fast. Has it all come to an end for the boofheads.'Boofheads' is the story of three boys who have been friends since starting school but as they go into Year 11, the dynamics of their friendship and lives begin to change.

The premise of this book brings back all the memories from my final years in high school. I rarely see any of my old school friends but thanks to Facebook, I'm slowly getting back in touch.

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After reading the book, I’ve come to the conclusion that Mo Johnson must have been a teenage boy in a previous life. She has captured the mind-set of all three of the main male protagonists brilliantly. I have also come to the conclusion that if she based the character of Mrs. McKenzie on herself, she has a delightful self-deprecating humour. The Bagpipe Bitch indeed?

Watching the three boys slowly drift apart in the book was quite poignant, especially as Tommo is the only one who really sees it coming. The opening lines of the book set the tone and encapsulate the essence of the story.

Change tiptoed into our lives with her eyes down, like a shy chick coming late to class. We checked her out, as you do, and found nothing there worth bothering about… but we ignored her and that was our biggest mistake.

I knew a Tommo, a Casey and several Ed’s in the last few years of my own high school life. Part of me was secretly pleased for the whole thing to be over with and I certainly don’t miss some of my old school friends but a part of me was sad too, on that final day.

If the characters weren’t so engaging and the story wasn’t so thoughtful written, Boofheads would still be worth reading just for the memories it will evoke in anyone who ever went to school.

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