10th Grade

10th Grade is the more realistic and less pretentious twin brother to the cult-classic "The Perks of Being A Wallflower". While Charlie of "Perks" is crying in his room, Jeremy of "10th Grade" is out exploring the world and describing girl's breasts.Anyone who says that this is an unrealistic portrayal of teenage boys, is sorely mistaken. While YOU may have been an asexual nerd, the vast majority of boys (and girls) will relate perfectly to the hormone driven innocence of Jeremy.The writing style is very informal, sometimes hard to understand. And the plot IS rather aimless. But Weisberg is wonderful at turning what could have been another boring book about teenage angst into a hilarious memoir of an average kid. If you like this book, I would also recommend "YOUTH IN REVOLT" BY C.D. PAYNE.

My congrats to Joesph Weisberg, a product of the chicago private schools on being able to write a novel about a big suburban high school in New Jersey. It was a wonderful and hopeful book. Jeremy is about as average as you can get, but has a good and decent heart. He is a kid struggling to find his place in the world. 10th grade is a year that many ignore--Weisberg was wise to set his novel during that year. In fact, the era, the early 1980s is evoked with great care. Jeremy even likes Air Supply. His quirks and nuances make him all the more real. The way he makes friends and floats through school is pitch perfect. I think the fact that Weisberg did not go Hutch Falls but still captures the feelings of being speaks to the universality of being young. One huge strength of this novel is that is hopeful. It reminds me, as a school teacher, that kids are wonderful. Kids are hopeful, and in the end, they are going to be ok. This should be required reading for teachers and students everwhere. I loved this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed 10th Grade, a wonderful, funny novel. Other reviews have called it a "knowing glimpse" and "absolutely credible" account of high school life. As a high school teacher, I find the novel to even more compelling. It rings true for me, as I remember my own experiences and as I see life through the eyes of my current students. Unlike many recent books about teens, Mr. Weisberg captures the underlying truth of adolescence, that life is marked not by hyperbolic and surreal events (teen suicide, incest, drug overdoses) but rather that these years are ones of yearning, frustration, and of love, real or imagined. In the language and tone of his protagonist we experience sophomore year, from the opening of school to the Prom. Weisberg's characters are thoroughly developed and come to life in these pages. The novel is both hysterically funny and honest. As I read it, I laughed out loud and felt a strong sense of deja vu. While I would never wish to be back in high school, Weisberg's 10th Grade made it worth visiting.

I thought the power of "10th Grade" was that it never once wavered from the voice of Jeremiah Reskin. He never knows more than he as 10th grader would know. He is utterly himself, plain and simple, and we trust him. He is subtly very funny. I loved the line where he said "My father loves to read I mean loves." The truth in the sentence structure I found exciting. The format of the entire book is Jeremiah's essay or journal of 10th grade and it's full of funny and inventive linguistic and grammatical challenges. The book is linear as far as time, but in writing a school essay about the year it couldn't be any other way. It is totally justified in its linearity. Most importantly, the voice rings true and gives us a window into the mind of a regular guy who is going through the emotional tumult of growing up with a laid back attitude and a poker face.

This book is written from the point of view of a 10th grade boy. This should explain the lack of sentence structure, punctuation, etc. It reads like a journal, daily meanderings from a teenager. I thought it was fabulous, hysterical, and captivating. The main character, Jeremy, is so believable. What makes this book so great is that adults can read it and laugh at the dramas of high school because we now have a little perspective. If you loathe progressive writing and demand perfect grammar and punctuation, I would NOT recommend this book. However, this lack of perfection is what makes this debut so charming. I'm dying to learn more about this author...