Magic and Misery

I just finished Magic and Misery by Peter Marino. It is marvelous because he dares to treat ordinary people as if they are relevant. I'm drowing in a sea of Gossip Girls and their copykittens, and here's a book about a lower income, very bright teen girl who after school works in a pharmacy (where the assistant manager is consumed by her thwarted ambition and calls herself the "manager" as a result) and who gets a crush on the cutest boy in school. They become best friends, but her time mooning over him is short because he comes out almost immediately. And they __remain__ best friends. When the inevitable real boyfriend shows up and threatens their friendship, the situation is handled with compassion and realistic detail. And there is even a healthy teen tex aspect, where they prepare for the situation and don't cringe with remorse after it. The sexual questioning/bully story is also well done. I even like the cover art, which shows (gasp!) a healthy weight teen female holding hands with both her boyfriend and best friend.

When is author Peter Marino going to write a book for me? I'm not just an adult, but a GRANDMOTHER of the audience that Mr. Marino has chosen. (So far!) I had to race through his latest, Magic and Misery, as my granddaughter's birthday approached. It was at least a consolation when I dropped it in the mail, that there is such an intriguing, well-written and grounded book that I can share with several of my progeny. This is not the usual boy-meets-girl high school romance, but a much more thoughtful and complex situation with believable interesting characters. There are more than a few surprises as TJ, Pan and Caspar work out their relationships with subtle help from the better angels of their natures.

Upon receiving Magic & Misery, I devoured it. Once again, Mr. Marino had me reliving my teens, but without the actual agonizing pain. There I was at my high school lunch table, drooling over the football players who were clearly out of my league. I was pining by the phone, wondering when "he" would call, then tongue tied when he did. Insecure with my looks, and assured by my parents that I was beautiful. Embarrassed by my terminally dorky family who meant well and loved me no matter what. Mr. Marino's characters are real and whole. His writing style captures you and involves you - you can't help but empathize and become part of the story. And while perhaps intended for a younger audience, I think everyone can benefit from his subtle lessons on life. I have so enjoyed his two books. I look forward to reading many many more! (Peter, can you write faster??)

Peter Marino (author of "Dough Boy") has crafted yet another brilliant book for anyone who has ever experienced insecurity (and let's face it, who hasn't?). The book is designed for teens, but reads well for adults. In fact, I would argue that "Magic and Misery" reads even better for adults than "Dough Boy", although both would be great reads for any age. Marino's dialogue is witty and sharp, particularly in the characters of TJ and Pan, who are best friends, despite being unpopular with their classmates. The two share a self-deprecating wit that is often laugh-out-loud hilarious to the reader. Unlike Dough Boy, this book centers on a young girl, who is not nearly as unpopular as Tristan. Because of that, the humor is not quite as sharp or biting as it is in "Dough Boy", but it is still present, and the novel is still hysterically funny at times. While I would argue that "Dough Boy" is simultaneously funnier and more depressing than "Magic and Misery", this novel is no less effective or well-written. It simply has a more even, and in many ways, more mature tone. As before, the characters are fully defined and three-dimensional. The boys in school are still mean, as they were in "dough boy", but the meanness in this novel has mostly to due with TJ's poor economic background, along with the general boredom of growing up in a small town. While TJ interprets their cruelty as being about her appearance, it's obvious from other characters' reactions to her that she is a lot more attractive than she believes herself to be. While this novel has two clearly defined villains (in Samsonite and Torno), the novelist does show us other sides to the villains' personalities (for instance, Torno has two ailing and elderly grandparents whom he has affection for), and it's made clear that their meanness is more reflective of their boredom than their cruelty. Not that their meanness is any less painful for TJ or Pan, but it makes the reader understand that even the "Villains" can be human. I'd like to see that in a "Twilight" novel please! :O) I found all of Magic's characters to be honest, believable, and so well described that I could imagine each of them popping up in my daily life. Marino's primary achievement in both novels is the lack of stereotypes. Oh sure, some characters start out as the dumb jock, the gay guy, the awkward girl, and so on, but he ladens each character with such depth, such pathos, and such dimension, I found myself empathizing with all of the characters, including the parents and the villains. While detesting how certain characters treated TJ and Pan, I never felt that those characters were two-dimensional or cliched. I found each character to be fully human and believable. When I first heard these books were for teens, I had doubts if I would enjoy them (I'm a 31-year old man). Certainly at moments I wished "Dough Boy" would be darker, but I never had that wish with this novel. While it isn't "dark" per se, the tone felt right. It f

"Magic and Misery" is a very funny, insightful and entertaining exploration of surviving high school. Peter Marino answers many questions teenagers have that are often difficult to ask parents and teachers. By the end of the book, the characters are wiser, stronger, and more mature, giving the reader a chance to grow, too. It's a wonderful joy ride that will stay with me a long, long time. Just learning the meaning of the word "fago" is worth the price of the book.