Chris CrutcherRezensionen

Sportsmanship

What marvelous and well-rounded characters! Every one of them has a reason for being, and the author reveals them, sometimes through a dream character named Hey-Soos. Respect everyone’s journey.
There is also some side exposition about school curriculum, particularly in history and civics, that just now is in the news and general awareness. (Book was published in 2007.)
This is my first exposure to Crutcher, but I will read him again.
Also pleased to see the publisher, Greenwillow Books, still with the excellence I remember from when my kids were small.

This book touched on a lot of different topics from bullying, religion, social acceptance, social issues, child abuse, etc. It also showed that no matter what a person looks like on the outside, the inside is where the scars and beauty are hidden.

after rereading Ironman, i cannot explain why i originally assigned this novel two stars. seems mean and stupid and inaccurate. like, i'm a crutcher fan, so how did i miss how crutcher-y and great this novel is?! i'm glad i reread it, and i'm even more glad (what even is this pollyanna-ass sentence) that i just don't even rate books anymore.

Chris Crutcher's Chinese Handcuffs is written in both narrative and letters written to Dillon's dead brother Preston.

Dillon's brother Preston was a troubled teen (well, it never states his age that I recall but he is 2 years older than Dillon). After a motorcycle accident left him paralyzed, Dillon turned more to drugs and a motorcycle gang. Unable to fight his demons, he killed himself in front of Dillon. The book deals with Dillon trying to figure out his life. Everything has changed for him. His mother left and took his younger sister Christy. It is now just Dillon and his dad.

Preston's death left behind feelings of anger, depression, sadness and one other thing, a baby. Dillon has had a crush on Stacy for years. Stacy only had eyes for Preston though. After Preston's death, Stacy goes away to North Dakota to "heal". The story when she comes back is that a cousin of hers had a baby out of wedlock and was going to put it up for adoption. Stacy convinced her parents to adopt the baby. You find out (although it is no real surprise) that the baby is really Stacy's and Preston's.

Then there is Jennifer. Dillon's friend and major basketball superstar at the high school, Jennifer is battling her own demons. Jennifer has been sexually abused by her biological father and is now being sexually abused by her step-father.

Dillon works through his grief over Preston, anger over Jennifer's abuse and love of Preston and Stacy's baby throughout the course of the year. Jennifer tries to work through her fear on the basketball court and Stacy comes clean over the intercom at school about the parentage of the baby.

While there is no pat "happy ending" there is some resolution. Dillon finally puts to rest his anger with his brother; helps Jennifer; loves Stacy's baby; and gets his dad to talk to him about life.

Don't let the weird cover scare you away-this was great.
I'd never read anything by this author before now, and I'm glad to see he's written several books. It was surprising to find out this one was written in 2003. It doesn't feel dated at all except for the absence of cell phones. And maybe the curiously derogatory word "adjusto"-I don't remember that ever being a thing. Otherwise, the kids could be from a book written this year.
I always like a YA book where the adults are more than just props, and there are some swell ones here-parents, teachers, and other cool grown-ups. They're not all great, which is the heart of this book's problem. The book deals with several hard issues, but the author does a fine job of navigating them. I loved that the characters changed over the course of the book. I loved that enemies could become friends, or at least friendly. Moby's voice was great. Despite the difficult subject matter, this was a quick, enjoyable read.

Eric's only friend in middle school was Sarah Byrnes, a girl with an acerbic sense of humor and severe burns on her face and hands. She and Eric, the fattest boy in school, made up a sort of club of rejects, banding together to use their wits against their tormentors. Now, in high school, Eric has discovered swimming and has made at least one other friend, but Sarah Byrnes is still one of the most important people in his life. And she's in a mental hospital, in a catatonic state. Eric visits her regularly, wondering all the time: what happened to make her check out like this? Is there any way he can help her find her way back?

I thought I had read this as a teenager, but if I did, a whole lot of it went right over my head! I suspect that I remember seeing the title on the library shelves, but that I never checked it out. I have such mixed feelings about this title. First off, parts of it are extremely dated. I can't really hold that against the book; in its time, I'm sure they added a lot. It's just that teens now are going to struggle with that aspect and miss out on a lot of the humor. Other parts, including some of the class discussions from Eric's Critical American Thought class, are starkly relevant. Certain plot elements are extremely predictable, like the Inspirational Teacher vs. Uptight Administration storyline, and the way Jody's story plays out (I'm being intentionally vague to avoid spoilers) -- again, they might have seemed fresher in 1993. All of the adult antagonists are pretty one-dimensional, though a kid bully gets some more nuance. All in all, I can see this book being taught in a YA literature course, as it's a strong example of a 1990s realistic teen novel, but I'm not sure I'd hand it to teens today, at least not without some additional context.

I tried to read this book when I was twelve and I remember just not getting it. The only thing I understood was that I was too young to read it. Now I'm an adult and I point out quickly that I wasn't the intended audience. I've lived in Seattle all my life. I grew up in a hockey family, and my older brother traveled frequently to Spokane for youth hockey training. Wenatchee, Spokane, Okanagan, all over Easten Washington generally. Pierce County to play big games. Bigger games and serious training were in Canada. It genuinely surprised me at first that this book mentioned zero hockey and was all about swimming, beating people up, heavy emphasis on being fat, scarred, or in a mental hospital...and it was mind-numbingly boring. It was also first published twenty-six years ago and was groundbreaking. These topics are still very relevant, especially in a place like Spokane. The author jammed in and skated over tons of these topics. I was irritated but impressed considering the political climate when it came out.

It's couched in a boring YA slice of life story. Mark is a huge jerk, there are tons of cardboard antagonists, but I liked the support the good adults offered the protagonist. I did like the coach. This book might have been more interesting from Sarah's perspective despite her catatonic state, or the author's feeble attempts at writing it. The book was reprinted recently and honestly? The town is known for its meth problem. It's complicated and sad, and I feel like a jackass for thinking this, but...slip in references as a way to update the story and add a touch of realism. The story read like it was set in any generic small town ever. Swapping out the beatings with meth problems and swimming with hockey would have been way more convincing. I'm a bit cranky about it, and wish the town of Spokane had more support. I live in a Seattle neighborhood known for its drug problems and low-income residents--I am low-income. I'm not trying to judge. Just--cranky. I'm glad this book had the impact it did.

A very different story from the kind the author usually writes. I think this one was less successful than his previous efforts because of poor pacing. The beginning seems to crawl and then it abruptly lurches into the endgame with little transition between them. This had the added effect of making all other characters (especially the eventual antagonists) vague and ill-defined in their motivations. I would also have appreciated more time for denouement.

I have loved most of this author's books in their strong humor and characterization, but unfortunately I felt this one was too uneven to really succeed.

2 stars

It had its moments, but ultimately unremarkable.

At first I didn't like this book. The language was typical Crutcher, breezy, a little too smart alecky, and teenagey. Used "way" way too much. The premise was a little too hard to believe also. But as I got into it, I loved it and couldn't put it down. It was sooo sad.

This is actually like three novellas, loosely strung together as six teens under the care of the same therapist. The characters are all characters from his other novels. An interesting exercise.

The third story, Meet me at the Gate, Marcus James, was by far the most powerful. Gripping is the better word. The first two were good enough, but did not get into my head the way Marcus James did.

An interesting aside: Matt Miller, a dedicated Christian, is portrayed in a positive light. His contribution to the action is the product of his commitment to do the right thing, and the struggle he has with the events that unfold and the sanctioned injustices that permeate the community. It is always nice to see Christians portrayed in a positive light.

I would recommend the book as a whole, but especially Meet me at the Gate, Marcus James for all but the faint of heart.

(Strong language, violence, sexual situations)

Dear Chris Crutcher,
I said I would give you another chance after Chinese Handcuffs, which I basically hated. And I was really getting into Whale Talk, despite some animal torture (what is it with you and animal torture?) when you had to go and make me like these characters a lot and then bad things keep happening and I end up crying. What gives, Chris Crutcher? Is it that you like to see people cry? Huh?

Okay, so I liked this one even though it was tragic and sad and infuriating and made me hate people. I give.

I'm not much of a Crutcher fan, and this one was hard to read. It's pretty bleak, and deals with sexual abuse, suicide, violence, pregnancy, oh and animal torture.

Apart from this book being a drawn-out macho after-school special, it wasn't the worst. It just wasn't for me.

Ostensibly about a kid challenging the ruling power of sports at his high school, this story also shows the power of being a part of something. This was a beautiful and difficult read. Difficult because the author shows you all the ways that people are cruel and abusive to other people. Beautiful because most of the characters learn and grow. Crutcher is also very good at writing smart (and smart-ass) teenagers that are entertaining and funny. But seriously, have some tissues handy as you're reading this heart-wrenching and yet hopeful book.

A moving and funny tale of a teenage boy who wants to live before he dies. Have tissue handy for the last third of the book.

Ben is looking forward to his senior year of high school when he is diagnosed with a lethal form of cancer. Since he is 18, he convinces his doctors not to tell his parents so he can live his last year as he chooses. Ben, who has always been a cross country guy, decides to play football; talk to the girl of his dreams; and harass his social studies teacher. Palmyra high school students would recognize this harassment as something Mr. Smyser would do in student form.

This book is for students who want the courage to try new things. Ben is an inspiration in spite of his circumstances.

Less than compelling. I'll stick to his fiction.

I really appreciate an author who keeps getting better, whose books gain depth and clarity with time. I enjoyed Chris Crutcher's books 12 years ago when I was in high school, and I found this book insightful and moving. I wouldn't have thought that an author could pack a handful of serious social issues, heavy interpersonal and existential drama, a love story, and a football story all into one book and leave room for humor, character development, recommendations for further reading, and charmingly eccentric theology. But man, Chris Crutcher manages it.

I also loved the further look at the now grown-up hero of Running Loose, which I have to admit was never my favorite Crutcher book.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book. To anyone. (erm. Anyone over the age of 13 -- the abovementioned serious social issues, in typical Crutcher style, pack quite a wallop.)

Advance copy

An unusual inspirational novel that touched me far more than I expected it to, although after reading another of Crutcher's novels, "Deadline," I should have anticipated the simple but striking story.

The Tao Jones (abbreviated to T.J. for obvious reasons), is an athlete extraordinaire, although he usually chooses not to show it. But when his English teacher approaches him about starting a swim team at Cutter High, where there isn't even a pool, T.J.'s rebellious, stubborn attitude leads him to latch onto the idea. With intentional carelessness, T.J. recruits the six least likely students to ever succeed on an atheletics team: Dan Hole, a scholar with straight A's, Tay-Roy Kibble, a bodybuilder, Jackie Craig, a silent wallflower, Simon DeLong, a three-hundred pound outcast, Chris Coughlin, the autistic younger brother of a deceased high school champion, and Andy Mott, a surly bad boy with a prosthetic leg. Along with T.J., who is a mixed race Japanese-African-American adopted from a negligent mother, they form the Cutter High Mermen, the most unlikely swim team in the history of the close-minded, atheletics-worshipping town.

Dealing with everything from family issues to modern racial prejudice to a inspirational sports story, "Whale Talk" encompasses many themes and sheds wisdom on them all. Each of the characters is realistic, and you come to love and hate them with surprising intensity; the seven members of the Merman are brilliantly endearing in a Breakfast Club sort of way. Crutcher pulls no punches with the hard stuff, but in the end the story is true-to-life; touching on moments of unthinkable cruelty and heartwarming triumph.

Read it out loud to the class and would often stumble on awkward syntax. Probably wouldn't have noticed it if I did a speed-read. Topic and issues still relevant but way too many pop-culture references that are dated so students couldn't get the humor.

I could not put this book down! In a disposable society as we live in, it was a huge treat to read about kids who stick around and help each other. Sure, they may tease along the way, but in the end, they are there for each other. This book has everything you need in a good book - someone to love (Eric, Aka Mobe) and someone to hate (Mr. Byrnes). A teacher to love (Lemry) and a teacher/assistant principal to hate (Mautz).

Sarah is more complicated. She was badly burned when she was young. As a result, she is a very angry person with survival instincts in social situations. Although she and Eric are friends, she really doesn't trust anyone.

Mark Brittain is complicated as well. He comes from a very strict religious home, so you don't know how much of how he thinks and acts is of his own doing compared to what has been shoved down his throat at home.

The book is given its title because Eric and Sarah have always been friends because he was fat and she was scarred. When he started working out a lot with the swim team, he ate a ton so that he would stay fat, thinking that was a necessary part of staying friends with Sarah.

RGG: Two childhood friends, physical misfits, stay friends through highschool even though one is no longer a misfit. Messages of courage and doing the right thing. Good adolescent read.