The
Grown Ups
A
Novel
By:
Robin Antalek
Releasing
January 27th,
2015
William
Morrow
From
Robin Antalek, author of The
Summer We Fell Apart,
comes an evocative and emotionally resonant coming-of-age novel
involving three friends who explore what it means to be happy, what
it means to grow up, and the difficulties in doing both together.
Spanning over a decade, and told in alternating voices, The
Grown Ups explores
the indelible bonds between friends and family and the challenges
that threaten to divide them. It is the addictive and moving story of
these old friends who wind up confronting their past in order to find
happiness in their adult lives that make this novel an anticipated
winter release.
Sam
Turner, the summer he turns 15, feels lucky enough to enjoy the
unexpected attention of his friend Suzie Epstein, even though it’s
only a few secret months. For reasons Sam doesn’t entirely
understand—and will never question—the budding relationship is
kept hidden from their close circle of friends. But before their
summer tans can even start to fade, Sam’s world unexpectedly
shatters twice: Suzie’s parents are moving away to save their
marriage, and his own mother has suddenly left the house, leaving
Sam’s father alone to raise two sons.
Watching as her parents’ marital troubles escalate, Suzie Epstein takes on the responsibility of raising her two younger brothers while simultaneously planning an early escape to college to seek independence. Though she occasionally thinks of Sam, it’s her oldest friend Bella Spade she finds herself missing. Embarrassed by the destructive wake of her parents as they left the only place Suzie could call home, Suzie makes no attempt to reconnect with the one person she needs. Its years later that a chance meeting with Sam’s older brother Michael will reunite her with both Sam and Bella—finally forcing her to confront her friends, her past and what she left behind.
After
losing Suzie, Bella surprisingly finds her first real love in Sam.
But his inability to commit to her or even his own future eventually
drives them apart. Watching Suzie and Michael as they seem to have
worked it all out, Bella’s only to wonder where she went wrong and
how to make it right.
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Years
ago on a December night in their junior year of high school they had
been in Peter Chang’s basement before the winter dance, when Sam
had turned to Bella, his eyes as navy as his sweater, and said, “So?”
It
began as simply as that, friends who had known each other since they
were in diapers. Sam made her happy. Just the sight of him as his
cheeks flushed a deep shade of red was all it took. She wanted to
kiss him and she knew that he probably wanted to kiss her too.
Later, when they had all stumbled from Peter’s basement, wandering
through the streets of their neighborhood to the high school, Sam had
bumped up against her shoulder and she had found his hand down by his
side and grabbed hold of his fingers. He wound them through hers and
hadn’t let go, and right then in that moment she had been so sure
of everything she had ever wanted.
Since
her mother’s funeral, Bella had been stuck on that memory, and she
didn’t know why. Maybe it was only the ache of nostalgia. She
wanted to lie in bed alone and go over every minute she had spent in
Sam’s arms. But then she had noticed the way her mother was
looking at her and instead she had crawled into bed with her and
whispered about Sam. The mustard light in the room was diffused by
the angle of the bathroom door, and she caught a glimpse of her
mother’s face in the shadows. She was smiling but there was also
something sad in her expression.
They
say “Don't judge a book by its cover,” this is one time
when I'm glad I dived in without taking much notice of the front
cover. When I began to read this book, I had absolutely know idea
where the plot would lead. I admit I wasn't immediately struck with
the story but somehow after a few pages it gripped me in a way I can
only describe as spellbinding!
Sam,
Bella and Suzie live in the same neighbourhood,
attending the same school. It's 1997, they're fifteen years
old and carefree. They're completely oblivious to the fact that all
their lives are about to change forever. Until then, Sam spends an
idyllic Summer, not quite understanding why he is the focus of
Suzie's attention, but enjoys the awakening feelings that stir within
him. Then suddenly, everything changes! Suzie leaves town with her
younger brothers as their parents attempt to re-build their failing
marriage in a new location. Already devastated, Sam sees his own
mother walking out of their family home,
leaving him and his brother Michael with their Father. Bella lost
her best friend when Suzie moved away so she and Sam comfort one
another. Over the course of the following decade we follow each one
of them during their transition from being a free teenagers
to mature adults.
Robin
Antalek has written an intriguing ensemble.
Each character eventually heads
off in different direction, but somehow manage to make their way back
to each other over a period of years.
Things never go back to how they
originally were,
but they're all
still very much connected. Gut-wrenching
at times, us the readers go on a roller-coaster
of a ride as we follow these three young people. With alternating
points of view, we feel their emotions and live their challenges as
new life events assault them from many directions. Our three
protagonists deal with some hefty life issues including heartbreaking
dementia and miscarriage, which the author deals with in a sensitive
and realistic way.
The
only reason I didn't award this 5 stars is because I felt overwhelmed
at times trying to keep track of which person belonged to which
thread of the plot. Other than that I am completely in awe of the
author's ability to draw me into this enthralling
novel.
4½
Stars
***arc
received courtesy of publisher William Morris in exchange for an
honest review***
Robin
Antalek is the author of The Summer We Fell Apart. Her nonfiction
writing has been published in literary journals and in several
collections, including The Beautiful Anthology; Writing off Script:
Writers on the Influence of Cinema; and The Weeklings: Revolution #1
Selected Essays 2012-1013. Her short fiction has appeared in 52
Stories, Five Chapters, Sun Dog, The Southeast Review, and Literary
Mama among others. She lives in Saratoga Springs, New York.
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