Real life read

This week, I finished reading Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt. I have read a couple of his other books, and enjoyed them, so I decided to give this one a go and it was fantastic.

This book is technically Young Adult fiction, but I feel like it falls into the genre of "real life fiction." Meaning it could actually happen.What makes the book stand out, though, is Schmidt's ability to bring the characters to life. Doug, the main character, is the narrator, and as the story progresses, it is hard not to feel and relate to what he feels. You can feel his frustration when good things start to happen and are then followed by bad things and you begin to figure out how his mind works, the way he acts tough to cover for things.

Another of Schmidt's successes with this novel is his cast of teachers and adults who care. As Doug struggles with family problems and other personal difficulties, it is hard not to feel gratitude for the science teacher who lets Doug  be free from the reputation of his brother, the librarian who takes the time to teach him drawing, and more. By the end of the book, Doug has won everyone over, and it is cool to see how he makes choices to be different from his less-than-ideal family role models.

It was also interesting to read about the time period, when putting a man on the moon was in the works. I grew up post-moon landing, so I think I always take it for granted that we put people on the moon. But Okay for Now gives a new perspective on what it must have been like to live then.

I really haven't done this book justice, but it is really a fantastic read and I highly recommend it. You'll come away feeling like the world is an okay place.