I wanted to like this book more. The writing is beautiful and the characters seem interesting. But I just found myself a little bored out of my gourd.

This book is a year in the life of Jason Taylor, a young British boy trapped between being a child and being a teen. He's bullied because he stammers. He writes poetry, but is afraid that others will find out because it's "gay" to enjoy reading or writing. His older sister is moving out of the house and his parents marriage is, unbeknownst to him, falling apart.

I think there were a few things that contributed to my boredom. First, I listened to it on CD. It wasn't the reader's fault; I just found it difficult to become engrossed in the poetic and VERY British sentences that often find the protagonist drifting off on long daydreams. Secondly, the ending of the book was too idealistic. It's like one of those movies where the girl takes off her glasses, pulls down her ponytail and whips her hair back and forth. Suddenly the hot guy wants to take her to the prom! Wouldn't you? Lastly, though I know Jason is supposed to be a budding writer and poet, the prose that comes from him is just a little too perfectly poetic. Perhaps my problem is that I'm used to reading these sorts of stories that are written for teens so the writer doesn't use as many adult literature devices.

Even with these issues, I still give the book three stars. I still recommend it because it is very well written and some of the passages are a lot of fun. Mitchell perfectly writes a story that captures the quagmire that exists between childhood and adulthood. My favorite part is the day when Jason is left to his own devices and travels along a neighborhood path. He spies on two teenage lovers, flees from a beekeeper and unexpectedly shares a pastry with his secret crush.

You may still want to check out this book if you can suspend disbelief and get lost in well-written passages.