Title: Sprout
Author: Dale Peck
Release: May 26, 2009
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books
Contains: Coming-of-age, Drama, Relationships.
Analysis of Book (1-10 on each aspect):
Writing: 10
Plot: 8
Characters: 9
Wow Factor: 8
Summary (from Amazon.com): Sprout Bradford has a secret. It’s not what you think—he’ll tell you he’s gay. He’ll tell you about his dad’s drinking and his mother’s death. The green fingerprints everywhere tell you when he last dyed his hair. But neither the reader nor Sprout are prepared for what happens when Sprout suddenly finds he’s had a more profound effect on the lives around him than he ever thought possible. Sprout is both hilarious and gripping; a story of one boy at odds with the expected.
Review: Sprout was definitely an interesting read. The number one thing I loved about the book was the writing. Dale Peck is amazing, with his metaphors, similies, and way of wording. I highlighted lines of the book I loved and I never write in books. The book is written as if Sprout is just having a conversation about his life to us, and it was magical in that perspective. I really liked the other characters as well: Ty, Ian, and Ruth. The story line was one I don’t often read: Sprout was trying to win a state essay contest, he’s still having problems getting over his mother’s death, and he might just have found love. This book may have been playfully written but it does have a dark side. There’s a lot of real-life problems discussed in this book, including death, abuse, and broken relationships. My one complaint is that it was a tad confusing as I’m still thinking about the end and what it means.
What Vanessa Reads 