Title: We Ride On Sticks Author: Quan Barry Reviewer: Mark J. Palm Published: March 3, 2020 Every now and then I read the synopsis for a book and I get a feeling that I will like it. In the case of " We Ride Upon Sticks" how can you not? The 1989 Danvers High School Falcons Field Hockey Team will do anything to make it to and win the state championship, including enlisting the aid of Dark Powers. Since Danville, Massachusetts is the spot where the 1692 witch trials began it seems that there is a lot to tap into. Before you know it the girls, ( and one boy), start winning. Unfortunately, if they want to keep winning they have to be more bad, which is great for us, the reader. There are eleven starters on a field hockey team, so there are eleven main characters and Ms. Berry attempts and succeeds in doing the nigh impossible by bringing each and every one of them to life in glorious 1980's neon splendor, from Jen, Julie and Sue, to my favorite, the pint-sized terror Little Smitty. The power, promise, and pain of being a teenage girl,( sorry, Boy Cory), along with the joys and trials of being part of a team are all covered with wit, wisdom, and a ton of humor. One of the unusual tricks up Ms. Barry's sleeve is her choice of narrative voice, the rather rare first-person plural. It takes a few pages to get used to but works wonderfully, and gives us a rare glimpse of all the characters from both the inside and the outside. And what wonderful characters they are! This novel would be a technical triumph for that alone, but it is so full of heart and wit that the technique fades into the background. In case I didn't mention it, this book is as funny as any I have read lately, with a laugh or two per page. The humor does more than provide laughs, though, as the author uses it to great effect to make several sharp points without resorting to lectures. Let me put it this way. This book is a goddamn triumph, and when I finished I almost wanted to listen to " Look Out For Number One." |
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July 2020
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