Book tip

Setting Free the Kites

Alex George

It's sort of early to be carving titles into the marble "Best of 2017" lists already, but it would be a surprise if I didn't end the year as impressed and moved by this novel as I am right now. Set in the late 1970s in a Maine coastal town, "Kites" is the story of unlikely best pals whose friendship starts when new kid/cocky dreamer Nathan defends quiet and reticent Robert from a bully. Both boys are wounded by fresh tragedy — Nathan's whimsical father dies suddenly, and Robert's brave, punk-music loving brother is terminally ill — and they bond in their respective family's sorrow and indifference. Much of the book takes place in the charming environs of the amusement park where they score summer jobs. Trust, camaraderie and the possibility of Nathan's first-time romance help define their relationship, but sometimes life's lessons are cruel. With echoes of Stephen King's "Joyland" and "The Body" as well as John Knowles' "A Separate Peace," "Setting Free the Kites" features unforgettable characters and a nice little twist.