Anyway, this is about a teenage boy (thirteen years) called Tony Miglione, who narrates the novel. He comes from a middle class family in Jersey City, his dad works as electrician, his mother a housewife. His dad "struck gold" when one of his personal inventions was bought by a big business owner. The family became suddenly rich, and they moved to an upper-class district in Long Island. Here Tony begins observing some "unpleasantness" that often make his stomach aches of anxiety. The neighbor's boy Joel, whom Tony befriended, turns out to be a shoplifter, and a telephone-prankster. Then his mother becomes a terrible social-climber, that got his grandmother angry (and Tony disgusted).
This short novel talks about the unpleasant business of puberty, especially here from male teenager's perspective; social climbing; and cultural status. The Migliones are Italian Americans, but they tried hard to blend in with the upper class American (Tony's mother's name is Carmella, but she let the snobbish neighbor calls her Carol). One thing that disturbed me most is Tony's voyeurism. He often spies on Joel's pretty elder sister Lisa through binoculars (which he received for Christmas gift, reasoning that he's going to birdwatching), when she's dressing or undressing. That's disgusting, and I wonder why the therapist he's seeing didn't say anything about it. Anyway, like I say, it's a light reading, it's not very fun, but not very bad either. I was just happy enough to feel the 1970s vibes (when teenagers riding bikes everywhere, and make plans to meet at a place only through telephone one week before - and both parties remember and show up!)
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Read for:
20 Books of Summer 2026
