Waiting on Wednesday - Hothouse

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. The idea is to pick a book that hasn't been released yet that you can't wait to read.

This week my pick is Hothouse by Chris Lynch.


Release Date: August 24, 2010

Here is the Amazon description: Hundreds of YA books deal with the loss of a parent, but few situate that grief within a community as expertly as Lynch's latest. When we meet 17-year-old Russ, his dad is already dead. A member of the beloved local firehouse known as the “Hothouse,” he was one of two firefighters killed during an attempted rescue. The town opens its heart to the men's two sons: their money is no good anywhere, beers are handed to them at parties, and the word hero is applied not just to their fathers but to them as well. But did the town rush to lionize its fallen? As the truth of the fatal incident begins to eke out, Russ finds himself staring down a very different possibility. Lynch fully commits to the first-person voice, giving into Russ' second-by-second conflicts and contradictions. The author also has a strong grasp of the garrulous slaps and punches that make up many male relationships—Russ' friendships are so real they hurt. The story hurts, too, but that's how it should be.

I don't read many books with male main characters, but this one is really intriguing. I can't wait to see how Russ deals with the fact that his father is not what he thought he was in the very public setting of his local community. It sounds like the ideas he had about his dad will be shattered, along with his ties to his neighborhood. This is a very interesting dynamic and one that may be even more interesting from a teen's perspective.

LINKS
- Read a review of Hothouse by Girls in the Stacks
- Add Hothouse to your Goodreads shelf
- Other books by Chris Lynch