Book Review: A Rebel Comes of Age

Title: A Rebel Comes of Age

Author: Dr. Stuart Jeanne Bramhall

Genre: speculative fiction

Review:

I loved the whole theme/set up of the novel--A Rebel Comes of Age tells the story of a group of homeless teens try to form a safe haven in an unused corporate building. I mean, who hasn't wondered what it would be like to live with a a group of kids, free of adults? The author explores many problems that have the potential to arise in such theoretical situations; for example, characters have to deal with who and how rules are set, how work is divided among the teens and what to do with rule breakers.  In many ways, this book reminded my of Lord of the Flies.

Before I babble any further, perhaps I should paint a better picture of the setup of the book. The story takes place in the near future--like, very near future (Obama is president still.) The setting takes place in the inner city, where movements such as Occupy Wallstreet are occurring. Unemployment rates are sky high and violence runs rampart. 

The main character, Ange, is totally lovable. She just wants to make the world a better place. With such heart, she and a friend scouted out a few other teens wandering the streets to start the Freedom House, an organization that provides a place to live for homeless teens. They chose a more or less abandoned Bank of America building to house their needs, knowing that if the company decided to evict them, things will go to court.

As Freedom House continues to grow, so do its problems. Arguments break out, the teens are divided about the use of guns in self defense and money becomes somewhat of an issue as well. Meanwhile Ange, is struggling to make choices based on her opinions, rather than racial pressure (she's the only white girl.)

As I mentioned before, I am fascinated by the concepts/themes presented in this novel, but the writing style just wasn't for me. For example, I don't mind a few choice words here or there, but there were far too many swears per page for me to fully enjoy reading. Also, the characters! There were so many of them! Sometimes I lost track of who was who. Last but not least, some parts of the plot seemed to drag a bit. I wished the author had sped up some the more mundane tasks/actions the characters were performing since they didn't particularly contribute to the story.

Final thoughts: A Rebel Comes of Age deals with some interesting ideas and if you've read Lord of the Flies, give this book a go if you want to try reading a modern version of said book. 

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