Customer Reviews

10th Grade

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Written from the perspective of a 15-year-old, Weisberg's debut is the journal of a New Jersey boy as he enters and progresses through 10th grade in 1981 or thereabouts. The conceit here is that the prose is supposed to mirror the syntax, vocabulary and punctuation one might find in such a teenagers journal. So, one encounters entire pages without commas, sentences that run on and on and on, and the use of numerals such as 1, 2, 3, instead of the words one, two, three. Weisberg has exaggerated these stylistic tics for comedy sake, but the end result is that the book is a bit of a trial to read. Yes, it makes sense in context, but it's a gimmick that wears thin very early (and will doubtless insult many a 10th-grader). The diarist, Jeremy, is somewhat of an everyman. This is both a positive and negative: the easy-go-lucky good-hearted kid doesn't do anything extreme that might alienate the reader, but he's so average that the reader never gets much of a feel for him. Yes, he's likeable and inoffensive, and you root for him, but he never truly comes alive as a living, breathing character. And yet his relatively smooth journey through the ups and downs of sophomore year makes for a modestly enjoyable read.

The bulk of the story revolves around his friendships and a secret crush on the new girl at school. At first he falls in with a circle of pseudo-outsiders: one fat girl, one hot girl (who has a 23-year-old boyfriend), one cynical guy, and a plain girl. They hang out together at lunch and in various people's rec rooms. A lot of this is pitch perfect, as the group subtly shifts to include him, and it becomes clear over time that one of the girls is interested in him. His own ambivalence to her is slightly implausible, as he's holding out for someone better looking. In 10th grade hormones are running awfully high, and it's a little hard to buy his rejection of the girl. Still, it's nice to find a teen character that doesn't instantly tear his clothes off, or isn't so eager to try pot.

Eventually, Jeremy is accidentally absorbed into the cool jock and cheerleader crowd. This shifting of friendships between groups is done well, and Weisberg wisely avoids any of the many potential cliche pitfalls that might have been tempting. Along the way, there are lots of little pictures drawn of Spanish class, his soccer season, trips to New York to buy clothes with his father, evaluating the breasts of his classmates, and the first acquisition of porn. The book climaxes with the prom and post-prom party, where Jeremy's first sexual encounter occurs with an unexpected partner. This is not a book to read for stunning insight into a 10th grader's mind, not is it a particularly vivid slice of early '80s nostalgia (only passing references to Air Supply and Meatloaf lyrics, a Charlie's Angels poster, a player on the NY Knicks, and mentions of Izod shirts give the story any sense of time). Rather, it is a moderately humorous and wry take on what a typical white, suburban boy's 10th grade experience might be--and kind of a pain in the butt to read.

I thoroughly enjoyed 10th Grade, a wonderful, funny novel. Other reviews have called it a "knowing glimpse" and "absolutely credible" account of high school life. As a high school teacher, I find the novel to even more compelling. It rings true for me, as I remember my own experiences and as I see life through the eyes of my current students. Unlike many recent books about teens, Mr. Weisberg captures the underlying truth of adolescence, that life is marked not by hyperbolic and surreal events (teen suicide, incest, drug overdoses) but rather that these years are ones of yearning, frustration, and of love, real or imagined. In the language and tone of his protagonist we experience sophomore year, from the opening of school to the Prom. Weisberg's characters are thoroughly developed and come to life in these pages. The novel is both hysterically funny and honest. As I read it, I laughed out loud and felt a strong sense of deja vu. While I would never wish to be back in high school, Weisberg's 10th Grade made it worth visiting.

"10th Grade"
by Joseph Weisberg

I wanted my third January novel to be light-hearted. I can only say that "10th Grade" was the perfect choice. I teach mostly 10th through 12th graders so a novel that provided the innermost words and thoughts of a young teenager offered me cathartic allure. In addition, the idea of a novel written by a 15-year-old sophomore (named Jeremiah Reskin) seemed delightfully escapist. Basically, the book was written as if Jeremy was keeping a detailed journal of his sophomore year. The grammar, vocabulary and pace of the novel reflected a typical male 10th grade student. Trust me, I teach enough of them to know.

I started reading this book on a Saturday, and I ripped through the pages to its final completion by the following Monday morning. Jeremy's viewpoints of sophomore year were extremely funny but amazingly truthful. Jeremy dealt with the social structures of school, the strange way friends were acquired, the constant internal attraction to females, the peer pressure to try drugs and cigarettes and the lack of importance placed on academic achievement. The book was a real eye-opener as well as a nice release from the deep subject matter of the previous two novels I read in January.

Kudos!

Jay's Grade A-

My congrats to Joesph Weisberg, a product of the chicago private schools on being able to write a novel about a big suburban high school in New Jersey. It was a wonderful and hopeful book. Jeremy is about as average as you can get, but has a good and decent heart. He is a kid struggling to find his place in the world. 10th grade is a year that many ignore--Weisberg was wise to set his novel during that year. In fact, the era, the early 1980s is evoked with great care. Jeremy even likes Air Supply. His quirks and nuances make him all the more real. The way he makes friends and floats through school is pitch perfect. I think the fact that Weisberg did not go Hutch Falls but still captures the feelings of being speaks to the universality of being young. One huge strength of this novel is that is hopeful. It reminds me, as a school teacher, that kids are wonderful. Kids are hopeful, and in the end, they are going to be ok. This should be required reading for teachers and students everwhere. I loved this book.

I thought the power of "10th Grade" was that it never once wavered from the voice of Jeremiah Reskin. He never knows more than he as 10th grader would know. He is utterly himself, plain and simple, and we trust him. He is subtly very funny. I loved the line where he said "My father loves to read I mean loves." The truth in the sentence structure I found exciting. The format of the entire book is Jeremiah's essay or journal of 10th grade and it's full of funny and inventive linguistic and grammatical challenges. The book is linear as far as time, but in writing a school essay about the year it couldn't be any other way. It is totally justified in its linearity. Most importantly, the voice rings true and gives us a window into the mind of a regular guy who is going through the emotional tumult of growing up with a laid back attitude and a poker face.

This book is written from the point of view of a 10th grade boy. This should explain the lack of sentence structure, punctuation, etc. It reads like a journal, daily meanderings from a teenager. I thought it was fabulous, hysterical, and captivating. The main character, Jeremy, is so believable. What makes this book so great is that adults can read it and laugh at the dramas of high school because we now have a little perspective. If you loathe progressive writing and demand perfect grammar and punctuation, I would NOT recommend this book. However, this lack of perfection is what makes this debut so charming. I'm dying to learn more about this author...

10th Grade is the more realistic and less pretentious twin brother to the cult-classic "The Perks of Being A Wallflower". While Charlie of "Perks" is crying in his room, Jeremy of "10th Grade" is out exploring the world and describing girl's breasts.

Anyone who says that this is an unrealistic portrayal of teenage boys, is sorely mistaken. While YOU may have been an asexual nerd, the vast majority of boys (and girls) will relate perfectly to the hormone driven innocence of Jeremy.

The writing style is very informal, sometimes hard to understand. And the plot IS rather aimless. But Weisberg is wonderful at turning what could have been another boring book about teenage angst into a hilarious memoir of an average kid.

If you like this book, I would also recommend "YOUTH IN REVOLT" BY C.D. PAYNE.

Weisberg is great at capturing the speech and minute-by-minute thought processes of a teenage boy, but not so great at giving his novel a larger moral perspective. To begin with the book's strength, a lot of the dialogue is very sharp and sounds exactly like how people talk; for example, when the protagonist Jeremy Reskin is talking about his sister:

"Where's she going?" Gillian asked.
"College."
"I thought she's 12."
"That's my other sister this is the other 1. Beth."
"Oh. I was like who's this 12 year old girl that's going to college?"

It's not ha-ha funny but it amuses just because it's such well-written dialogue. But at a certain point in the novel, one wonders: *why* this painstaking recreation of the way a middle-class, white 15-year-old boy experiences life? What does it add up to? Jeremy's Creative Writing teacher tells him, "Jeremy that which is true is noble and good," and I guess Jeremy's narration is his account of the "truth." But I would disagree with the teacher's statement: a strictly factually accurate account of something isn't necessarily noble or good. As other reviews have noted, Jeremy doesn't have any clear moral development in the book, or learn any life-lessons. For example, throughout the novel he engages in narcissistic daydreams where he plays a super-hero or tough guy, and in the middle of the book he has a genuinely vile fantasy in which he "saves" his teenage love interest from "Russians" (evil Commies, I guess; the book is set in the 1980s) who are going to rape her. But Jeremy seems just as voyeuristic and venal as the Russians, and it comes off as a perfect example of the feminist idea that the rescuer in a "save the distressed woman" fantasy is vicariously enjoying the torment inflicted by the persecutor. Now, what is Weisberg trying to say in this passage? Yes, it's *true* that a teenage boy will have these fantasies, but is it a *good* thing? Is Weisburg commenting on an unconsciously sexist mentality that his teen hero must outgrow? It's not clear; I get the feeling that we're just supposed to consider Jeremy basically sweet and lovable, and that's that. My biggest problem with the book was the casual way in which Jeremy replaces his outsider, "alternative" clique with a cool, popular clique. Now, maybe I'm cynical, but this kind of transition always involves messiness and certain personal trade-offs. But, again, Weisberg doesn't explore the moral complexity of this transition. At one point Jeremy compares a new popular male friend to Jay Gatsby, and then follows a long quotation from F. Scott Fitzgerald's book: "[Gatsby] smiled understandingly - much more than understandingly...[etc.]" Again, I was stuck: why the long quotation from "The Great Gatsby"? Are we supposed to take it at face value, that Jeremy's new friend is just such a great guy that he demands comparison with a passage from F. Scott Fitzgerald? Or maybe (I was hoping) Weisberg's intent is ironic: as we know, Gatsby basically sold his soul for money and status, and the personification of money and status, Daisy Buchanan. Maybe Weisberg is making a similar point about the "cool crowd": this is the moment where Jeremy is making compromises, starting to be superficial, hanging out with the rich kids in their big houses and abandoning his less-wealthy friends who live in apartments. But I think I'm reading too much into the passage, and indeed given the unalloyed nostalgia that informs the last section of the book (and given Weisberg's dedication: "And to my classmates: I still dream about you"), I don't think we're getting any kind of subtle critique of Jeremy's motivations, or of high school status-seeking, at all.

Weisberg is talented, but in the end I have to consider this book an exercise in nostalgia. He seems to have a glowing feeling about his New Jersey adolescence, and he wanted to render that in a kind of Joycean interior monologue. To the degree that his teenage experience approximates yours, you might share in this nostalgia, whether you're a 35-year-old or an 18-year-old looking back on a (basically happy) earlier time in your life. But if you're looking for something that goes beyond the nostalgia--some larger moral point about an individual, or social comment upon American life, adolescence, whatever--then I think you might be disappointed with this book.

Weisberg's first foray into fiction reads like an amusement ride tour of the brain of the 15 year old nice guy who grew up to be cool. The writing style reminded me of how my mind worked at that age -- so many things competing for time and space that the thoughts easily got ahead of the written words. It reads like a really authentic, just-self-conscious-enough journal: the kind you HAD to keep for school, but grew to like and treat as a friend. The antics are hilarious; the characters so well-formed that vivid school portraits rapidly formed in my head of each member of the classs of Hutch Falls high. As a reader who is a contemporary of Weisberg (I think-- what other age group identifies with Meat Loaf and Air Supply?), I found this a thoroughly enjoyable, intelligent stroll down the memory lane of high school. And I hated high school! But I loved this book.

I read this book on an airplane and could not stop laughing out loud. It was honestly embarassing--people kept looking at me like I was some sort of lunatic. But I just could not put this book down.

I haven't been 15 in a long time, but this novel brought it all back: the way nothing you say is really ever the right thing; the way you love your parents but find them to be pretty wierd and often embarassing; the way everyone wants you to find out what your life's ambitions are, and you really don't know what they are. This novel perfectly captured all of these emotions, as well as the akward, gawky way teenagers and even adults communicate with each other. I'm 27, and still feel like I sound like a complete dork most of the time when I talk.

Even though this book is hilarious, it also has sad parts. It is hard when you drift apart from friends, or when you really don't know where you fit in. It's difficult to talk to your parents when you're 15. It's almost impossible to find the right balance between fitting in and setting yourself apart from the crowd.

The funny part is, the narrator succeeds in doing all of these things. He is really a tremendously likable sophomore guy. He doesn't always go along with the crowd. He's nice to both guys and girls. He doesn't think his parents are hopeless cases and instead pretty much enjoys their family trip to England (which is one of the most hilarious parts of this book). While riddled with insecurities, Jeremy is really what I would have most aspired to be like when I was 15.

In this book, you will travel with Jeremy Reskin through his sophomore year of high school--from the first day of class to the prom. I was simultaneously reminded of all the best and worst that high school has to offer. While I'm glad I'm not a teenager anymore, this is a fun and realistic trip back. Highly recommended.