Funny How Things Change [Hardcover]

Melissa Wyatt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 27, 2009

Remy Walker has it all: he found the love of his life at home in crumbling little Dwyer, West Virginia, deep in his beloved Appalachian Mountains where his family settled more than one hundred and sixty years ago. But at seventeen, you’re not supposed to already be where you want to be, right? You’ve got a whole world to make your way through, and you start by leaving your dead-end town. Like his girlfriend, Lisa. Lisa’s going away to college. If Remy goes with her, it would be the start of everything they ever dreamed of. So when a fascinating young artist from out of state shows Remy his home through new eyes, why is he suddenly questioning his future?

The author vividly depicts a rich and beautiful place in this powerful novel about a young man who, over the course of a summer, learns how much he has to give up for a girl, and how much he needs to give up for a mountain.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Remy’s life in the West Virginian mountain town of Dwyer has always been the same: hard, quiet, and monotonous, and that’s just how he likes it. But with graduation behind him, Remy agrees to go with his girlfriend, Lisa, to Pennsylvania as she begins college. It seems like a good idea—after all, he can’t live in a trailer with his dad forever—yet the concept of going from an insider to an outsider scares him. His quandary finds a focal point with the unapologetically flirty Dana, an artist visiting Dwyer to paint a mural. Wyatt’s plot is as understated as her protagonist, but what it lacks in action it makes up for in nuance. Remy is a careful creation, a good old boy who’s not entirely good, and who must come to terms with the nature of teen romance as well as the mountain-size chip on his shoulder. Wyatt also adds a sense of urgency with Remy’s dad’s plan to sell the family land. Readers will identify with Remy and his feeling of being torn between a comfortable past and uncertain future. Grades 9-12. --Daniel Kraus

Review

“Wyatt’s prose is tautly evocative throughout; her plot is a welcome departure from the stale conventions of the hero’s journey.” —Starred, Kirkus Reviews

“Good writing drives stellar characterization of this strong but introspective protagonist struggling with his own version of the universal questions of who he is and what matters most . . . . Kinship with Remy will come easily to readers facing similar decisions about growing up and leaving home.” —School Library Journal

“Beautifully spare language portrays the quiet story of a good guy.” —VOYA

“Readers will identify with Remy and his feeling of being torn between a comfortable past and uncertain future.” —Booklist

“This timeless drama of a teen trying to make the right decision about his future is credibly set against timely issues about bad local economies based on unsustainable mining practices, making for a memorable and truly compelling coming-of-age-story.” –Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“Thoughtfully written.” —Teensreadtoo.com

“An intimate look into a young man’s life and the decisions he must make.” —Towerofbooks.wordpress.com

“A beautifully written male character.” —Apatchworkofbooks.blogspot.com

“A great look at reasons to leave home versus reasons to stay (without involving any abuse, death or depression) and also has an environmental angle involving mountain top removal . . . . Very well done.” —ChasingRay.com

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); First Edition edition (April 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374302332
• ISBN-13: 978-0374302337
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #955,905 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Melissa Wyatt was born in York, Pennsylvania. In addition to writing, she has also worked as a sculptor and professional photographer. She lives with a bunch of men (husband and two sons.) For some reason she can't adequately explain, she still lives in York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children, July 24, 2009

By 

Yana V. Rodgers "econkids.rutgers.edu" (New Brunswick, NJ) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Funny How Things Change (Hardcover)

Remy Walker has an unusually strong affection for his West Virginia hometown, Dwyer, and a deep appreciation for the Appalachian Mountains that embrace his home and community. As a very recent high school graduate, he stands at an important crossroad, profoundly confused about which way to turn. Does he follow the love of his life, Lisa, to Pennsylvania where she will be attending college? Or does he stay with his father in the place that has more splendor and meaning than any other location he could imagine?

The decision becomes more complicated with he learns that his father may sell Walker Mountain to a large mining company in order to help support Remy financially in Pennsylvania. Adding to the complexity is the arrival of an intriguing young female artist in town who helps Remy to see beauty in a whole new way. With its unforgettable characters and electrifying storyline, this superb book has enormous appeal from start to finish.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars terrific novel, June 18, 2009

By 

Debra Garfinkle "author of books for teens an... (Orange County, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Funny How Things Change (Hardcover)

My favorite kind of book: An entertaining page-turner with romance, which is also very well written and thought provoking.

The main character, Remy Walker, is realistically and deeply portrayed. I sympathized with him as he struggled to choose between his high school girlfriend who couldn't wait to get out of their tiny mountain town and the town itself, which had been home to his family for hundreds of years. All the characters were three-dimensional, and the mountain setting itself was so vividly conveyed it practically became its own character.

This was a fast read but one that will linger for a long time.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, July 1, 2009

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Funny How Things Change (Hardcover)

It's not very often that you read a love story from a guy's point of view. FUNNY HOW THINGS CHANGE by Melissa Wyatt is not a typical love story, either, which makes this book all the more desirable.

When you grow up you, you move out and move on, at least that is what Remy's girlfriend, Lisa, is doing when she heads to Pennsylvania in the fall for college. Of course, Remy wants to go - it's what Lisa and him have been talking about for years. The start of a whole new life, everything they have always wanted.

Or is it? It's okay to be uncertain, especially at seventeen. You are not expected to know everything, but if you are going to leave, make sure you are doing it for all the right reasons.

For Remy, Dwyer, West Virginia, is his home and no matter where he goes or wants to go it will always be his home. Some people may look at Remy and think that because he is one of those mountain people that he is a hick, a redneck, or a hillbilly. Home is where the heart is.

While he doesn't have much, he and his pops live in a trailer up in Walkers Hollow, Remy knows every nook and cranny of that place, and he looks forward to seeing those mountains every day. He knows he is home. His family all lives there and his roots are deep into the soil of the mountains.

The two loves seem to be in competition with each other. Which one is stronger? There are a lot of factors that play into this tug-of-war. His family, money, and even an outsider's opinion will weigh heavily on what he decides. What is the right choice?

I think there should be more characters like Remy Walker. By no means is he perfect, but he has a good heart and head on his shoulders. Through Wyatt's characterization, you get a real good feel as to who Remy really is. To me, Remy is a hero.

Thoughtfully written, this was a good, quick read that made me want to go to the mountains of West Virginia and see the same beauty Remy saw.

Reviewed by: coollibrarianchick