Magic and Misery [Hardcover]

Peter Marino (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2009

Presenting a raw, bitingly humorous portrait of high school life, this novel shows how magic and misery weave through one special friendship.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* At 17, Tony Jo (TJ) has never had a boyfriend, and she is sure the reason is that she is “stout and sturdy.” After she bonds with James (Pan), the gorgeous new guy in her small-town high school, she dreams that they will hook up, even after Pan comes out and tells the class that he is gay. And even after she dates Caspar, an interesting, thoughtful football star with whom she has sex, she stays close with her “nonboyfriend,” and the three form a friendship triangle. There is jealousy and tension: who will escort TJ to the prom? And what’s so great about the prom, anyway? Pan is a bit too perfect in every way; but TJ’s first-person narrative expresses her mixed feelings of anger, anxiety, and love with rare honesty and depth. The story is also open about the vicious homophobia among some of Pan’s schoolmates, as well as class differences (she is ashamed to bring wealthy Pan home to her shabby apartment). The messages grow from the story; even the dialogue with adults who give TJ condoms and warn her about STDs and unwanted pregnancies is well integrated. Best of all is the drama of physical attraction and friendship in all its intensity. Grades 9-12. --Hazel Rochman

About the Author

Peter Marino is an English professor and playwright whose first play has been produced in festivals around the country. He lives with his spouse, G. A. Broadwell, and their two "children" Ofi and Scratchbat(a dog and a bat, but not just any dog and bat) in New York State.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Hardcover: 293 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House (March 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823421333
• ISBN-13: 978-0823421336
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,213,667 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Peter is an English professor at Adirondack Community College in upstate New York He won the SUNY Chancellor's Award in 2006 for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activity. Dough Boy and Magic and Misery, his young adult novels, have won critical acclaim from all the major industry publications. His plays have been produced in the 9th Annual New York City 15 Minute Play Festival, the Samuel French 2003 Short Play Festival, and SlamBoston! 2005, 2006, and 2009.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, January 8, 2010

By 

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

This review is from: Magic and Misery (Hardcover)

TJ is a high school junior. She believes that she is a plain and pretty boring young person. She has the ability to do well in school but is not very motivated. She is not very popular and is waiting for her first boyfriend.

Then Pan, aka James, comes into her life. He is the new kid who has moved into her blue collar small town. He is gorgeous, with blond hair and fine features. TJ decides that Pan will be her new boyfriend.

Then Pan announces that he is gay and TJ has to settle with being his best friend. Later, TJ catches the eye of a deep-thinking football player, Caspar. She has to deal with Pan's jealously, high school discrimination against gays, and first love.

I enjoyed this book, although I was confused at times. I wanted to explore TJ's little brother, who seems to have a mental problem. I loved TJ's mother and felt for her and her journey to remake herself. Pan's parents were great and I would have loved to have hung out with them.

All in all, MAGIC AND MISERY is a satisfying read and highly recommended.

Reviewed by: Marta Morrison

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything to like., December 2, 2009

By 

Maria Beadnell "gotlips" (NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Magic and Misery (Hardcover)

I just finished Magic and Misery by Peter Marino.

It is marvelous because he dares to treat ordinary people as if they are relevant.

I'm drowing in a sea of Gossip Girls and their copykittens, and here's a book about a lower income, very bright teen girl who after school works in a pharmacy (where the assistant manager is consumed by her thwarted ambition and calls herself the "manager" as a result) and who gets a crush on the cutest boy in school. They become best friends, but her time mooning over him is short because he comes out almost immediately. And they __remain__ best friends.

When the inevitable real boyfriend shows up and threatens their friendship, the situation is handled with compassion and realistic detail. And there is even a healthy teen tex aspect, where they prepare for the situation and don't cringe with remorse after it. The sexual questioning/bully story is also well done.

I even like the cover art, which shows (gasp!) a healthy weight teen female holding hands with both her boyfriend and best friend.

5.0 out of 5 stars Waiting my turn..., October 23, 2009

By 

Patricia A. Mcevoy - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Magic and Misery (Hardcover)

When is author Peter Marino going to write a book for me? I'm not just an adult, but a GRANDMOTHER of the audience that Mr. Marino has chosen. (So far!) I had to race through his latest, Magic and Misery, as my granddaughter's birthday approached. It was at least a consolation when I dropped it in the mail, that there is such an intriguing, well-written and grounded book that I can share with several of my progeny. This is not the usual boy-meets-girl high school romance, but a much more thoughtful and complex situation with
believable interesting characters. There are more than a few surprises as TJ, Pan and Caspar work out their relationships with subtle help from the better angels of their natures.