Customer Reviews

Over and Under

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Coming of age stories for adults remain somewhat uncommon; especially if you throw in the factor of cultural influences and social change affecting this transition point. That's what made TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD such a hit - a growing-aware young adult's newfound cognizance of adult issues - and that's what makes Todd Tucker's OVER AN UNDER so memorable. In the summer of 1979 two pre-teen best friends and cave explorers face danger and change in rural Indiana just as a labor strike is changing the face of the town. Perfect for any library strong in coming of age novels.

Set in the 70's, this is a great story that takes you back to an innocent time of childhood freedom. The main characters, 2 boys in their early teens, learn the history of their Southern Indiana town along the Ohio River through uninhibited exploration. Along the way they discover that they must understand and battle social influences and stereotypes that threaten their friendship as well as the lives of their families and neighbors.

I loved this book!

Paradise is being a fourteen-year-old boy and having a true friend to share complete freedom with--the forest is unspoiled and filled with wildlife and unexlored caves; the town is small and suitable for unsupervised explorations, and the bedroom windows are easy to climb out of at night. Though the summer of 1979 has more fodder for adventure than usual--a divisive labor strike, a deadly bombing, and a murderous drunk--it all serves as backdrop for the real story: the value and the power of a solid childhood friendship.

This authentic-feeling story is not represented as young adult fiction though it is written entirely from the perspective of one of the fourteen-year-old boys, essentially because it is nostalgic--ah, the irretrievable days of youthful freedom! However, middle school boys and younger high school boys who like the outdoors and the freedom to roam and explore will enjoy this book. The adventure and excitement never ebb, and all the characters are richly drawn. The description of one of the boys in a drain pipe with a copper head snake by itself makes the book worth reading. It's a great book for parents who like to read and enjoy the books their kids also read.

I live in the country, have raised my sons in the country. This book could have been about me and my good friend growing up (on a variation). Or it can be taking place now with my sons. Well written and memorable. I don't know that I will pass this on to my sons just yet... it is best read as an adult wistfully looking back.

Andrew Jackson Gray tells of his growing up in the 1970s in small town Borden, Indiana, of his friendship with Thomas Jefferson Kruer, and of the strike at the Borden Casket Company that occurred the year during the boys' thirteenth year.

Twelve year old Andy and Tom are best friends, they spend all their spare time together playing, fishing and generally being adventurous and mischievous in woods that surround Borden. One of the highlights of their year is the gift they each receive of a Springfield M-6 Scout rifle from their respective fathers, a gift which which opens up new adventures for them and enables them to hone the already very good shooting abilities.

However their fathers both work for the Borden Casket Company, Tom's on the shop floor, Andy's as management, yet the strike at the company that year does not affect their friendship, and their parents would not even imagine suggesting any such thing to them. As the boys do their best to understand what is going on, their inquisitiveness gets them more involved in the dispute than is good for them, tests their loyalties to the limits, and ultimately puts them in serious danger.

Over and Under is an involving and warm story of friendship and loyalty. It extends beyond the friendship of the two boys touching on how the friendships of others are also affected. It is also about Borden and the countryside around the small town, the author's interest in history apparent in the intertwining of factual references within the story. But the heart of the story is Andy and Tom's friendship, and it is portrayed as one that is trusting, loyal and based on a thorough understanding of each other.

The characters are well drawn, and the locality beautifully described. Andy's father is methodical and caring, clearly proud of his son; his mother is involved in feminist activities and mysteriously involved with the local sheriff in matters that will eventually come to light. If I have a reservation it is that it took a long time for Tom to emerge as a fully fledged character, and even then I felt he was never quite fully developed.

However this is a beautiful story, and being told in retrospect it has the advantage that it closes with the brief details of what eventually happens to the two boys as they live on into adulthood.

Over and Under was well written, it flowed well, the characters were realistic, the problem I had with this book was that.. well.. it was just boring. Tucker tried to spice it up with a bit of a mystery, but the fact remains that this is, ultimately, a book about boys being boys, a union strike and all of the crimes associated with it, and a mingling of the politics from the early 70's. Interesting stuff in its own right (I mean, the first I knew of a strike was from watching Newsies as a kid and I must have watched that movie over 50 times... then again, maybe it was just for Christian Bale).

It is well-written though, and it definitely is a book to read if you enjoy the coming of age type stories. It just wasn't all that interesting to me.