     |
YOUNG ADULT AUTHOR
 El Porto Summer Brett Sloan is out of school for summer vacation. The
California teenager envisions spending his time surfing, babe-watching and
taking it easy. Girls look sexier every day but Brett won't fall in love.
Girls are too hard to figure out and probably would control his life. But,
when he finds himself on the bad side of a bad dude, and falling for a shy,
pretty girl, life hits him like an enormous wave. The physical and emotional
thrashing will test him like never before. Watch out Brett. Summer vacation
may not be what you expect
New Review 5.0 out of 5 stars If you've ever been a teenager, you'll like this book I had previously read another book by George Matthew Cole, ("Colt O'Brien Sees the Light") and thoroughly enjoyed it, so thought I'd give "El Porto Summer" a try. When it appeared to be a teenage romance novel, I had my doubts. As a sixty-something man, I'm not much into romance novels. Wow, was I pleasantly surprised by this peek at the mind of a young man! The book examines a wide range of emotions and circumstances that brought me back to my own youth or made me think about how different life situations impact people of all ages. Self-esteem, doubt, fear, divorce, parent relationships, friendships, bullying all are addressed with thoughtful insight. I also enjoyed the backdrop of the California surfing scene. All in all, a fun, but thought provoking read.
A Review
El Porto Summer by George Matthew Cole
California in the summer, surfing,
hanging out with your friends, what could be better? Well,
this summer Brett is about to find out both better and
worse, and an unhappy young girl will find her way after
moving from inland to the coast, a coast she fears. George
Matthew Cole begins this book with individual chapters for
the book's characters. The reader knows right away who these
people are and that they will all show up interactively in
the story. A teenage summer of discovery, a story of teenage
angst, a time of life that is uncharted territory and full
of pitfalls.
The author has a wonderful grasp of these
awkward years and tells it well. He goes deep inside the
insecurities that exist within most teenagers. Reading the
book brought back some memories that are now decades old. I
like a book to show me something new, and this one didn't
fail me. I learned some about surfing, and how to study and
learn (something I really could have done with years ago).
This is a young-adult book, and does have
a bit of rough language as could be expected. These are
mid-teens, discovering urges, learning new lifestyles,
finding their strengths, meeting bullying head on, and
finding empathy. I am very happy to recommend it. The
characters are diverse, but consistent at their cores, even
as the book takes us through a change and new
self-discoveries. Most of the characters are well-meaning,
decent kids and a very few older teens are not just bullies
but a part of the criminal element, juvenile delinquents.
Still, it is basically a happy book with growing pains. For
older readers, it will bring back some memories, whether
living near the water or elsewhere in North America. The
author takes us through everything as smoothly as the flat
water at slack tide. I enjoyed this book and the characters
within. A great coming-of-age story.
Betty Gelean
___________________________________________________________
Purchase El Porto Summer on Createspace
Purchase print version
of El Porto Summer on Amazon
Purchase KINDLE Version of El
Porto Summer on Amazon
El Porto Summer is available
through KINDLE Owners Lending Library __________________________________________________________________________
"George Matthew Cole is an author to note. One doesn't
have to be psychic to predict a great future for his books,
and the movies likely to be made from them."
WANT TO REVIEW "EL PORTO
SUMMER"?? EMAIL ME WITH YOUR INFORMATION AND CREDENTIALS. PRINT
AND DIGITAL VERSIONS ARE AVAILABLE
|
||||||||||||||
