When I dropped The House of Tomorrow on my "Best YA book I've read lately..." wall (see right and below), I expected it to linger there for a nice long while. I didn't expect to read another top-shelf YA book so soon after that one. But Chris Lynch's Hothouse is just that. Russell and DJ, neighbors and friends and sons of friends so tight that they were named after each other's firefighter father, have suffered the simultaneous and horrific loss of those men in a tragic fire. They spend last half of the summer before their senior year dealing with their own grief as well as the grief of an entire community. The novel is predominantly Russell's story and speaks from his perspective entirely.
Not only has Lynch anticipated a host of situations that make life difficult for Russell -- way beyond the predictable ones -- but he carefully and beautifully depicts the wrenching mixed feelings that go along these experiences. While not a novel of action and event, it remains a roller coaster of emotion as Russell struggles to heal, live through memorials staged less for his benefit than his grieving neighbors, and negotiate subsequent rumor and official inquiry into the incident. It is a novel about love, friendship, courage, forgiveness and the human need for heroes. The depictions of Russell, DJ, and friends Adrian and Melanie are finely drawn. The dialog is crisp and perfect. There is not a wasted line in this novel.
From the looks of his author photo, Lynch is no longer a teenager -- which is surprising, because part of his brain -- the right part as far as YA lit is concerned -- functions in great detail like a much younger man. I will allow The House of Tomorrow linger on the wall a bit longer; but it's nice having an excellent replacement on deck.
Not only has Lynch anticipated a host of situations that make life difficult for Russell -- way beyond the predictable ones -- but he carefully and beautifully depicts the wrenching mixed feelings that go along these experiences. While not a novel of action and event, it remains a roller coaster of emotion as Russell struggles to heal, live through memorials staged less for his benefit than his grieving neighbors, and negotiate subsequent rumor and official inquiry into the incident. It is a novel about love, friendship, courage, forgiveness and the human need for heroes. The depictions of Russell, DJ, and friends Adrian and Melanie are finely drawn. The dialog is crisp and perfect. There is not a wasted line in this novel.
From the looks of his author photo, Lynch is no longer a teenager -- which is surprising, because part of his brain -- the right part as far as YA lit is concerned -- functions in great detail like a much younger man. I will allow The House of Tomorrow linger on the wall a bit longer; but it's nice having an excellent replacement on deck.
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