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    Stick: A Novel
    Unavailable
    Stick: A Novel
    Unavailable
    Stick: A Novel
    Ebook349 pages4 hours

    Stick: A Novel

    By Andrew Smith

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Fourteen-year-old Stark McClellan (nicknamed Stick because he's tall and thin) is bullied for being "deformed" – he was born with only one ear. His older brother Bosten is always there to defend Stick. But the boys can't defend one another from their abusive parents.

    When Stick realizes Bosten is gay, he knows that to survive his father's anger, Bosten must leave home. Stick has to find his brother, or he will never feel whole again. In his search, he will encounter good people, bad people, and people who are simply indifferent to kids from the wrong side of the tracks. But he never loses hope of finding love – and his brother.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateOct 11, 2011
    ISBN9781429995375
    Unavailable
    Stick: A Novel
    Author

    Andrew Smith

    Andrew Smith has always wanted to be a writer. After graduating college, he wrote for newspapers and radio stations, but found it wasn't the kind of writing he'd dreamed about doing. Born with an impulse to travel, Smith, the son of an immigrant, bounced around the world and from job to job, before settling down in Southern California. There, he got his first ‘real job’, as a teacher in an alternative educational program for at-risk teens, married, and moved to a rural mountain location.

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    Reviews for Stick

    4/5

    35 ratings7 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Thirteen-year-old Stick and his sixteen-year-old brother Bosten grew up with strict rules enforced by abusive parents, and they don’t know anything different. When both boys go visit a relative in California, they realize how good life can be. Unfortunately, while they’re away, their parents split up and they are stuck living with their alcoholic father. When the boys’ secrets get exposed, they have no choice but to run— separately. Where are they going, how will they get there, and will they be reunited? This book was suspenseful in many scenes, but I found the stark contrast between the horribly abusive parents to all other characters being incredibly loving and nice a bit hard to believe; life isn’t that black and white. It was hard to get emotionally attached to the characters because they seemed somewhat flat, and much younger than they actually were. A very interesting book, though, and a fairly quick read.
    • 2/5
      What kind of an effing ending is this?

    • 4/5
      This is a story of a 14 year old boy named Stark nicknamed Stick,and his brother Bosten. Stick was born with one ear and is bullied for being deformed. Their parents are abusive and the love between the two brothers shows as they try to protect each other from their them.

      When Stick finds out his brother is gay he fears for his brothers life knowing he would not survive the abuse from his father. Bosten leaves home for his own safety. Stick follows him and in his search for his brother he mets up with some good and bad people along the way. This story is about Stick and his love for his brother and Stick finding his own way.

      I would recommend and rated it 4 stars.

    • 5/5
      Haunting. This book and the beauty with which the author wrote it will stay with me for a long time. I got so invested in the characters that I wanted to reach into the pages and rescue them myself.
    • 4/5
      Life isn't easy for 13-year-old Stick (Stark) McClellan. He's tall and thin and was born with one ear. He has to put up with bullying at school. His parents are strict and believe in corporal punishment. He worships his older brother Bosten who watches out for him and protects him from the harshness of life. But things begin to change when Stick can't ignore his sexual awekenings. And Bosten finds a love that he can't turn away from. I was very impressed with Smith's MARBURY LENS. And STICK once again proves what a fine writer he is. There aren't many books written for boys aged 14 and older. Smith writes some of the best. And he's not afraid to pull any punches.
    • 4/5
      Intrigued by the 5-stars rating readers were giving Stick, I bought the ebook and started almost immediately. Honestly, I enjoyed reading Andrew Smith's way of telling the story. Somehow, perhaps I was expecting too much, the oomph did not really start for me. Still, I have to admit that Smith did get me engaged on the characters.This is a book more on Stark than on his gay brother, Bosten. Somehow, some parts were not made clear, but perhaps they should have stayed that way. For example, when did problem between Bosten and his dad start? Why was there a separation? Why was Aunt Dahlia so nice to the kids (because she did not have one of her own)? Why Kim again, when Stick was sticking with Emily? What happened on the night Bosten took off? What happened during the gunshots?The book was not that horrific as I was made to expect. Still, it was a good story.
    • 5/5
      Fourteen-year-old Stark “Stick” McClellan’s life revolves around his older brother Bosten. Stick is tall, awkward and was born with only one ear. He’s bullied at school, made to feel ugly and useless by his abusive parents, and his only friend at school is Emily, a girl who sees him for who and what he really is. As Stick does his best to make it through eighth grade, his real struggles happen at home. His parents are strict and often abusive to both he and his brother. When Stick’s father learns that Bosten is gay and kicks him out of the house, Stick leaves home to find his brother, his only savior. Without Bosten, Stick’s life would be completely unbearable.This book grabbed me on the first page and wouldn’t let go. Mr. Smith is an expert at crafting realistic characters with unique voices and in this case, his writing style is perfectly tailored to putting the reader inside Stick’s head. I fell in love with both Stick and Bosten and wanted nothing but the best for both of them. There were many times when I had to put the book down and collect myself; it is that powerful. The book is divided into three parts, and while the first two flow well and really drive the story forward, I felt the third part was a bit much. Once Bosten leaves home, the events that took place seemed to almost be a little extreme and rushed. With that being said, it in no way ruined the novel for me. The book does contain cursing, sexual situations and scenes of abuse which may bother more sensitive readers.Stick is a compelling novel about the power of brotherly love, abuse and finding your place in a cruel world. I’ll rush right out and buy a permanent copy for my bookshelf and I would recommend you do the same.(Review based on an Advanced Reader’s Copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley)