Book Blurb:
From the moment he’s mugged on the subway home from Bat Day at Yankee Stadium, things go wrong for twelve-year-old Adam Miller. He is in the Special Program for brainy kids, but his new junior high is on triple shift. When he gets on the wrong side of several gangs and needs them most, his friends disappear. As if that’s not enough, Adam discovers that his older brother has become a Zionist militant, his synagogue is repeatedly vandalized, and despite Adam’s “skinny voice,” his crazy new Cantor has grandiose plans for his Bar Mitzvah. Meanwhile, Adam dreams of his summer camp girlfriend in far off New Rochelle, but he’s too shy to pick up the phone. He even fails at shoplifting.
Bewildered and alone, Adam finds his only solace onstage, where he discovers the power of theater to bridge social divides. As he learns to stand out and stand up for himself, friends appear in the most unexpected places and Adam Miller discovers his own voice.
My Review: 4.25 stars
Adam Unrehearsed by Don Futterman is an introspective look at a young man’s coming of age in New York. Although this book features a young character, this book is definitely for adults.
I enjoyed Adam so much. Watching him grow from boy to man at it got closer to his Bar Mitzvah was such a joy. I love his openness to new ideas and how he always wanted to do the right thing. He gets himself on the wrong side of a local gang after they steal from him. This is a recurring sub-plot throughout the book in which he learns a lot from. He deals with lots of other boyhood issues that brought back lots of memories.
There are themes of antisemitism, white flight and racism as the neighborhoods are changing over. Theater, finding your passions and having a teacher to mentor and respect you are also explored. If you’re looking for something different and fresh, give this one a try.
Quotes I liked:
Adults can’t understand true thoughts that make no sense. They want to solve feelings as if they are problems, overeager to erase them. I won’t be like that when I grow up.”
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