Reviewed by Carissa
TITLE: Grown-Up
AUTHOR: Kim Fielding
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 97 pages
BLURB:
It’s time for Austin Beier to grow up. His car is falling apart, his roommates are less than ideal, and he’s just been fired for the umpteenth time. His love life hasn’t evolved past bathroom hookups at his favorite clubs. Forced to borrow money from his father yet again, Austin is walloped by an epiphany—he needs someone to mentor him into maturity. And who better to teach him how to be an adult than Ben, his father’s office manager? Cute in a nerdy sort of way and only a few years older than Austin, Ben is a master of organization and responsibility. But as he gets to know Ben better, Austin learns that whether you’re eight or twenty-eight, growing up is never easy.
REVIEW:
Well, that was exactly what I was needing to read. This was a really lovely, sweet story. And pretty much everything I’ve come to expect from Kim Fielding. My eyes may have even got a bit misty there near the end.
If there is one thing I understand, it is the sudden realization that you can’t put off growing up any longer. And seeing as I am currently riding 28 years, this was a bit close to home. In a good way, mostly.
My life may be nothing like Austin’s, but I totally get that horrible feeling when you realize that you have to actually start taking control of your life. Though, my string of lost jobs has less to do with punctuality (and late nights at dance clubs) than it does with my general loathing of human beings. Which, go figure, is a bit of a drawback in most jobs. Though I do wish I had someone like Ben to life-coach me into adulthood (wouldn’t say no to a bit of lovin’, either, to be honest).
Every page of this book was just lovely. The characters were great–I especially loved Sam, Austin’s dad–and Austin’s journey from man-child into adulthood was realistic without getting maudlin. Which is good for me, because this is not a week for any more angst.
I pretty much adore anything that Fielding writes, and this one is no exception. It was a great story and I’m glad I got the chance to read it. It really brightened up what was turning out to be a pretty depressing week.
RATING:
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