Copyboy

July 1, 2018

Gr 8 Up-Six years after the events of Paperboy, Victor Vollmer is 17 and working as a copyboy at the Memphis Press-Scimitar before heading to college in the fall. Upon the death of his mentor and friend, Mr. Spiro, Victor promises to scatter his ashes at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Despite his parents' disapproval, Victor sets off for New Orleans in the summer of 1965, just as Hurricane Betsy sets its course for the Gulf Coast. The carefully crafted novel moves slowly, building to a palpable tension as Victor and the hurricane travel toward their mutual destination. Victor experiences many markers of adulthood: his first road trip, his first beer, and his first intimate encounter with a girl-the bold and independent Philomene Moreau, who introduces him to the complexities of Cajun culture as urban development rapidly threatens traditional ways of life. Although Victor must still cope with his stutter, this book focuses more on his struggle to understand and express his purpose in the wider world. VERDICT A thoughtful, character-driven novel that offers a nuanced depiction of coastal Louisiana in the 1960s; perfect for fans of historical fiction.-Molly Saunders, Homewood Public Library, AL

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from June 15, 2018
Victor, the likable protagonist of the Newbery Honor book Paperboy (2013), has grown up a lot since first learning critical life lessons from ever-so-wise Mr. Spiro.Now Mr. Spiro is gone, but he's left 17-year-old Victor with one last enlightening mission: to scatter his ashes at the very mouth of the Mississippi River. That undertaking will involve a lengthy road trip (against Victor's parents' wishes) from Tennessee to the furthest reaches of Louisiana, a lot of self-determination, and a fair degree of hazard. The mouth of the Mississippi is a nebulous place, located far out in the river's delta. A relationship with Philomene, an attractive, young Cajun woman who has dark eyes and a tan that "was not the swimming pool kind that disappeared a week after school started," provides inexperienced, introverted Victor with much more than his first kiss as he picks up life lessons on a richly evoked, life-changing quest. Just as in his first outing, Victor's first-person voice--enhanced by the teen's love of language--is brilliantly authentic and heartfelt, especially with his ever challenging stutter. As he and Phil manage their encounter with both a nasty drug dealer and a menacing hurricane, Victor finally gains a full understanding of all that Mr. Spiro gave him. Even the dead man comes fully to life, joining a remarkable cast of meticulously nuanced characters. Victor is assumed white.A lyrical and immersive journey. (Fiction. 12-18)

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August 1, 2018
Grades 9-12 In this sequel to the Newbery Honor Book Paperboy (2013), Victor, now almost 18, is working at a Memphis newspaper the summer before college. His beloved mentor, Mr. Spiro, has died, and Victor takes seriously the man's final request to throw his ashes into the mouth of the Mississippi. Against his parents' wishes, carrying not much more than the urn and his typewriter, Victor drives to New Orleans, determined, despite his apprehension and awkwardness about his stutter, to complete his task. The road trip has a Huckleberry Finn-like hue as Victor's travels introduce him to a wide-ranging cast of characters, all of whom have something to teach. Vawter turns a phrase with skill and style; Victor remains a carefully-drawn narrator whose preoccupation with his stutter changes and evolves. Although the amount of detail sometimes slows the story, especially when Hurricane Betsy hits the coast, the core story holds fast. If the world truly has only two stories?someone goes on a journey and a stranger comes to town?this is a fine mix of both.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)