Swim the Fly - Don Calame

Swim the Fly - Don Calame

This is another White Pine Nominee for 2011.

This is a funny novel.

Basically it about three teenage boys, who since childhood, have hung out together. Each summer, they create for themselves some sort of challenge. In this book, the boys up the ante because their ultimate goal is to have sex. They decide that this summer challenge is to see a live naked girl, as it represents the first step to reaching their final objective.

I don't want to reveal too much but the story is full of what I call "boy-humour": incidents that involve bodily fluids, cross-dressing, etc. I think not only my thirteen year old son, but my husband as well, would love it. My daughter and I would definitely laugh but this is a guy book.

That being said, I still enjoyed it because it moves along quickly and it isn't too disgusting. It touches on themes of friendship, love and living with courage and authenticity. In literary terms there isn't much there. The characters are developed in passing and the setting could be anywhere. Imagery, symbols and other literary devices are MIA.

For a young adult boy looking for a light read, I would recommend it.