Will: By Maria Boyd

WILL

SUMMARY

THE CRIME

It all started when Will mooned the girls' school bus. It wasn't his finest moment. And it's the last time William Armstrong will sully the St. Andrew's community, says Principal Waddlehead-er, Waverton.

THE PUNISHMENT

That's when a teacher worried about Will's home situation comes up with an idea. Why not let Will, a talented guitarist, give back to the school in a progressive manner? Why not have him play in . . . THE SCHOOL MUSICAL?

THE MUSICAL

Now Will is stuck in the school production of The Boy Friend. He's a laughingstock, and he has to give up his weekends for a show set at a girls' finishing school.

THE PLAYERS

There's the trombone-playing seventh grader who proclaims himself Will's best friend and refuses to leave his side. Then there's the undeniably attractive leading lady. Although she might be in love with her costar, the new football hero (and dazzling singer!).

REVIEW

If I had relied solely on the blurb and summary of Will then probably wouldn’t have read this book.

But something about it caught my eye, prompting me to give it a chance before condemning it as a poorly written young adult book.

And I have to say I’m happy I made that decision.

While not immediately what you would expect from a pink book about a kid forced to be in the school musical, Will is a fun and exciting read. It has endearing characters, a decently fast paced plot, and a unique style of writing.

Will honestly caught me off guard with the formatting of the dialogue, but once I had read about 10 pages I was easily able to decipher what was going on, and had by that time completely become enveloped with the story.

One of the most engaging aspects of Will though, was it’s ability to build certain issues, such as Will’s father’s death, and show the slow transformation that occurred in Will through out his stint in the musical. Reader’s will really be amazed with this transformation and the anguish Boyd is able to portray is Will, and by the end of the book readers of all ages will be happy, yet not bored with the conclusion.

In conclusion, Will offers up a unique and talented writing style, with endearing and likable characters that readers of all ages will be able to feel a sense of connection with, and a fast paced plot sure to entertain even the most hesitant reader. Making this a great read for teens and adults alike.

RATING

8.5 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Published: July 13, 2010

Price: $16.99