My Most Excellent Year

This book reads like a modern day version of Almost Like Being in Love. The characters are still different, though, than those in the other book, which means that it still has a fantastic character. This book was incredible charming. I wish Kluger would write more!

This book is a perfect follow up to Kluger's delightful, sunny [b:Almost Like Being in Love 239092 Almost Like Being in Love Steve Kluger https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1407106524l/239092.SY75.jpg 231609], with a new set of characters using emails, texts, diaries, and other epistolary media to tell their wacky stories. Except the over-the-top shenanigans and too-clever dialogue don't work here BECAUSE THE MAIN CHARACTERS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMEN. In that sense, Excellent Year is an epic fail. Nothing the MCs say sounds like anything a genuine 21st century teen would even think of uttering, and the famous people they admire include Jacqueline Kennedy, Liza Minelli, Natalie Wood, and Mary Poppins (the last one is the idol of a six-year-old deaf orphan boy - yes, Kluger goes there). The queer MC, Augie, is a walking, singing, dancing, stereotyped flaming twink who makes Kurt Hummel from Glee look like George Clooney. Which is fine, and I suspect he's modeled on Kluger himself, but not only does he fail to act like an actual millennial adolescent, his schtick calls into question his membership in the homo sapiens species.I understand if Kluger didn't want to write the same book twice, but his decision to focus on characters that were at least 40 years his junior should have been shot down when he made his pitch to the publisher. I can't say I didn't enjoy My Excellent Year - it's goofy and fun - but it might be singlehandedly responsible for the immortal phrase “OK Boomer.”

Another wonderful, feel-good novel from Steve Kluger. Love his characters and what he does with them!