Review Detail

The day T.C. met Alejandra was the day he fell in love with her. The only problem was to convince her that she loved him in return. It took a while, but it happened. This is a story of true love, dedication, purpose and having fun. This could be one of my top ten favorites of 2008.

So, heres the cast of characters:
T.C., short for Anthony Conigliaro, comes from a long line of family members named after baseball players, mostly from the Red Sox, although he does have an Aunt Babe and an Aunt Ruth, who are life partners. T.C.s mom died when he was six. That was when he met Augie in school and they became brothers, in every sense of the word. Hes in love with Alejandra but doesnt quite know how to show it.
Augie is Chinese. His father owns a bookstore and his mother is a theater critic with an eye towards seeing oppression in every play. Augie is a diva and can belt out a tune with the best of them. Hes got pizzazz and flair. Hes gay, but hasnt quite figured out what everyone else already knows. Theater is in his blood.
Alejandras father was a diplomat in Mexico and his goal is for Ale to follow in his ambassadorial footsteps. She, however, would rather sing and dance her way into stardom. How will Papa react to that? Shes led a privileged life and has met famous politicos and entertainers. Some may call her snooty.

The premise: Ms. LaFontaine, their 11th grade English teacher, has assigned the class an essay about their most excellent year. For T.C., Augie and Ale, it was 9th grade. Chapters alternate among the three, writing about the events of the year. There are e-mails, chats, diaries and letters to significant people. T.C. writes to his mother. Ale begins by writing to Jackie Kennedy. Augie&you guessed it&every star/diva you can think of&Liza, Judy Garland, Lauren Bacall.

There is drama. There is fun. There are tears. There is laughter. There is sports and theater and adventure. I guarantee that you will not find one character that you wont like In My Most Excellent Year. You will love them all.

Im not going to divulge the details of the story. Thats for you to enjoy. The book may be a tad predictable&no, more than a tad&but it is the most fun Ive had reading in quite a while. Give it a try. You wont regret it.