Student Guest Review: Eric the 1st

Several months ago Rachel at Rachel's Book Reviews needed someone to review a book that one of her friends had written. She needed a boy over 13...I figured I could find one on my newspaper staff and I did. Here's his review. He was allowed to keep the book in exchange for a fair and honest review and his review will be in the May issue of The Stinger.

Printed with permission from the author Brent Condron.

           Eric the First  is about a young boy growing up in France. The book particularly focuses on his coming-of-age years. During the story Eric has to deal with his sister, puberty, his first date and girlfriend and the l- word; yes love. Eric struggles throughout the book but eventually finds his way in this well written growing up story.

          The book starts off introducing the main characters Eric, his sister Cynthia, Cynthia’s friend Clara and his parents. Eric also spends a lot of his time with his friends Kevin and Slasher. It increasingly catches your attention especially if your a male between the ages of thirteen and above, because you probably want to hear about his experiences and compare them to your own. Some issues that could be discussed throughout the book include cussing among young ages of teens, first date, and Eric’s exchange trip.

          Cynthia, Eric’s sister, exhibits lots of cussing throughout the book like, “ Hi there s*** head!”, and “ You little b****** get out!” Her cussing comes from where most young kids and teens get it, they have an older sibling who uses it or their parent says such words around them. With it being a book for young French lads to read, it’s very similar to most young teens in America. Cussing is becoming more and more common among younger ages.

          Well Eric’s first date didn’t go like most young boys wish their first dates to be. Eric asks his crush Jane to the fair and she accepts but little does he know she is doing it for a dare. While Eric is on his Exchange trip he meets Jeanie, the most amazing girl, he slowly gets to know her and they spend most of the trip together. Eric had to write a letter to the host  family to be able to go. He tells Didier he likes nature, so Didier takes him to a beach but not any beach a nude beach!

           This book is a one of a kind book in the sense that it can be read and understood on personal levels of most males from any culture. The author is Terry Wheeler an American who married a French woman who persuaded him to move to France. After having moved there he noticed there were no coming of age books there for young males so he wrote Eric the First.