Hothouse

Starred review from September 13, 2010
Lynch (Inexcusable) again expertly explores the gap between public perception and reality. When Russell's firefighter
father dies (along with the father of his childhood friend and neighbor, DJ), the entire town treats the two grieving teenagers as heroes themselves. As Russell deals with adulation that he knows he hasn't earned, the boys learn that there's an investigation into the deaths of their fathers, and that the men may have been at fault. Lynch focuses on Russell's reactions to his own grief, as well as that of his family and DJ, and the gamut of emotions run by their friends, family, and even total strangers. Russell's reactions to everything from the cute girl at his Young Firefighters class who might be interested in him, to the bullying son of a disgraced cop who gleefully taunts him about his father's death drive the majority of the story. Lynch doesn't shy away from unresolved questions and subtle character development, and in the end, questions of heroism and perception take second stage to a nuanced exploration of teenage grief and catharsis. Ages 12–up.

September 1, 2010

A concise exploration of manhood, heroism and the psychology of a small northern town in the aftermath of a fire that kills two firefighters. Russ, the son of one of the duo now dubbed Outrageous Courageous, is filled with both grief and pride at the town's outpourings of gratitude and hero-worship. Then an investigation reveals more about the incident: The two men abused prescription painkillers and were high the night they died. As the town turns on the two men and their families, Russ struggles to make sense of his adoring but now tainted memories of his father. Brief, evocative flashbacks reveal Russ's relationship with his warm but sometimes reckless father, and Russ's pain and bewilderment are palpable. A climax involving a new fire is too perfectly symbolic to be believed, and a few minor characters—particularly female ones—are vehicles for Russ's self-discovery rather than people in their own right. Nevertheless, this an affecting and insightful drama, if a trifle overdetermined. (Fiction. 12 & up)

(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

September 1, 2010

Gr 9 Up-High school senior Russell and his childhood friend, DJ, cope with the tragic deaths of their firefighter fathers in this contemporary, realistic exploration of the relationships between fathers and sons. Often poignant but never maudlin, Russell's conversational first-person narration takes readers through the teens' tumultuous highs and lows. Initially, Russell and DJ are lauded by the people of their town who hail the fallen firefighters as heroes, but they face a vicious public backlash when it is revealed that their dads were flawed. The tenuous friendship between the two boys, who had drifted apart and are brought together again by their shared loss, is skillfully depicted as they grieve in individual ways. DJ is full of anger, while Russell's pride and love for his father mingle with shame and guilt as he strives to understand who his dad really was. Their relationship comes to life through flashbacks illustrating their bond and deftly hinting at the toll a high-pressure career can take. The struggles in this book are largely internal, with action taking a backseat to Russell's coming-of-age process. As in real life, there is no easy resolution when it comes to grief and healing, but readers are left with a sense of hope for Russell's growth. With a smattering of swear words and underage drinking, this title may be most appropriate for a high school audience.-Allison Tran, Mission Viejo Library, CA

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2010
Grades 8-10 Hundreds of YA books deal with the loss of a parent, but few situate that grief within a community as expertly as Lynchs latest. When we meet 17-year-old Russ, his dad is already dead. A member of the beloved local firehouse known as the Hothouse, he was one of two firefighters killed during an attempted rescue. The town opens its heart to the mens two sons: their money is no good anywhere, beers are handed to them at parties, and the word hero is applied not just to their fathers but to them as well. But did the town rush to lionize its fallen? As the truth of the fatal incident begins to eke out, Russ finds himself staring down a very different possibility. Lynch fully commits to the first-person voice, giving into Russ second-by-second conflicts and contradictions. The author also has a strong grasp of the garrulous slaps and punches that make up many male relationshipsRuss friendships are so real they hurt. The story hurts, too, but thats how it should be.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)

September 1, 2010
Lynch continues to explore father-son relationships (Inexcusable, rev. 1/06) in this interior novel filled with Russell's memories of and musings about his dead father. The two had been unusually close. They went fishing together and always ate together (with Russell knowing instinctively when his dad would be home); both knew that Russell would become a fireman, just like his dad. While rescuing an elderly woman in a neighborhood fire, Russell's dad perishes in the line of duty. Russell's neighbor DJ's father, on the same mission, suffers the same fate. The two teenagers, once close friends, have drifted apart, but the tragedy brings them together. Immediately after the disaster, the fathers are hailed as heroes, and that celebrity rubs off on the boys. As Russell notes, "I'm so goddamn proud, of myself somehow. Am I mental? Am I shitty?" But, as more details come forward, the firemen's heroism is questioned. Were the men careless thrill seekers? If so, are Russell and DJ temperamentally their fathers' sons? Told from Russell's point of view, this search for two fathers' legacies and two boys' futures is complicated by their own self-doubt and questions of ethics, individual worth, and personal responsibility. betty carter

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2011
Russell's fireman dad perished in the line of duty; his neighbor DJ's father suffered the same fate. The men's celebrity rubs off on their sons but, as more details come forward, the firefighters' heroism is questioned. Told from Russell's viewpoint, this search for two fathers' legacies and two boys' futures is complicated by self-doubt and questions of ethics and personal responsibility.

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)