When the main character in a book directly speaks to you as a reader it’s a bit disorientating, but in a story as well-crafted as David Lubar’s book " Character, Driven " it becomes a part of you with each turn of the page. The book is written from a first person perspective, where Cliff, our main protagonist, constantly breaks the fourth wall to speak to you about a mixture of things including his own encounters with the opposite sex. Kirkus Review wrote in their starred review of the book, “He is an ordinary teenage boy, though on the bookish and artistic side, with a single-minded infatuation with Jillian and her breasts, and “coming of age” in his take on the classic theme means losing his virginity—preferably with her, but he’s flexible about that.” The story is so much more than a coming of age story, and while it’s young adult literature is, it can teach the reader much more about their own lives then they would believe.
With a diverse set of characters, and some without descriptive narratives, Lubar asks the reader to craft their own love interest in place of Cliff’s, as well as many other moments of personal reflection. Publishers Weekly wrote, “Filled with wordplay and moments of wry observation and revelation, this contemporary coming-of-age-novel follows the trials of a big-hearted teen who suffers some hard knocks.” Even those who surround Cliff are troubled by the lives they live, which shows Cliff that it’s not only his life that has problems but those that surround him are also suffering. The story also shows what true friendship is for the characters, because without these friends Cliff would have decided to end his own life, something that he contemplated several times throughout the novel. Connections to true friends and the ability to get past school bullies is one of the lessons that the story is trying to communicate with the reader.
Cliff’s internal, and sometimes external narration feels like a character from a television series who talks directly to the camera but is also hiding something themselves.
“Narration, it seems, contains some uncomfortable similarities to life in the real world. As hard as it is for us to see ourselves as others see us, I have to hope that you can not only see me as I see myself, but also let me speak to you as if you are one of the guys. It’s my native tongue.” (p. 64)
The story is, in itself, hiding a big secret from the beginning. Although it is hinted at throughout the book, this problem is something that many people suffer from. The majority of the story has characters suffering in one form or another but the story is a testament of what the current generation is going through in the age of social media and bullying.
In the end I absolutely loved this book. It made me laugh out loud, and made me sad because we hide so much of what is really happening within our own lives while showing the outside world a completely different side of ourselves. With a lot of work the real you comes out, that's what this book is about. At first I thought it was just about a boy growing up, but it turned out that that same boy had already grown up and was just trying to find his place. Everything about this book is what makes it special and something worth reading.
Remember if you are having any kind of problems and need help please don’t hesitate to ask for help.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1 (800) 273-8255 or http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1 (800) 799−7233 http://www.thehotline.org/
