Wednesday, November 18, 2015

DeFelice, Cynthia. Fort.

DeFelice, Cynthia.  Fort.  Macmillan/Farrar Strauss  2015  199p  $16.99  ISBN 978-0-374-32427-8   ms/jr  Conflict  VG-BN      

In this summertime adventure story, DeFelice presents two twelve-year-old boys who are building a fort in the woods in which to camp out.  The crux of the story is their relationship to two older boys who are the town bullies, which turns from one of fear to one of sticking up for themselves and teaching the bullies to stop their behavior.  Each step of the way, DeFelice skillfully depicts the importance of friendship, the love of adventure, and the burgeoning sense of self-reliance that the boys are experiencing.  There is also some subtle reference to an awakening of sexual feelings in the main character, Wyatt, who is also the narrator.  The final denouement, in which the boys get their revenge on the bullies, is satisfying and cathartic.  Readers will keep the pages turning on this novel, to see what happens next.  DeFelice writes some very good realistic fiction.

Summary:  Two boys spend their summer building a fort and camping out in the woods, but they find that their idyllic world is threatened by some town bullies who need to be put in their place.        


Adventure-Fiction, Bullying-Fiction                         --Carol Kennedy

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