Swim the Fly Teen Book Review

Thanks to Iulia G. for writing this truly excellent review of Swim the Fly!

I have a lot of friends involved in park district and high school swimming. And they’re good. I’m not too bad at swimming, either- I can do a mean survival float. But I picked up Don Calame’s book Swim the Fly for a good laugh, because I know a little something about how competitive swimming works. Well, the main character, Matt, is no Michael Phelps. His swimming skills are almost parallel to mine, and that’s nothing to be proud of…

So Matt finds himself signed up for the 100-yard butterfly, which to him is a considerable feat. Like I said, he’s not too good. But he has to be, by Rockville’s sectionals meet at the end of summer. To impress Kelly West. It’s all part of the plan.

Calame’s novel is playful, hilarious, and perfect to read for the last quarter of school- where you can see summer is just around the bend. Matt goes in great detail on his adventures with his two best friends, Coop and Sean, his Grandpa Arlo, and Ulf, a borderline-sadistic pool attendant that’s willing to help Matt out- or kill him. It’s kind of hard to tell which.

Honestly, when I picked up the book, I laughed, but felt like I was the wrong type of audience. Later (I’ve asked around) it turns out this is a fairly realistic portrayal of all that happens to go through the average teenage boy’s mind. Girls, girls, video games, looking cool, girls, having fun, and then back to girls. Who knew? But seriously, it was a really fun read, just because Matt gets in all of these crazy predicaments- it reminds me a bit of comedies like Meet the Parents, where you think nothing could get any worse, until Ben Stiller backs up the septic tank to flood his girlfriend’s backyard. Except Matt’s summer is not the typical blockbuster train-wreck. It’s an adventure that's genuine and realistic. It's light, and you will laugh.

Hanging out in the typical teenage manner, at the mall, by the beach or on top of the roof, they continue on their quest and it draws you in. Matt’s narrative and maturity also adds dimension to the novel- but not the kind you have to analyze in English class. He deals with real things in a real way- from crushes to his parents’ divorce, to the absurdity of his grandfather’s courtship of a newly widowed neighbor. This is the perfect book to set you up for your perfect summer.

(There's Michael Phelps ^). Post yo comments!