Customer Reviews

Neat coming-of-age story - By: , 04 May 2004
"Wrestling Sturbridge" is an abbreviated "Catcherin the Rye"-style novel charting the teenage angst of a US high-school wrestler as he considers whether or not to leave his small-town existence behind.

There is humour & some neat inversion of stereotypes as coaches prove far from respectable & fathers indulgein male bonding with their sons over a spot of burglary. I particularly liked the far-from-lovable granny as she picks at a newly-roast chicken to the revulsion of her offspring.

Less pleasing is the almost complete eradication of female characters who aren't love interests for the hero. Mothers figure largein most young people's lives - the most mention Ben's mom gets is that she "hasn't returned from work yet".

This book is aimed at young (male) reluctant readers but there is enough realism & irony here to cross over to a wider adult audience & enough story-telling ability exhibited by the author to make you wish he had fleshed "Wrestling Sturbridge" out to a full-blown novel.