Earls, Nick. 48 Shades of brown - Brief Article - Young Adult Review - Book Review

Kliatt, March, 2004 by Carol Kellerman

Houghton Mifflin, Graphia. 274p. 1999. 0-618-452958. $6.99. S

To quote from the review of the audio-book in KLIATT, January 2003: This Australian coming-of-age novel is both funny and poignant. When his father is given a one-year assignment in Geneva, Daniel has three options: to accompany his parents, to board at school, or to move into a house with his 22-year-old Aunt Jacq. Jacq plays bass in an all-girl band and has a lovely blonde housemate named Naomi, a university student just two years older than Daniel. Figuring he can learn more than calculus in his last year of school, Dan opts to stay with Aunt Jacq and Naomi. There is a lot of frustration and confusion as 16-year-old Dan faces the awakening emotions generated by his "plan" for his year with Jacq and Naomi: to achieve his four goals--beer, sex, attitude, and calculus. As Dan fumbles through the process of forming a relationship with someone of the opposite sex, he also learns about making pesto, interpreting Romeo and Juliet, why almost all birds are one of the 48 shades of brown, and why his best course of action is just to be himself. Carol Kellerman, Santa Fe, NM