Michael Sweeney’s Method by Sean Condon
With a hero who’s practically my namesake how could I resist reading this book? I’m glad I did, because it’s very funny and hugely enjoyable.
Michael Sweeney attends a boys’ school somewhere in Australia. To outsiders he’s an unremarkable Mr Nobody until he decides to befriend Tom, the American newcomer at school. Life suddenly becomes complicated as Michael discovers the secret identity of Tom’s dad, fights for a cause, falls for a gorgeous girl with a lightning fast tongue and tries hard to GROW UP!
There’s a poignant sub-plot involving a Vietnamese Australian teenager who’s on death row in Bangkok for trafficking heroin, plenty of gently ironic discussion of sex (for the first time), teachers (especially the attractive female ones), parents (never the kind you’d choose) and hearing impaired people(the girlfriend). Michael’s self-deprecating humour will leave you chuckling with self recognition whether you’re male/female, young/not so young, nerdy/cool.
Read this book before the 30th May so you can be part of an appreciative, informed audience when Sean Condon visits Scotch Lit. Club!
Mrs Sweeney
May 5th, 2008 at 10:43 am
Even though my name sounds nothing like Michael Sweeney, I still read this book and smiled all the way through it.
The characters were funny, a little unusual and endearing.
The boys private school setting seemed strangely familiar and being a girl, I enjoyed Michael’s first romantic liason with the girl he met at the bus stop.
If you read M.S’s Method and feel better for it, you might also like to try The King of Whatever by Kirsten Murphy, Looking for Alaska by John Green and Will by Maria Boyd.
Having seen Sean Condon speak at the State Library earlier in the year, I am really looking forward to him visiting Lit Club later this month. It’s sure to be a full house!