The Sidekicks
Will Kostakis
Ryan, Harley and Miles have a single thing in common – Isaac. What each doesn’t realise is that their individual relationships with Isaac are build on different premises, but could still work out ok. Life keeps moving while you’re recovering, and the lives of these boys move particularly rapidly.
I admit I had difficulty remembering which character was which for the majority of the novel. Not the main characters, but the side ones (haha). The abbreviations of their names tripped me up.
Each character rehashes some of what came before in their chapter. The author has done a fabulous job of twining these together and making a whole out of what could have been disjointed text. Each of the characters has their own particular voice, which is very important to me.
What I enjoyed about this novel was that there was no expectation of explanations for Isaac’s behaviour, and little-to-no blame on the other characters. In the end, it is the person who has taken drugs/alcohol/other who’s responsibility it is to look after their health.
I can’t believe how many teen issues Kostakis managed to cram into this novel and yet still make a beautiful piece of fiction that reads well. Being gay, having different parental relationships, drinking, college, the whole works.
4 stars from me. We need more literature like this for teenagers, boys and girls alike. The more I think about this novel, the more I like it.
