Political Timber - Hardcover

Lynch, Chris

2.75

8 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060273607 ISBN 13: 9780060273606

Publisher: HarperCollins, 1996

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High school senior Gordon Foley runs for mayor at the behest of his grandfather, an old-style politician scheming to regain power while he's in prison for fraud

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From School Library Journal:

Grade 9 Up. When Gordon Foley receives the use of his grandfather's Studebaker Gran Tourismo Hawk for his 18th birthday, senior year looks especially promising. An internship at a local radio station earns him two days away from school each week, and his girlfriend, Sweaty Betty, seems more affectionate in the Hawk?how could life possibly be better? The car, however, comes with a price tag. Gordon must run for mayor, the office most recently held by his now-incarcerated grandfather, who was unaware of the law forbidding anyone with a criminal record to be mayor. With "Da" and his goons doing all of the campaign work, Gordie figures, how hard could it be to run for mayor? Very, when the radio station declares open season on him during call-in shows, the school newspaper capitalizes on every unwise (and often profane) word he utters, and campaigning begins to take more time than just his two free days. But Gordie's personal gains are far greater than any intellectual familiarity with the political process he acquires, as he emerges slightly more mature and genuine with a new appreciation for his relationships. His losses, however, include Da, who, unable to admit his own failure, mistakes Gordie's honesty for betrayal. In a disappointing confrontation, Da's behavior toward his grandson seems unusually shallow and harsh even for a stereotypical hack politician. While this wise-cracking novel is not a prime example of Lynch's literary timber, it is a humorous, lightweight, and totally irreverent look at "senioritis."?Kelly Diller, Humboldt High School, IA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly:

Once more proving his versatility, Lynch shifts gears from the brooding, violent atmosphere of his Native Son trilogy with this cheeky, effervescent tale about a teenager thrust into the world of adult politics. Gordie Foley wants nothing more than to coast through the remainder of his senior year, hanging out with his friends and cruising in the Studebaker Gran Tourismo Hawk his grandfather "Fins" has lent him. But there's a catch: Fins, the former town mayor, is in prison for racketeering and he wants to regain control of local politics by having Gordie run for mayor. Unable to turn down his beloved Da and afraid of losing the Hawk, Gordie reluctantly goes along with Fins's scheme and finds his life spinning out of control. As ingenuous as he is ignorant (he doesn't even know many people live in his town and is shocked when he sees his casual comments as headlines), Gordie eventually discovers how inconsequential he is to those who wield the real power behind the scenes-and that there's only one thing he can do to buck the system. This fast-paced and characteristically wry narrative, with its cast of wonderfully realized characters-particularly sultry girlfriend Sweaty Betty and a radio shock jock-and its hilarious jabs at politicking, is a rousing antidote to election-year apathy. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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