Eaglebait Review Again

I first reviewed Susan Coryell's novel, Eaglebait, back in 2011 when the Authors Guild re-issued the original 1998 edition. It's not often I review the same book twice on this blog, but Eaglebait has recently been revised for a new generation of readers, and thus deserves another look.

The cats discussed who would help me with this review.

Grover: "Charlotte, do you want to do this one?"

Charlotte: "I suppose I could."

Tanner: "Charlotte, you're yawning. I'll do it.
 Just let me finish my nap first."

Never mind, cats. I'll do it. My original blogpost or the book's Amazon page covers the plot, so I won't repeat it here. 

The updated coming-of-age novel is now set in 2014 or thereabouts—long before the pandemic trapped kids inside and when kids could still walk to places they wanted to go. But recent enough for kids to have cell-phones and access to technology, but before teens abandoned Facebook in droves. The update makes the story much more relevant to today's young adolecent males.

Some readers might identify with the main character, Wardy Spinks, a pudgy 14-year-old  expelled from a military school where his parents sent him two years earlier when they couldn't cope with his rebellious behavior, low grades, and poor attitude. Despite Wardy's  intelligence, at military school his grades were low, his behaviour was still rebellious, and he suffered a horrific beating by his classmates. 

Back home, Wardy's mother enrolls him in public high school where his high intelligence puts him in gifted classes. But his tormentors from middle school pick up where they left off and cyber-bully him as well as physically attack him. Wardy's grades are low, his still has family problems, etc. But some things are looking up—Wardy likes the girl who is his biology lab partner, and a new teacher takes an interest in him. Plus his Grandma Lou, a successful artist, believes in him and gives him advice. Eventually, despite several complications, Wardy's life gets better. 

Since the Eaglebait's original publication, the public's perception of science geeks has improved. The wildly successful TV series The Big Bang Theory and its spin-off Young Sheldon made viewers appreciate kids who are science obsessed and/or who are exceptional and misunderstood. Also many school systems have added STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) curriculums.

However, bullying and self-esteem problems still exist, and Eaglebait addresses those problems. Eaglebait is appropriate for boys 11 to 14 who don't fit in socially and who don't match their parents' expectations, and it's also helpful for parents—especially mothers— who cannot cope with a son who doesn't meet their expectations. If these sons and their mothers read and discuss Eaglebait together, they might better understand their family situations.

Cat family: "Mommy, have you finished your review? We're hungry."

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