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It is 1987, and once again the two squads that make up Troop 666 from Axsubeen, Pennsylvania gather together for their summer camping trip. In his second year as default active captain of The Beaver Squad, the only thing that seems to be driving the fourteen-year-old Ireland-born Calvin Connor is his raging hormones. Calvin's ruffian-like persona blends in with a good handful of his like-minded troop buddies. While Calvin and his foul-mouth hooligans head off to this year's camp destination, Camp Souviens in Connecticut, they have no idea what is in store when they meet the likes of the camp directors and their persnickety demands. And Calvin is in for a big surprise when he meets a girl "who is more than his match."
Christopher Morlock pens a unique coming-of-age story in his debut novel. The first book in The Chronicle of Calvin Connor, Morlock's narrative is replete with a host of characters befitting an action-packed summer camp scene. The perfect balance of belligerent teens guys and disgruntled adult men, Morlock's cast keeps readers on their toes with all their shenanigans, especially with characters like Chicken, Inky, Father, Spazz, and last but not least, Satan. Aside of all the comedic roughhousing and continual bag of tricks, Morlock weaves in various themes in his storyline. Great examples include race and ethnicity (especially with Calvin's Irish roots), religion, teen romance, and thought-provoking themes about various life issues. Morlock keeps his third-person plot constantly flowing with his snarky writing style laced with alliteration, alternating character scenes, breaking up the narrative with a chapter designed in play format, and a flurry of unique scenes. Striking Out not only appeals to both young adult and adult genres, but also is one novel with silver screen potential.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review