Bucking the Sarge
by Christopher Paul Curtis
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Book Summary Information
Author: Christopher Paul CurtisEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-05-09
ISBN: 0440413311
Number of pages: 288
Publisher: Laurel Leaf
Book Reviews of Bucking the Sarge
Book Review: Not Bad, But Not Great
Summary: 3 Stars
This YA ("young adult") novel takes the reader into the unenviable life of Flint, Michigan 9th-grader Luther. The fatherless Luther is completely under the thumb of his domineering mother, a slumlord and neighborhood loanshark known as "the Sarge." To her, 15-year-old Luther isn't a son so much as unpaid help. She makes him live in one of her halfway homes and supervise its elderly internees. Other tasks include chauffeuring these old men around, cleaning houses after tenants have been evicted, and assisting his mother with the various scams she runs on the state social welfare system. Other than that, Luther is a typical awkward 9th-grader: pimply faced, obnoxious to the girl he has a crush on, and with a keen eye on winning the science fair again. He's also really nice and sweet, and a good kid -- which seems rather implausible given his upbringing.
The story is at turns comedic and tragic, however its main plotline concerns the school's science fair, which Luther is hoping to win for the third year running. This becomes a metaphor for his attitude to life, which is that hard work can lead to good things -- an approach his mother sneers at and calls "the sucker path." Her plan is for him to work for her and then inherit her empire, while he wants to go to college and get out of town. Since Luther makes such a big deal of working on his project, but the reader isn't told what it is, it's hardly surprising when the revelation of its topic ends up being a catalyst for a major turning point in Luther's life. Unfortunately, this climax is across-the-board implausible: (1) It's simply not believable that in the course of weeks of working on the project, the implications wouldn't have arisen in Luther's mind. (2) When the implications are clear, his mother acts contrary to character in terms of trust -- especially given the circumstances -- which allows the ending to unfold as it does. (3) A bit of incredible luck plays a key role in Luther's ultimate redemption. (4) The emotional implications of a kid running away from his only parent are never touched upon at all. The whole end plays out like some kind of film where an essentially good gangster is trying to quit the life and ditch his godfather, with all kinds of frantic scamming and planning.
Perhaps unintentionally it is Luther's acid-tongued mother who is the book's most compelling character -- when she speaks, it's not nice, but it is attention-grabbing. It's rare to find a story in which a mother is the cold-hearted parent, and the book doesn't do a very good job of explaining why she is the way she is. There is a backstory given, but it's rather hokey and simplistic. Her sidekick is a jheri-curled boyfriend/enforcer/gangster who is a barely contained menace to Luther's health. The men in the group home are a typical cast of comic relief, aside from the mysterious Chester X, who becomes a kind of cliche grandfather figure to Luther. His best friend Sparky provides more comic relief, as his solution to getting free of Flint is to fake an accident (with either a pit bull, diseased rat, or falling roof tile) and then win a settlement with the assistance of the local shyster lawyer. Unfortunately, unlike a proper best friend, about all Sparky is good for are numbskull schemes, and he disappears from the story for long stretches. It's a fairly engaging YA story on the whole, but it's also fairly superficial. Luther's predicament is never given the emotional depth or texture or even seriousness it merits, and some of the comic relief sequences are a little too broad and clunky. Not bad, but not great either.
Summary of Bucking the Sarge
Luther T. Farrell has got to get out of Flint, Michigan.As his best friend Sparky says, ?Flint?s nothing but the Titanic.?
And his mother, a.k.a. the Sarge, says, ?Take my advice and stay off the sucker path.?
The Sarge milked the system to build an empire of slum housing and group homes. Luther?s just one of the many people trapped in the Sarge?s Evil Empire?but he?s about to bust out.
If Luther wins the science fair this year, he?ll be on track for college and a future as America?s best-known and best-loved philosopher. All he?s got to do is beat his arch rival Shayla Patrick, the beautiful daughter of Flint?s finest undertaker?and the love of Luther?s life.
Sparky?s escape plans involve a pit bull named Poofy and the world?s scariest rat. Oh, and Luther. Add to the mix Chester X., Luther?s mysterious roommate; Dontay Gaddy, a lawyer whose phone number is 1-800-SUE?M ALL; and Darnell Dixon, the Sarge?s go-to guy who knows how to break all the rules.
Bucking the Sarge is a story that only Christopher Paul Curtis could tell. Once again the Newbery Award?winning author of Bud, Not Buddy and The Watsons Go to Birmingham?1963 gives us a whole new angle on life and a world full of unforgettable and hilarious characters. Readers will root for Luther and Sparky every step of the way.
Praise for The Watsons Go to Birmingham?1963:
?An exceptional first novel.??Publishers Weekly, Starred
?Ribald humor . . . and a totally believable child?s view of the world will make this book an instant hit.??School Library
Journal, Starred
Praise for Bud, Not Buddy:
?Curtis has given a fresh, new look to a traditional orphan-finds-a-home story that would be a crackerjack read-aloud.?
?School Library Journal, Starred
From the Hardcover edition.
Fifteen-year-old wannabe philosopher Luther T. Farrell knows a few things about life. He knows the Sarge (his rich, shrewd, slumlord mom) is tougher than nails and that he better not cross her. He knows his chances of using Chauncey, the ancient condom in his wallet, are slim to none. And, he knows that despite his goal to attend Harvard, he may end up stuck in Flint, Michigan, cleaning toilets in his mom's loathsome empire. Luther spends much of his time helping the Sarge run "Happy Neighbor Group Homes" around the city, including shaving and bathing elderly men and driving residents around with an illegal license. In spare moments he tries to win first place in the science fair at school and hang out with his best friend Sparky, all the while fantasizing mightily about his one true love, the beautiful Shayla.
Readers will be moved as Luther, a thoroughly decent if sometimes naive boy, rails against his mother's cold, ruthless notions of what it takes to get ahead in the world. Up-to-the-minute slang and pop culture references will resonate with teen readers, as will the funny, first-person narrative; crisp, often hilarious dialogue; and wonderfully vivid characters. Christopher Paul Curtis, winner of the Newbery Medal for Bud Not Buddy tells a warm, witty, heart wrenching story where the good guy gets his due. (Ages 12 and older) --Karin Snelson
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