Gentlemen by Michael Northrop

Micheal, Tommy, Mixer, and Bones are those kids, the ones that barely pass each class just to graduate, are avoided by most other kids out of fear, and are basically going nowhere in life. No one takes them seriously because they come from the wrong side of mostly everything. At least they have each other. But the disappearance of one of the friends starts to dissolve the glue that holds the rest together. Wild guesses, twisted conclusions, and unchangeable actions later, and none of their lives will ever be the same.

Gentlemen is one of the books that sounds mildly interesting at first glance but turns out to be many times below my expectations. I did not like this novel at all, probably because it was just so boring. The plot seems to drag on and on with only one even slightly exciting section in the middle that also fizzles out. I didn’t enjoy reading about any of the characters either, since I couldn’t relate to any of them at all and because I just couldn’t understand how they functioned. The narrator Micheal’s stream of consciousness is boring as well and at times hypocritical. On top of that, the story often felt unrealistic to me, and I had a hard time believing that a remedial high school English class would read Crime and Punishment. Other readers may be able to take away some meaning from this story, but its depressing ending killed any theme of friendship Gentlemen had going for it. This book took way too long for me to struggle through, and unfortunately, I can honestly say it was one of the worst and least enjoyable books I’ve ever read.

I do not recommend Gentlemen, but readers who enjoyed The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger may find some merit in Northrop’s writing style.

Rating: 1.25

Review copy from publisher Scholastic