Tremolo, Cry of the Loon

One of the drawbacks of not getting to writing a review when you mean to is that – if you allow TOO much time to go by – you end up having to read the book twice.

Fortunately, that was not a problem in this case – I really enjoyed reading Tremolo, Cry of the Loon the first time. And the second time, too. So – no problem there.

Where I do have a problem though, is the fact that because I didn’t get my review done when I was supposed to, a whole bunch of other excellent writers and reviewers got to theirs before I did.

Everyone has done such a great job that I rather feel that there’s not much left for me to say!

I’ve really enjoyed reading the other blog stops on the tour: Lesia Valentine, Debbie G., elizabeth e., Ophelia’s encounter, Bob Williams, J. Corn….who did I miss? They all did such a good job – especially Ophelia. Loved that one! If you missed it, you should go read it.

Anyway…. So now that everyone has done such a good job….what am I supposed to write about?

I could tell you how well Tremolo fit in with the American Literature course I took last semester. One of the recurring themes in our reading was nostalgia – and Tremolo is definitely a book that offers a lot of that. Part of what interested me about that, though, was that although many of the books/stories we read in our course were interesting, they didn’t really evoke much in the way of nostalgia for me. Sort of figured that was because I am Canadian – and did not really connect with the literature the way someone in the United States might. Tremolo is different – it works beyond the borders of the US.

There was a study I heard about a while ago – about how much smaller the area kids are free to roam has become over the years. We keep them on a very short, very structured, and very supervised leash these days, I think. Even here, in our small, cottage country town, we rarely see kids out without their parents, at least not until they’re at the obnoxious teenager stage (and probably could do with the supervision).

One of the things that is truly wonderful about Tremolo is that the kids do get out and about. They are out in a boat, in the woods, in town…. wherever. The grown ups are concerned, interested, and there – but not right on top of them. Not the way we tend to be today. And the best part of it is that even though the kids do run into all sorts of adventures, and even danger – they cope. And learn. And grow. And mature. That is, I think, an important message for any younger readers who might be so fortunate as to have the opportunity to read the book. And it also carries an important message for parents: they weren’t breakable back then, and they probably are not breakable now. Not to say we should toss them out the door in the morning and not worry about them – but seriously! Kids do benefit from having a few more adventures than we allow them these days.

As I become more and more immersed in the university English thing, I find that I am reading novels quite differently. I still enjoy them. In fact, in many ways, I enjoy them more because I get a lot more out of them. Tremolo is one of those books that as soon as I read it got put into my “someday syllabus”. It would be an excellent addition to a reading list. If I were ever to have the opportunity to teach American lit here, I would have no hesitation about including it. It has a lot to offer. Highly readable, it has characters to care about, adventure and a fast pace to keep readers engaged. Oh yes – and some history, too. That is a true bonus from my perspective; when we study American lit here in Canada, it tends to be a whole lot of history, not so much literature. Tremolo offers both without overwhelming the reader. It also enriches the reading experience – and of course, contributes to the overall theme of nostalgia.

Tremolo, like the other books I’ve read by Aaron Lazar, is a fast paced, easy, and enjoyable read. The characters are well-developed and very real, and consistently portrayed throughout the novels. And most importantly, of course, they are characters that it is easy to care about. You’ll want to keep turning the pages because you will want to know what happens to them next.

Oh, and by the way – if you haven’t yet read Upstaged and Double Forte, they are both excellent reads as well.