I blew through Iain Lawrence's Gemini Summer this weekend and thought it was simply lovely. From the Author's Note, Lawrence makes it clear that several of the small events in the book are based on his own childhood, particularly dealing with a neighborhood bully. The larger story, of a boy following his brother's obsession for Gus Grissom and the space program, is strictly fiction but it reads as utterly, and poignantly, honest.
I'll just admit right now that I adored this book.
Gemini deals with Danny Rivers, his older brother Beau and their quirky parents in Hog's Hollow, somewhere north of the American South (but not New England - it almost seems Midwestern but Lawrence is from Canada so that would work too). Danny has the typical kid problems, the bully, a father with a job pumping septic tanks which gives kids lots of ways to tease him and a deep desire to have a dog that his mother keeps saying "no" to. Beau wants to be an astronaut, big time, and his hero is Gus Grissom. As the book takes place during the heyday of the Gemini program, watching launches on the tv is big excitement and being an astronaut is all some kids want to do. In a lot of ways Danny is having an idyllic childhood, but halfway through the book something goes wrong, horribly accidentally wrong, and then he becomes convinced that a dog named Rocket and Gus Grissom are the only ones that can set the things right - the only ones that can save him.
In some ways Gemini reminded me of Shiloh - there is a dog that a child is in danger of losing and a very bad selfish man is involved. But there is a lot more to Gemini than just what might happen to Rocket and the inclusion of Grissom in the storyline is really outstanding - he has always been a favorite astronaut of mine and I was delighted with how Lawrence wrote him into Danny's world.
Gemini Summer is a great boy book - that's a given - but an excellent read for anyone over the age of 11 or 12 or so. Lawrence has written a lot of YA books and he nails the age group perfectly - Danny has a most authentic voice here - but he does an equally good job with all of the adults, especially Danny & Beau's father, Charlie.
Finally - be sure to take a look at the very cool retro cover. It fits perfectly with the 1960s time period and just looks great. I wish this was a real sign - and I could have it!
(The book is due out in October so my indepth review will be out in the fall issue of Eclectica - online the first week that month.)
