For the Love of Mary
The teenage years are fraught with perils—usually the small, humiliating kind. Fifteen-year-old Jacob wears his adolescence like a hair shirt, in the hilarious YA romance For The Love Of Mary. Jacob is alternately confident and cowardly. He reassures himself that at least he’s doing better than his best friend, Moss Murphy, “whose Mexican-food-induced flatulence was, at times, almost canine.” But then a mega church goes up across the street, bringing with it Jesus-inflected AC/DC lyrics, an ambitious ministry, and Mary, the pastor’s beautiful daughter.
The novel’s mix of lowbrow humor and a refreshing self-awareness make it a terrific pick for YA lovers of all ages. Jacob wrestles mightily with questions of theology and love—and the virtues of Tetris, which gives Jacob “night terrors about left-facing L-blocks that refused to fit into the right side of a puzzle.”
What’s most satisfying about For The Love Of Mary isn’t it’s hilarious characterizations or generous details, but the way that the author has perfectly captured the anxiety of the teenage years. Jacob sweats, squeezes zits, celebrates the failures of his rival, overestimates himself, and, finally, comes into his own. Mary may be the vehicle for his coming-of-age, but the show belongs to Jacob.
Reviewed by
Claire Rudy Foster
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
