Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I listened to the book on audio and, unlike the last book I listened to (Howl's Moving Castle), this one was easy to follow. I get a tiny bit annoyed with Lincoln Hoppe's readings at times, though. I am not sure why. His voice and reading are both fine. I guess I just get a bit tired of the sameness of the voice.

I agree with another reviewer about the plot: some of the plot was just too much - more about that below. I was rooting for Doug all along, but some of the plot elements just worked out too smoothly. The babysitter emergency was also something I could have done without. (Echoes of Anne of Green Gables saving Diana's little sister). Lil's illness seemed like an addition that should have either had a much greater impact, or should have been left out entirely. There are other ways to get Doug on stage. An illness that severe shouldn't have been glossed over.

But, there are several things I especially enjoyed. I thought the introduction of Lil was great and I loved the art lessons in the library. And, I really enjoyed the old guy and the horseshoes.

But I think, overall, the plot suffers from what I have come to think of as "too-much-itis". Rather than dealing the everyday problems of life in a normal manner, the situations and problems have to be taken to the extreme. This is NOT confined to Gary Schmidt and his books; it seems to be pervasive in YA books now. E.g., rather than simply gaining the trust of the parents again through reading with their kids and taking care of them, there has to be an asthma emergency. Rather than old Mrs. Windermere writing a play for a local theater group, she has to be writing for Broadway. The side effect of "too-much-itis" is that, as in this book, the actual plot resolution then becomes too much, too - a little too good, a little too extreme.

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