Swim the Fly by Don Calame

Swim the Fly by Don Calame
Geared Towards: Ages 14+
Published By: Candlewick Press
Publication Date: April 2009 <---- COMING SOON
ISBN: 978-0-7636-4157-3

Boys will boys, and one thing that they will always have on their minds are girls. For the boys in Don Calame's first YA novel, Swim the Fly, this is no different. Matt, Sean, and Coop have been best friends forever. As such they do all sorts of goofy and crazy things together. Especially each year when Summer rolls around, the boys try to keep things interesting by setting some form of goal they must achieve before school starts up again the Fall. Just as one would expect, the goals get more indepth with each passing year. This year though, the trio is really upping the ante. What would make a 15-year old boy's Summer the best he'd ever had? Naturally it'd be seeing, in person, a real live naked girl.

With their Summer challenge set in stone, the boys have no idea how truly complicated achieving such a task is going to be. Plus when Matt, trying to impress a girl, decides to volunteer himself as the swim team's new 100-yard butterfly swimmer he really gets himself in deep water (pun intended). Matt's not a strong swimmer in this particular style, but now that he's put himself out there he finds he can't step back. His being in the spotlight has brought his existence to the attention of his dream girl, Kelly. To quit now would make him an even bigger loser than he's already used to being.

Summer may last only a few short weeks, but Matt, Sean, and Coop have a lot to keep themselves busy. The ridiculous lengths they will go to to make their goals a reality, will leave readers young and old doubled over in laughter. A story that's just as funny and ackward as it is inspirational, in a weird sort of way, shows one should always strive his hardest to achieve his goals. Yet at the same time it shows that you should always be truly careful what you wish for.

Swim the Fly is a delightfully fun story that does a great job of summing up just a few of the trials I'm sure most 15-year old boys (and girls too possibly) traverse through on their way to manhood.

OUR RATING: 5 hearts