They call this type of fiction realistic–and I guess it is, if you use “realistic” to mean that any given event in the story could conceivably happen in the world as we know it. There’s no magic, and no not-yet-invented technology.
On the other hand, I often found my plausibility stretched (the kid with good, involved parents disappears for an afternoon, and isn’t even grounded afterward?)
Still, I found the story engaging, and I wanted Roy to succeed–to fit into his new school in his new town, to get out from under the bullying jerk who has it in for him, to find the intriguing young man who runs by the bus stop barefoot, and eventually to save the endangered owls who are threatened by a pancake franchise.
It’s fun to participate in Roy’s journey toward achieving these things. The characters are well-drawn, the setting immersive, and the voice delightfully humorous. For me, this would have been a love instead of a like if I hadn’t frequently found myself thinking, “no way would that ever happen.”
