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Reviews
Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? by John R. Powers, Amy Welborn, Tom McGrath
catladyreads26's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
the_evergrowing_library's review against another edition
3.0
“A girl was not to wear black patent leather shoes, because supposedly such shoes reflected up. The nuns believed that a boy could see up a girls dress by looking into her black patent leather shoes.”
Let’s begin by pointing out that this was written in 1975 so is far from PC.
This is a coming of age book, and felt like a US version of Adrian Mole(did that make it across the pond?) though much broader in timeline.
It spans right across high school, dipping in at points to flesh out key moments.
It’s largely a book about very little and relies on the character development and the nostalgia of “yeah that’s what it was like growing up as a young boy”. Which instantly removes half the population as readers I suppose.
I wasn’t raised in a catholic environment, nor am I American but i think there was a lot of stuff that I could relate to.
Looking at it objectively from the time period and ignoring the sexism etc I found it to be just a funny and insightful little read, likely based off a lot of personal experience. It’s not going to be for everyone, but is any book?
Surely we all remember school Discos with the girls lining one wall and the boys the other?
Let’s begin by pointing out that this was written in 1975 so is far from PC.
This is a coming of age book, and felt like a US version of Adrian Mole(did that make it across the pond?) though much broader in timeline.
It spans right across high school, dipping in at points to flesh out key moments.
It’s largely a book about very little and relies on the character development and the nostalgia of “yeah that’s what it was like growing up as a young boy”. Which instantly removes half the population as readers I suppose.
I wasn’t raised in a catholic environment, nor am I American but i think there was a lot of stuff that I could relate to.
Looking at it objectively from the time period and ignoring the sexism etc I found it to be just a funny and insightful little read, likely based off a lot of personal experience. It’s not going to be for everyone, but is any book?
Surely we all remember school Discos with the girls lining one wall and the boys the other?
thain's review against another edition
5.0
Delightful coming of age story of a Catholic schoolboy on Chicago's South Side.
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