Book Review: Okay for Now

[Iverian Gnash]

Title: Okay for Now
Author: Gary D. Schmidt
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Summary of Story:
Okay for Now is an example of a book I wouldn't normally read but decided to anyway. It was one I had from the library (not that I picked out). I thought it was a really great read and it dealt with a lot of family issues as a boy grew up in a new neighborhood right after moving.

The story is set during the Vietnam War so our main character (Doug) has a brother over in the war. Doug's father is usually drunk and doesn't treat his family right which causes a lot of conflict throughout. The story starts off with them moving and Doug leaving his friends behind because his father doesn't have work anymore after mouthing off to his boss. They move to a small town called Marysville where his father goes to work at a paper mill. Doug feels unwelcome as his family has a reputation for being troublesome which comes from Doug's other brother and his father. Doug begins looking for something to do with his free time that will get him out of the house and he ends up finding the library where he spends countless hours practicing drawing Audubon birds out of a book they have upstairs. He meets a girl named Lil who gets him a job at his father's deli as a delivery boy and he slowly starts feeling more comfortable as he meets people through that job. School starts and it's pretty rough since the teachers don't like Doug too much. Eventually, Doug's brother (the one who's in Vietnam) comes home severely damaged from the war and things slowly start to mend as the community comes together.

I thought Okay for Now dealt with a lot of difficult issues that were brought to light in a very emotional way that really makes you think about what the character is going through, definitely a great read!