Murray Tillman

Meet Me on the Paisley Roof is a cute, playful book that took me pleasantly by surprise. the story is a wild ride of odd and entertaining events, but there are also some more serious tones relating to friendship, death and divorce that will ring true to many teens.Trussell is your not-so-average piano playing teenage boy growing up in Georgia in the 1950’s. he is the only living member of his family and is stuck living with his deranged step-mother, who thinks she is spiritually connected to Queen Victoria. he is also hopelessly in love with a girl named Ellen who, rightly enough, thinks that he is a little odd. from the first to the last page, we find Trussell and his two friends wreaking havoc on their small neighborhood with manure flinging, late night sneaking around, monkey chases and motorcycle gangs. the events are undeniably over the top sometimes, but they are also laugh out loud funny and a great reminder of that unbridled energy and freedom that we felt as kids. also, personally, i was a kid who played piano for many many hours each week, so i found and enjoyed the many parallels to that lifestyle. on one particularly pleasant night, Trussell chooses a song in his mind that represents his mood and through the music, we can gain a deeper appreciation for his mood. "I closed my eyes and put a record on my mental jukebox, selecting a Beethoven piano sonata for such a wonderful night. The music began just as surely as if the piano were sitting in front of me on the porch."written in a style that is clean and simple, Trussell’s quirky attitude and often joking inner voice bring us a story that is vivid and alive. he is definitely the kind of kid that i’d have liked when i was that age! in between all of the hilarity are some really nice moments, particularly those when Trussell and Ellen are talking. they are both very honest, with themselves and each other, and it’s easy to see them together. and although i enjoyed all of the fun moments, i particularly liked the sadness. when Trussell talks about what it is like to live without his family, or when Ronnie talks about his parents getting a divorce, this book shines and has some really beautiful moments. "Life is a sad song. Clowns know it best."through unbreakable friendships, new found love and respect and some hilarious twists and turns, this is a book that i would recommend to any teens.this book was received from Bascom Hill for review.… (más)