Lombardo’s Law, by Ellen Wittlinger, is a poignant, funny novel about the confusion of adolescence.
15 year old Justine is quiet, bright and an observer in her own life. When a family moves in across the street, her mother hopes she’ll make life long friends with the 15 year old girl, Heather. Instead of feeling comfortable with the out-going, popular girl, Justine is drawn to Heather’s younger brother, 13 year old Mike, whose sense of humor and personality are a much closer match to Justine’s.
Justine and Mike find a kinship in independent and foreign films, which leads them to write and film their own movie, a teen-parody on 2001: A Space Odyssey. The tension builds with jealousy, misunderstandings, and tenderness, and eventually they must face their feelings towards each other.
Justine’s is an appealing and authentic adolescent voice. Her qualms over this social transgression are compelling, and her courage to think for herself and acknowledge her feelings feels real and is rightly rewarded.
- Posted by Cori