Zach at Risk

Rating:
Summary: Not exactly the Brady Bunch ...
Review: At a time when Congress is being asked to pass a Constitutional amendment to limit the rights of couples who don't meet the conventional definition of "family," it's appropriate to point out a novel that illustrates the strengths (as well as the honest weaknesses) of the alternative extended family of Zach, a biracial teeenager in Seattle.

Zach's mother, Patrice, is a emotionally-shaky woman with an addictive personality, who feels that she has failed Zach as a single mother. Her lesbian lover, Dag, is a carnival worker (her nickname comes from experience as a sword swallower) who was abused by her father as a little girl, and is somewhat codependent on Patrice. Their best friend, and Zach's primary male role model, is Joshua, a gay neighbor who owns a video store. Other characters include a blind store owner who gives young Zach a job, a drunk who gets Zach interested in the theatre, and a hispanic gay hustler who befriends Zach in a time of need.

I was extremely impressed with the vivid, realistic "warts and all" characterizations in this novel, which made the novel seem like a visit with people you'd like to have known. The book would be appropriate for young as well as older, open-minded readers. I recommend it highly.