I recently discovered (upon reading Syrup by Maxx Barry) that a unique writing style can do wonders for a book. This book was defintely unique, with the story being told through letters, notes, interviews, programs, and various correspondence between the characters of the story. I really enjoyed that aspect of it, but I also quickly realized that this book was more than just a novelty.

About a third of the way through the book, I formed a pretty strong impression of what I thought was going to happen at the end, but instead of that making me less interested, it made me more interested. I kept reading until I was finished to see if my impression was right. I didn't know if I wanted to be or not.

Along with the unique perspective, this book provides a compelling story about growing up when it must have been a very difficult time to grow up. It really made me appreciate my relatively easy childhood of the 70's and 80's. It also shows, however, that even in such a difficult time with so many bad things going on in the world, there are good things too. And if you work hard enough to achieve your goals, then anything is possible.

I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to anyone.

I first got this book from the library, and I thought it was so amazing that I bought a copy soon after. The format of letters, news articles, telegrams, report cards, etc. made it very easy to read, I zipped through it in a day or so. I haven't laughed this hard out loud over a book since I was a kid, and the end had me crying my eyes out. I made most of the members of my family read it and they all loved it. I would highly recommend it, it's a sweet, spunky, smart story, especially for people who like it when characters do everything right (for example the movie the Fugitive, when the main character was escaping, he did everything right to get away from his captors, in the same respect the kid in this book does everything right with his crazy escapades).

Last Days of Summer is one you could finish soon because you don't put it down (sorry about that cliche). The author Steve Kluger's writing can take you back to the 1930's New York.
The story involves a young Jewish kid named Joey who lives in New York during the 1930's and on. He's a streetsmart kid who's precocious and smart-talking. The first part is hilarious as he warns the president about Hitler's plan to invade various countries, but of course he's disbelieved. Joey is a very likable kid, he's got a dirty mind sometimes, especially how he treats his school crush, though eventually he's sweet to her. His best friends a Japanese-American boy whom he plays games with. Joey is a baseball nut, loves to play,watch,talk about it. His favorite player's a young star named Charles Banks, also a smart-talking New Yorker. Though they first flame each other in the mail, they eventually become good friends. The second half of the book is much more emotional. Charles is drafted into the war, Joey's Japanese friend is interned, and Joey is generally forced to grow up. Though the end is predicable, it is nonetheless sad, and touching.

The book is written in a series of letters and other written materials, making the format an intriguing read. The book is generally a humorous one, until the end, though it still maintains that charm. Recommended to Jews/non-Jews alike.

Having read Last Days of Summer,and having loved it and bought three copies to share with friends and family, I was disappointed in Changing Pitches, the only other book of Steve Kluger's that I could find. Particularly so because the reviews were all five star. Changing Pitches is a "nice" book but it isn't special enough to merit a recommendation. The author starts developing a style that comes to fruition in Last Days but Last Days has a more universal theme and is much funnier, I only chuckled once or twice where as Last Days had me laughing out loud. I had tried to purchase it from Amazon but it was out of print so I special ordered it through my library from another library and I was glad I did because it wasn't worth purchasing.

"Pitcher Scotty Mackay gets teamed up with Jason Cornell, a catcher he hates. By August, Scotty's fallen in love with Jason, and he's got a major-league problem on his hands." - From Alyson Books

Plain and simple. Laugh out loud funny. I finsihed this book so quickly, i went back and literally read it again. Steve Kluger is one of the funniest writers out there. I can't wait to read Last Days of Summer.

This unique and illuminating book offers an incredible picture of the individual fighting man in the Second World War. Arranged in rough chronological and geographic order, it tells the stories in the words of the men who fought and wrote about it. This is definitely not a romantic, rosy picture of "war heroes", nor do you have to suffer through the details of Rommel's planning, or Eisenhower's secret fears--this is the story of the front lines, land, sea, and air. Each story is an article that appeared in YANK during the war--vivid, interesting, and packed with all the details that make it lively reading from first to last.