Winger (Bestselling Teen Fiction)

A realistic contemporary coming from a uniquely masculine protagonist.‘Winger’ was a challenging read for me. On one hand, the narrative is quintessential for our protagonist Ryan Dean ‘Winger’ West. Short satirical chapters resounding clearly from his fourteen year old brain as he navigates private boarding school, playing rugby, bullies, girls, and having a best friend who happens to be gay. The writing style is perfect for the main character and the target market. It deals with themes and issues expertly through this lens.Alternatively, it was really hard for me to swallow all the toxic masculinity and immaturity. I just about tore my hair out. But this is my personal choice – I tend to shy away books that blatantly wave these flags in my face. Understandably, as difficult as it was for me to stomach, if you set foot in any private boys’ boarding house, you’ll find this atmosphere front and centre.The other thing that had me going ‘hrmm’ was the plot twist at the end. Maybe I’m missing something, but I don’t know how it affected the protagonists journey… he’d resolved and changed by this point. Then, in the aftermath of the event, I don’t think it was dealt with sympathetically. It felt an emotionless observation. And while it did affect Ryan Dean, it did not seem to have a resounding permanence. What was the lesson learned? How did it change him? Maybe we’ll explore these themes further in the sequel ‘Stand-Off,’ but I failed to see what its inclusion in ‘Winger’ was apart from shock value and driving home the theme of toxic masculinity, bullying, and homophobia.The characters were summarily interesting, but not altogether complex. I did not really find myself investing much in any of them… apart from maybe secretly shipping Ryan Dean and Joey. But, even considering ‘Winger’s’ length and simplistic plot and character outlines, the development and world building was fantastic and held up the story. So too did the witty anecdotes, short chapters, and large formatting of the hard cover. So ‘Winger’ was a relatively fast and easy read.There is a certain type of dry immaturity to the humour in ‘Winger’ that would really appeal to a certain type of reader, and while it was hilarious in some spots for me, I did not find it as funny as I was expecting. I guess as an older female, all the young teen boy amusements were lost on me. In fact I was in danger of my eyes falling out of my skull from the excessive eye-rolling.All in all, ‘Winger’ was an okay read for me. I’d only recommend it for younger male readers, or those looking to experience a new perspective. I appreciate this novel for all its merits, but it wasn’t a particularly enjoyable read. But I will finish the series with ‘Stand-Off’ as I am curious to see how author Andrew Smith addresses the themes presented towards the end of this novel, and whether protagonist Ryan Dean grows because of the experience. I’ll be very disappointed if it is another journal-esque account of boarding school and fails to address the damaging attitudes of Pine Mountain boarding school.

Winger is the recollections of Ryan Dean West, a 14-year-old junior at a prep school for the wealthy. The story follows Ryan Dean as he tries to fit in with his older classmates while navigating his way through two potential romances: one with his good friend Annie, and the other with Megan, the sexually aggressive roommate of his girlfriend. All the while constantly evaluating his relationships with those around him.Winger is an entertaining read, even for an adult, though I imagine readers in the target demographic would find even more enjoyment in it. It can be bombastic and over the top at times, mirroring the way that everything seems so big, so life-or-death, when you're young. Even so, I feel like young readers will either see themselves, at least in part, in Ryan Dean. He's in a hurry to become an adult, even though he isn't ready for all it entails, but he's also no longer just a child. In his eyes, everything is tied to sex, and yet sex is still something dirty to make jokes about. He wants a serious relationship, but he also wants to fool around with anyone attractive and willing.Of course, the book has its shortcomings, the ending being the biggest of them in my opinion. Without giving it away, something occurs that ends up being the biggest catalyst for Ryan Dean "growing up" by the end of the book, but the how and way of this occurrence are fairly sudden and, again in my opinion, not a good ending for the story up to that point. Of course, one could rightly argue that such events occur in real life with just as little forewarning or reasoning as in Winger. However, given the events of the book prior to the ending, it would make more sense for this catalyst to be a direct or indirect result of Ryan Dean's actions rather than a random occurrence.Even so, all in all, I think this book is worth the time, particularly for middle and high school readers. Though it never really delves into the issues it tackles as deeply as it could, it can at least serve as the starting point for conversations on topics like gender identity or the transition into adulthood. It might also be a good introduction into more serious perspectives on these topics.

Andrew smith is my new favourite author and, as a professional bookseller, I read a lot. This book is brilliant, and don't worry, you don't have to know anything about rugby to enjoy it. I've been pushing it on all of my colleagues since I finished it because I desperately need to talk to someone about it!! This is one of those books that stays with you for a long time after you've finished it. Pure brilliance, andrew smith, write lots more!Ps. Buy grasshopper jungle too. I can't decide which if them I like best.

So many people on GoodReads have commented this is a difficult book to review, and I totally agree.The majority of the book is an easy three star read; I chose it to get over a 'book hangover' and it did just that.The ending makes it a 5* read. Didn't see it coming, and made my heart lurch. Not a book I'll be forgetting any time soon.

Brilliant read. Thank you.

Easy book to read with tiny chpaters, so it's perfect to read when taking a break from work/spare 5mins.As a girl I would say this is a rom com aimed at young teenage boys, but I found it enjoyable to read, and Im in my late teens.The ending is amazing, and the story is humerous throughout.I am very glad I brough this book.

such a good read, I loved it!