The Rundown
Developing Minds follows the journey of graduate teacher Luke and his friends, as they struggle through their first year of teaching. I found the start to be a little on the slow side, as I waited to find out if I was going to like or empathize with these characters. However, once Luke and his friend Billy set up home in a rough area of Miami, the drama began to unfold very quickly. The story is told from Luke’s point of view, as he struggles to survive as a teacher in an extremely violent and difficult school, where he discovers the teachers are often as dysfunctional as the students. At this point I felt for him more and more, as he forces himself back there, day after day. I certainly began to admire him. Added to the hell he faces in school every day, Luke deals with constant turmoil at home due to the wild antics of Billy and their teacher friend Margo (a character I liked and loathed in equal measures).
While the kids at school are angry, used, abused and alienated, Luke and his friends have their own demons to deal with, including various addictions and promiscuous sexual behavior. Luke tries to rise above it all, both personally and professionally, but he certainly isn’t perfect, and is as flawed, damaged and confused as the rest of them. The author certainly succeeds in creating memorable and genuine characters. They had me laughing out loud, gasping in horror and nodding in recognition, and the dialogue was perfect.
As Luke begins to make progress with the kids, I found myself really rooting for him. This book is a very eye opening portrayal of the American public school system in deprived areas. As well as all this, Luke is an aspiring writer, who can’t seem to get a word down while teaching is consuming all of his energy and sanity. By the end of the book, I was totally torn between wanting him to stay at the school where he was finally getting through to the kids, and leaving it all behind to pursue his own dreams.
In many ways, the novel was spiritual, as well as coming-of-age, as Luke and the other colorful characters, question the meaning of life, and how best to put meaning into their lives. Once it got going, I really enjoyed this book on many levels. It is very well written, with believable and likable characters, plenty of action and adventure, as well as some poignant soul searching. An author I would like to read more from.
The Recommendation
Anyone who enjoys realistic fiction, with a gritty edge will enjoy this novel. The characters are extremely well written and believable, and the dialogue is perfect. Despite the serious matter, the book is also very humorous, visual and vibrant to read.
The Rating
4 Stars (out of 5): Recommended. For the right audience, this book is a great read. It can hold its own against any traditionally published novel in its genre.
The Pros & Cons
Pros: Believable, Characterization, Dialogue, Emotional, HumorCons: Starts slow
