Title: Not the Usual Season
Author: Nancy May
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 978-1-6632-0234-5
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 219
Reviewed by: Candace L. Barr
Pacific Book Review
Author Nancy May’s Not the Usual Season is a coming-of-age story centered around sports, family, and of course, budding romance.
Benjamin McDowell is a rising senior in high school who has a top spot on the wrestling team, a part-time job, and a crush on girl despite feeling like relationships are distractions. He dreams of attending the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, and winning the state wrestling championship would go a long way toward securing him a spot at his dream school. Along the way, he’ll have to deal with awkwardness, mortality, and typical teenage drama.
The book’s opening is engaging and does a great job of introducing Ben, his personality, and some of the sources of the conflicts Ben will encounter in the coming school year. Similarly, the second chapter brings out his family life, including the
sometimes contentious but growing relationship with his sister Elizabeth, and his feelings about his older autistic brother, Johnny. The latter doesn’t get to play much of a role in Ben’s life and, by extension, the novel, nor does the other character from a marginalized community. Other characters are better developed. JT, Ben’s best friend, is the jock who gets all the girls, but he’s also a caring friend, a young man of faith, and a dedicated musician. Then there’s the new addition to the team, a girl who has to win people over both in and out of the gym and show everyone she’s more than everyone’s preconceived notions.
The downside of the book is that it touches on some issues like disability awareness and gender issues without going very deeply into them. The characters’ shallow understanding of the issues can be excused by their being teenagers who aren’t all that interested in big issues, but it leaves the reader questioning the inclusion. In particular, Ben’s attitude about his brother leaves much to be desired. Ben’s ready to defend his brother from outsiders when he needs to, but it’s clear he sees Johnny as a nuisance. It would have been nice to see some growth in their relationship and a more complete picture of Johnny as a person, but that never happened.
If you’re looking for a straightforward young adult story, Not the Usual Season has an engaging narrative voice and an interesting, relatable storyline, and while there’s some foul language, it’s not excessive.
