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A review by mishlist
The First Third by Will Kostakis
3.0
I love a well written story of the immigrant experience, and 'The First Third' is a lovely example. It alternates between chance meetings and the dizzying tornado that is navigating family life, while drawing on the difficulties of death, tradition and culture, all bundled up in the quest to keep family together.
While the characters are a little too simple for me to really connect with - I never felt as if I knew who Billy was inside, away from the surface of the tricky situations he gets himself in (a comedian, a good friend, very family oriented) - I think the whole narrative and some of the more serious questions of growing up are handled really maturely by Kostakis. Some of the plot lines aren't really resolved , which sort of added to an abrupt finish, such as why Peter has felt like Bill is taking things away from him? Sweet, funny and ultimately a very hopeful novel, it's a relatable read for teens.
While the characters are a little too simple for me to really connect with - I never felt as if I knew who Billy was inside, away from the surface of the tricky situations he gets himself in (a comedian, a good friend, very family oriented) - I think the whole narrative and some of the more serious questions of growing up are handled really maturely by Kostakis. Some of the plot lines aren't really resolved , which sort of added to an abrupt finish, such as why Peter has felt like Bill is taking things away from him? Sweet, funny and ultimately a very hopeful novel, it's a relatable read for teens.