A review by sourjapes
Alan Cole Is Not a Coward by Eric Bell
5.0
Alan Cole is Not a Coward is one of those rare stories that seem to be processed more in your gut than your mind.
And my gut is still processing Alan's journey. The surprise belly laughs continue to be savored. And the terrors remain chilling.
Many of Alan's experiences feel like amplified versions of near-universal experiences. Like building self-esteem in a rapidly changing environment, finding your friends, and stepping out of your comfort zone. And Alan faces significant adversity, especially in a competitive, bullying brother and a very unhealthy home environment.
As we know from the blurb, Alan's brother forces him to engage in a no-win challenge that will out Alan's gayness to the world if he can't perform a list of impossible tasks. The game becomes Alan's primary quest as he finds his way in school and at home.
That Alan's zany, coming-of-age adventures should be the counterweight to the prospect of forced out of the closet comes off a bit tasteless. But the ill manners come from our society, from the hardship that comes from growing up different, particularly being gay. Cole-vs-Cole is absurd and seems arbitrary, but no more so than in life. And the comedy in Alan Cole is Not a Coward is intoxicating against such a bleak backdrop. When you laugh, it will be triumphantly because it means Alan's starting to win.
Then there's Alan's family. It is rough. All of us have experienced or know many others who have grown-up in similarly hostile environments. Following Alan into his home is challenging as a reader. That he comes to understand his father and brother can be tough to swallow. But an idealized moral victory, in which the hero resoundingly defeats his antagonists, isn't realistic here. He still has to live with his family. Progress is celebrated because total victories are rare in complicated situations.
I enjoyed the read, which made me audibly laugh and cry.
And my gut is still processing Alan's journey. The surprise belly laughs continue to be savored. And the terrors remain chilling.
Many of Alan's experiences feel like amplified versions of near-universal experiences. Like building self-esteem in a rapidly changing environment, finding your friends, and stepping out of your comfort zone. And Alan faces significant adversity, especially in a competitive, bullying brother and a very unhealthy home environment.
As we know from the blurb, Alan's brother forces him to engage in a no-win challenge that will out Alan's gayness to the world if he can't perform a list of impossible tasks. The game becomes Alan's primary quest as he finds his way in school and at home.
That Alan's zany, coming-of-age adventures should be the counterweight to the prospect of forced out of the closet comes off a bit tasteless. But the ill manners come from our society, from the hardship that comes from growing up different, particularly being gay. Cole-vs-Cole is absurd and seems arbitrary, but no more so than in life. And the comedy in Alan Cole is Not a Coward is intoxicating against such a bleak backdrop. When you laugh, it will be triumphantly because it means Alan's starting to win.
Then there's Alan's family. It is rough. All of us have experienced or know many others who have grown-up in similarly hostile environments. Following Alan into his home is challenging as a reader. That he comes to understand his father and brother can be tough to swallow. But an idealized moral victory, in which the hero resoundingly defeats his antagonists, isn't realistic here. He still has to live with his family. Progress is celebrated because total victories are rare in complicated situations.
I enjoyed the read, which made me audibly laugh and cry.