Author Mike Hatch offers originality and courage with his The Dumb Class: Boomer Junior High; a coming-of-age retrospective story that provides readers with courageous, humorous, and boldly creative play through life with a group of high school friends.
Taking place in the 1960s, the story follows baby boomer friends Bill Jones, Eddie, Jeff, and Harley throughout their formative years at Boomer High School. The events are detailed by Bill Jones, who is also the protagonist of the story. As a whole, teens are a group of tenacious, heavy drinkers, smokers, sexists, and schemers whose friendships and wit carry them through many escapades and life experiences. Jones, in particular, makes him a captivating character to follow. He has wit and a quirky charm and though. Although in the lowest of the class designations in high school, “the dumb class”, he seems to be one of the most intelligent and conspirators.
Instantly intriguing from the start, the story grabs their attention and sparks interest with an opening scene of a starkly humorous debate on the female anatomy, which is carried out by the group of friends, which serves to focus on the various main actors. and set the tone for the story as one filled with humor, stark depictions of teenage life and behavior. As the story progresses, follow their adventures, experiences, and explorations fueled by obscene desires, curses, teenage angst, drugs, alcohol, and other diversions like revenge. As characters, their unique personalities and interactions propel the story, while announcing authenticity through fragments infused with historical and cultural references.
Overall, I found that The Dumb Class: Boomer Junior High offers not just an entertaining read, but a multifaceted look at the cultural and sociological avenues of life that teens of the 1960s encountered and explored. In fact, I personally found the story to be a combination that is a bit reminiscent of Stand By Me, Grease, and Porkies. Just a warning, this is an adult-themed reading, as the level of sexuality in this book is quite graphic, especially for fourteen and fifteen year olds. Overall, though, I enjoyed the read and congratulations to author Mike Hatch, who did well to portray his story. Artistically, he brought this memorable coming-of-age story to life with humor, meaty characters, and time-appropriate vernacular. I recommend this book to mature readers who enjoy dark-themed humor.