(review in process)

If there is any weakness to Boyle's prose in this collection, it is that his voice as a writer tends to bleed into his characters. In a collection where most of the stories are told from a first-person perspective, these teenage narrators are all blessed with the author's vocabulary and descriptive talents. Of course, young adult fiction doesn't need to always be as gritty and realistic as a Robert Cormier novel, so this is definitely subjective, but for me it borders on distracting in stories like Greasy Lake and The Love of My Life.

Beat is probably my least favorite story, due mainly to the overused cliche of the teenage rebel discovering the truth behind the facade of their idolized counterculture icon. Fresh take on an old theme, you could say, and it is a fun read, but the setup is transparent and feels a bit lazy.

At the other end of the spectrum is The Fog Man, which manages to maintain its subtle(?) metaphor throughout, and the nostalgic dream-like quality of the story prevents the writer's voice from overpowering the narrator.

Despite the criticism above, The Love of My Life is a very powerful and grounded story that explores the frailty of young love through the prism of "ripped form the headlines" controversies. It reeks of empathy and loss and comes closest to the coveted Cormier Quality. Same goes for Juliana Cloth.

All of the other stories are at the very least enjoyable, a solid read overall. ( )

Horrific ( )

Entertaining, and almost all of the stories strike the right note. "Home of Champions" is a satire of the old Lassie TV show, and it's a little obvious. But that's pretty much the only sour note. ( )

TC Boyle's short stories are great, but this is just a collection of some of his stories re-packaged for the teen market. Seem dated. Better left as adult short stories in my opinion. ( )

Der kleine Band enthält sechs Erzählungen:
Der Fliegenmensch: Ein sehr skurriler Mann verkleidet sich als menschliche Fliege um zu Ruhm zu kommen.
Ende der Nahrungskette: Eine Satire über unbedachte Eingriffe in die Umwelt.
Der Polarforscher: Ein”Forscher” versucht in sich in der Aktis – bis zum bitteren Ende.
Greasy Lake: Jugendlicher Wahnsinn
Ein Herz und eine Seele: Lassie!!!!!!!!!!!
Großwildjagd: Verrückte Weiße und eine clevere Elefantenkuh. ( )