A sizzling young adult novel about Chad, a teenager living near the New Jersey boardwalk who becomes obsessed with the Bozo—the clown who sits above a tank of water, taunting people until they pay a couple of bucks to try to dunk him. But even as he tries to master the slashing humor of the Bozo, Chad finds he also needs to learn humor’s healing power if he is to help his best friend recover from a serious illness. Emotionally rich, filled with fascinating detail about life on the Boardwalk, this is David Lubar’s breakthrough novel.
Matt Golden stars as first-person narrator Chad, a teen living in a town on the New Jersey shore. When he becomes interested in one of the clowns at the local dunk tank, he gets the idea of becoming a Bozo himself. Golden keeps the story moving and captures Chad's swinging emotions as he grapples with his fear of failure and his first romance. This full-cast production sports a fine supporting cast, particularly Craig Middleton, who turns in a fine performance as Chad's best friend, Jason. This engrossing look at life behind the boardwalk will keep listeners close to their headphones. A.F. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine
