The Tribulations of August Barton
by: Jennifer LeBlanc
by: Jennifer LeBlanc
Publication date: October 25th 2016
Genres: Comedy, Contemporary, New Adult
August Barton
could never have mentally prepared himself for his freshman year of
college: not only has his anxiety increased, but his parents are
divorcing, his new roommate thinks Augie is the biggest nerd in
existence, and his grandma, a retired prostitute named Gertie, has taken
to running away from her nursing home. Augie just wants to hole up in
his dorm room with his Star Wars collectables and textbooks, but Gertie
is not about to let that happen. What ensues is a crazy ride including
naked trespassing, befriending a local biker gang, and maybe-just
maybe-with Augie defeating his anxiety and actually getting the girl.
This is a coming of age story of August Barton. Finally, he has the confidence to come out of his shell and do the things he never thought he would ever do. Of course, his new (mis)adventures were courtesy of his very cool and lively Grandma. What a hoot this book is. An absolutely enjoyable story that will let you forget your worries temporarily with all of Grandma Gertie's stories and antics. This story just proved that there's nothing wrong with hanging out with old people, some of them may just turn out to be just what our soul needs--a taste of adventure and penchant for breaking the rules.
One thing that struck me in this story was Grandma Gertie's character. She is not ashamed of her being a former prostitute. I think she is even proud that she was the "Floozy of Freemont Street". I guess her saying that was without malice but with a conviction that she did her best during a very hard time. Hard times call for desperate measures. She rolled with the punches to survive. A very admirable trait. She also said that being a prostitute, she also tried to help the men who came to her. She listened to them and helped them navigate the issues and problems that beset them. To her, she did not just offer physical relief but also sorted out the emotional and psychological needs of her customers. But I am not advocating that it is okay to be a prostitute.
In a way, I could relate to August. I was once shy and very unsure of myself. At times, I still am. I feel like I wanted the floor to swallow me whole, especially in very awkward situations. I did not have a strong self-esteem growing up. I never wanted attention directed at me. I would gladly hide in the shadows and be the one behind the scenes. So, I found it very easy to associate with August and how it feels to be in an environment outside of the comfort zone. Unlike August, I did not have a highly-spirited grandma who would push me beyond the limits of my safety and comfort. Whatever confidence I found now and love for adventure, I painstakingly have to work through and it helped a lot being around people who made me want to be the best of who I am. People who are oozing with positivity that I can't help but be like them.
I learned one new term or word in this story--Gerontology, which I never ever heard before. If it's the first time you heard this word, them welcome to the club. Gerontology means the study of caring for old people, how to improve the ways to care for them. And if you are wondering how that came into the story, then better read this book. When I found out the relevance of this word to the whole tale, I was very surprised and felt that it was still premature to conclude, but I was already drawn to this cute, unassuming and clueless August character.
I also loved the ending. It was a perfect ending of all the grand comedic endings of great proportions. I never saw it coming. I was absolutely tickled and it left me with a promise that more misadventures of August and Gertie and her cohorts are yet to come. More are coming and I am so so so freaking looking forward to them.
I give this book 4.5/5 toy cars. I adored the characters of this story. They were perfectly written with very unique personalities in mind that were very memorable. Every time I think about this story or one of the characters, I would surely have a smile on my face as I reminisce the hilarious and shocking (I mean it in a good way) situations in this book. I can't help but shake my head in disbelief, at the same time, be amused at all the funny and awkward situations August had to face, compliments of his Grandma and her daring accomplice--Tunes. There was never a dull moment in this story. I would love to see this in the big screen. I am sure this is going to be a hit and a riot! I was right! Just looking at the cover and the title of this book, it already said a lot and it holds a promise (aside from the very fantastic ending) that you will never be sorry for picking up this book.
...how time was as infinite as the space above. The future shortly became the past and one could never predict how things would turn out.
- Jennifer LeBlanc, The Tribulations of August Barton -
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