Believable Characters Make ‘Thwonk’ Fun

THWONK! That word just jumped off the shelf and grabbed my eye.

“Thwonk” is the title of Joan Bauer’s latest book. It’s about a slightly neurotic girl, her camera and her extremely neurotic dog.

A.J., the main character, has a very artistic eye. Consequently, when her eyes fall to rest on Peter Terris, she falls hopelessly in love.

She stalks him at school (at a safe distance, of course), taking pictures of him with her trusty Nikon F2. She describes Peter as “an individual of full-orbed gorgeousness who needs absolutely no retouching …”

A.J. is exceedingly and humorously melodramatic about life and tries to put everything she feels into her art and destiny: photography.

Her father had tried to make it in the photography business but never was able to. He wants A.J. to get a stable job so she won’t have to go through the heartache he went through. A.J. plans to fight him all the way; it’s her dream to become a professional photographer.

As A.J. moons hopelessly over Peter, a cupid with an attitude pops into her life. The cupid stirs up some excitement and the plot thickens.

Bauer creates a very enjoyable and funny look at the trials and triumphs of teen life. When I read this book, I thought, “Wow! This lady remembers what it was like to be a teenager!” You can really connect with the characters and their problems. I liked A.J. because of the fierce way she wants revenge for all the times the popular people have snubbed her.

It’s an entertaining book with a great story to tell. Pick it up at your library for a laugh. Since the book is fairly new, you may not be able to find “Thwonk” at the library. You can also try Joan Bauer’s only other book, “Squashed.”