If you’ve ever wondered where you belong or what you truly value, Andy V. Roamer’s “Why Can’t Freshman Summer Be Like Pizza?” is a delightful way to consider your options. Yes, it might be classified as young adult literature, but its themes are ageless and timely. And true, it reads with more depth if you’ve read “Why Can’t Life Be Like Pizza,” the first edition in Roamer’s The Pizza Chronicles series, but it works as a standalone.Written as fifteen-year old RV’s computer journal, this teen’s summer vacation is chock-full of dilemmas. Lithuania-American RV understands his parents’ struggles with their heritage as they wrestle to become American citizens, but he wishes they didn’t foist these on him, while he struggles to acculturate. And RV’s love interest, Bobby the football player, also struggles with pressure from successful black parents who battled against cruelty to achieve.While RV’s sounding board, best friend Carol, summers in Paris, her boyfriend seems to be shutting RV out of their mutual business. And RV’s younger brother is a lost, angry kid. Plus, RV’s part-time job takes violent twists. RV isn’t certain he’s gay and looks to Bobby for support. But is support possible, if Bobby needs to stay closeted… or will it rip them apart? The tension undulates, much like life…. And I wished I could turn life’s pages as fast as I did this book’s. “The future wasn’t something promising anymore, but there was that big fat question mark instead.”One reason “Why Can’t Freshman Summer Be Like Pizza?” rises to importance is that RV’s simple questions are as profound as most people’s answers. And he examines them with refreshing eyes. “Don’t take on other people’s prejudices. It’s easy to do sometimes, so be careful of that.”He certainly struggles with ethics, like when he wonders if he can discuss his relationship problems with his proudly-out gay teacher. RV’s self-honesty is a refreshing model during an era of slippery liars. Even if he often keeps his mouth shut, not knowing what to say, RV doesn’t rationalize his choices. “Breaking my promise to Bobby would feel like a betrayal of him. And that’s the last thing I want to do.” Oh, that adults could remember this sentiment!Mr. Roamer enlivens The Pizza Chronicles with RV’s love of words, which parallel his confused self-reflection. Since I happen to be a logophile, I frequently laughed, because RV’s definitions are deceptively simple, yet humorous and perceptive. “Oblivious is a good word too. It’s a little like invisible, but better. It means you do exist but are clueless. Hello! How often do I feel clueless about things?” Or how about this? “Procrastinate. My new ten-cent word. Sounds kind of dirty, doesn’t it? Procrastinate. Something people do in the dark.”Andy V. Roamer’s “Why Can’t Freshman Summer Be Like Pizza?” is an all-around winner! Go ahead, I dare you not to smile your way through each page, for RV’s hunger to understand, as much as the humor.
