My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, and Fenway Park by Steve Kluger

My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, and Fenway Park by Steve Kluger

Publisher: Dial

Release Date: March 13, 2008

Age Group: Young Adult

Hardcover: 403 pages 

 Best friends and unofficial brothers since they were six, ninth-graders T.C. and Augie have got the world figured out. But that all changes when both friends fall in love for the first time. Enter Alé. She's pretty, sassy, and on her way to Harvard. T.C. falls hard, but Alé is playing hard to get. Meanwhile, Augie realizes that he's got a crush on a boy. It's not so clear to him, but to his family and friends, it's totally obvious! Told in alternating perspectives, this is the hilarious and touching story of their most excellent year, where these three friends discover love, themselves, and how a little magic and Mary Poppins can go a long way.

Review: UM. I believe this book is now going on my 'favorite books of all time list!' It was just that wicked good. I feel as if this book could've have been written for me. I swear. There is not a thing that I didn't like about this book, except, of course, I wished it could have been longer. 


In a school english project, the three main characters tell their stories through letters, emails, instant messaging, and regular format. I loved the three POVs! T.C. Keller, born Anthony Conigliaro Keller and Augie Hwong are not blood related but might as well be. When TC's mom died when he was 6 years old and Augie was there for him and ever since they have been brothers. I LOVE, LOVED reading about the relationship between the two. They called TC father, Pop and Augies parents Mom and Dad. It was really cute. Even, TC's aunts became surrogate aunts for Augie; they were that close.

There is a way to my heart and is easy to accomplish; talk about the Red Sox with me and you're in. In a matter of seconds, T.C. introduces the us to the wonderful world of Boston and The Red Sox. (Yes, I am obsessed.) I say that this book could've been written for me because not only do they live in Boston, there is the Broadway musicals and theatre elements.

Augie was SO fun to read about! From the start of the book, TC and their parents know that he is gay but . I'm so glad to read a LGBT book! Definitely a great addition. Augie was a Broadway junkie! And I absolutely loved it (sorry, that I'm being repetitive with the 'love it's'!) He would write letters to people like Liza Minnelli. He was also did many sports, which I found awesome. 2 more of my favorite things! Alejandra is the other main character. Her father is an Ambassador and so she knows many people with power. When she gets to the high school, TC knows he wants her. I thought all of the romance was really cute!

If you are looking for a humorous, diverse (of the 3 POV, one of them is Asian and one is Hispanic,) romantic, or if you like any of the different things I talked about, you will LOVE this book! I am now in love with Steve Kluger's writing and I love that he is a Boston fan. I am sad that he doesn't have a lot of YA books but I'll be checking out Almost Like Being In Love!

Rating:

Characters: 5/5

Originality: 5/5

Ending: 5/5

Writing: 5/5

Voice: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Enjoyment: 5/5

Favorite character(s): As I said, I enjoyed all the characters in this book. Which is very rare. But I LOVED the voices of each of the 3 main characters! And Pop & Dad.

Cover: B+ Loved the baseball bat and umbrella, which I'm assuming represents Mary Poppins.

Thoughts: A great, fun read! Not angsty at all, but may make you tear up. I need to buy my own copy of this very soon! AMAZING! 5 Stars

I also read this book for the GLBT April Mini Challenge! & because 2 of the main characters where POC, it will be going under that challenge, too!