Now a USA Today Bestseller! In an evocative follow-up to his Los Angeles Times bestselling Arroyo , Chip Jacobs returns with a gripping tale of brotherhood, recklessness, and footloose souls in the anything goes of late-seventies Southern California . As their elite, all-boys prep school turns coed, transforming from suburban Lord of the Flies to gender-roiled soap-opera, two unlikely friends-Luke Burnett and Denny Drummond--alternate rescuing each other from self-destruction amid troubled home lives. Eager to ...
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Now a USA Today Bestseller! In an evocative follow-up to his Los Angeles Times bestselling Arroyo , Chip Jacobs returns with a gripping tale of brotherhood, recklessness, and footloose souls in the anything goes of late-seventies Southern California . As their elite, all-boys prep school turns coed, transforming from suburban Lord of the Flies to gender-roiled soap-opera, two unlikely friends-Luke Burnett and Denny Drummond--alternate rescuing each other from self-destruction amid troubled home lives. Eager to maximize their era as invincible seniors at Stone Canyon Prep, they and their pals commandeer Bob's Big Boy, explore the secret world beneath Caltech, stumble into a possibly-supernatural lab animal, and grapple with near-ODs at a playoff game. Just as our heroes manage to graduate, their bond is shattered by a wild gunshot that'll haunt them for decades. Twenty years later, Luke is a high-powered journalist with a nosediving career, while Denny, a visionary software engineer, is socked by a terminal diagnosis. Desperate to make amends for that coyote shot, Denny guilts his estranged friend into helping him, all climaxing with a Hail Mary bid to demystify mortality, with an assist from Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, while reconnecting with what matters most. Later Days is a powerful exploration of the ties that bind and break us. Perfect for readers drawn to rollercoaster friendships, forgiveness, and the raw beauty of life skimming its edges to Near-Death Experience. With insight into Pasadena's buried histories and the psychological baggage of growing up in the shadows of "Great Men" fathers, Jacobs' second novel is as emotionally resonant as it is intellectually sharp.
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How far would you go to help a friend? Later Days by Chip Jacobs is a coming-of-age novel about friendship, adolescence, and the harsh reality of becoming an adult. Thirteen-year-old Luke attends Stone Canyon Prep (an elite all-boys school) and is a target for schoolyard bully Lance (aka ââ?¬Å"D-Rexââ?¬Â?). When mysterious classmate, Denny, steps in to rescue him, the two form an unlikely friendship that takes them beyond the present, into a future that neither of them can predict.
This story is set in the late 1970s, which I felt was a real treat! The cultural references scattered throughout the narrative enrich the school setting and create a feeling of nostalgia for those familiar with this era. For example, this clever description of the boysââ?¬â?¢ hairstyles made me laugh out loud at one point: ââ?¬Å"There was shoulder-length hair (though nothing Aerosmith-long-crazy) and shaggy Chia-Pet frosââ?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬Â? The mention of Chia Pets (grow-your-own terracotta figurines, sprouting chia seeds that resemble hair) helped me to imagine a late 1970s setting.
Thereââ?¬â?¢s a tongue-in-cheek, ironic tone here, alongside an undercurrent of dry humor. For example, I particularly liked it when notorious bully, Lance (who has a lazy eye), enters the classroom and Luke describes him as ââ?¬Å"ââ?¬Â¦a bigger, more muscled Lance in black, corrective glassesââ?¬Â¦ My gut reaction: Buddy Holly reborn as a barbarian.ââ?¬Â?
It would be inaccurate, however, to think that the plot in Later Days is simply focused on adolescent fun and exploration. There are deeper, darker themes here, too. One of the main ones, I think, centers around the theme of friendship. Whereas Luke likes to play it safe and is afraid of getting into trouble, rebellious Denny isnââ?¬â?¢t afraid to provoke people. At one point, he even throws a milk carton at a police officerââ?¬â?¢s motorcycle, enjoying the fallout: ââ?¬Å"He immediately ducked down to savor the fruits of his provocationââ?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬Â? He enjoys experimenting with drugs and seems carefree, but, like Luke, his home life is an ongoing source of stress.
This is a character-driven story, with the many layers of Luke and Dennyââ?¬â?¢s personalities being explored gradually, from youthful adolescence through to middle age. Like Luke, I really wanted to learn more about Denny as the plot went on, as he is very mysterious and enigmatic, giving little away about himself. When Luke strays into his bedroom, for example, he realizes that, here, Denny is able to express his true self: ââ?¬Å"His black-and-white poster of Alan Turing, Dennyââ?¬â?¢s hero as father of modern computer programming, signified individuality.ââ?¬Â?
After reading Later Days, I was left with the intense feelings that come with a loss of innocence, which was as poignant as it was edifying. What makes Chip Jacobs a skilled writer, in my opinion, is his ability to inhabit a young adult mindset, refusing to shy away from hard-hitting topics such as addiction and mental health issues.
