The Edumacation of Jay Baker

by Jay Clark
275 pages
Reviewed by Dr. Russ Yocum

 
“I care about being happy. And the people I love being happy. It’shard to ask for anything more than that.” (Clark, Kindle, p. 77-78 of 275)
 

The Edumacation of Jay Baker is a laugh-a-minute read that manages todeal with serious subject-matter for teens with witticism and humor.

Jay’s teenage shoulders are yoked with strained family dynamics,parental infidelity, separation, and divorce (while he’s already dealing with the social awkwardness and convoluted relationship struggles of a high school freshman) the night before his big debate for freshman class president against his once-best-friend-turned-arch-nemesis, Mike.

 
Jay attempts to deal with his family’s pain, his confusing love triangle with Cameo and Caroline, while enduring constant insults from Mike and also navigating his way through the normal trials of a high school freshman. In trying to find happiness amidst all this, he deals with things in his own way – – with a keen intellect and a side-splitting sense of sarcasm-laced humor.

 
This book is a great read for anyone who has ever tried to deal with their parents’ divorce, or who has been an awkward teen, or really any issue at all! By understanding how Jay deals with his issues, we can explore how we deal with our own.

When we use humor to deal with serious issues and pain, are we really dealing with the pain or just hiding from it? This book will make you laugh WHILE making you take a serious look at your own coping strategies for life’s pitfalls!