Lawn Boy

By: Jonathan Evison

Narrated by: P. J. Ochlan

For Mike Muñoz, a young Chicano living in Washington State, life has been a whole lot of waiting for something to happen. Not too many years out of high school and still doing menial work - and just fired from his latest gig as a lawn boy on a landscaping crew - he knows that he's got to be the one to shake things up if he's ever going to change his life. But how?

In this funny, angry, touching, and ultimately deeply inspiring novel, best-selling author Jonathan Evison takes the reader into the heart and mind of a young man on a journey to discover himself, a search to find the secret to achieving the American dream of happiness and prosperity. That's the birthright for all Americans, isn't it? If so, then what is Mike Muñoz's problem? Though he tries time and again to get his foot on the first rung of that ladder to success, he can't seem to get a break. But then things start to change for Mike, and after a raucous, jarring, and challenging trip, he finds he can finally see the future and his place in it. And it's looking really good.

Lawn Boy is an important, entertaining, and completely winning novel about social class distinctions, about overcoming cultural discrimination, and about standing up for oneself.

©2018 Jonathan Evison (P)2018 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"This novel comes alive as an audiobook because of narrator P.J. Ochlan's ability to create unique voices for each of Evison's characters.... Whether it's when Munoz has an abscessed tooth pulled or when he confronts those whose wisdom turns out to be less than stellar, Ochlan makes the most of every moment." (AudioFile)

What a great coming of age story

So simply wrote in easy to understand English almost eloquent while trying to be anything except. I read this book because a person running for our school board said it shouldn't be offered as children's book material and is trying to ban it from our library. My children understand sex and I highly recommend reading this book to my 11 year old. There is nothing shameful in it and it might talk about sex 3 maybe 4 times through whole thing. No, steamy sex scenes either, just referenced or implied. There is nothing that I would block my children from hearing, but I also don't try to block the world from them either.

Good narrative

The narrative was very good. I am not sure I would read anymore by him, but it was ok.

Stick with it, it leaves you with all the feels

It’s a little slow going and depressing to start out. I honestly almost gave up on it a few times, but it really does come through in the end. Not a children’s book, but I think a high schooler could handle it. In the end you will be happy that you stuck with it.

Phenomenal!

I was floored by how much I enjoyed this book. I’ll admit it got a little choppy toward the end, but I couldn’t stop listening. The characters and setting were elevated by the narrator.

How many of the topics reflect what’s going on in the country today.

I enjoyed the story and how it highlighted the resilience of the characters. I wasn’t a fan of how the narrator often said: he said she said.