Wonderful Half is a novel about fourteen-year-old Japanese boy Kentaro, who stays under life’s radar as a way of dealing with his mother’s drinking. As the story opens, his only friend is Naoki.

From the start, Ari Ryn sets the tone of a Japanese summer with a powerful blend of tactile flavors that will draw all ages into Kentaro’s world:

The cicadas were louder than usual, the buzzing rising in waves that drowned out the distant hum of traffic, with only the clang of passing trains strong enough to break through. Beads of sweat gathered at Naoki’s temples, and Kentaro could feel tiny drops forming on his own forehead. Even walking felt heavy. A bite too big from the strawberry bar sent a sharp, almost painful cold through his teeth, making him flinch.

In a world where the sea “feels like magic” and happy memories of childhood’s better times are now rationed, Kentaro exists more than grows – until new foreign boy Akira comes to town, bringing his own ghosts as baggage.

The three boys share coming-of-age concerns as they teeter on the precipice of adulthood. Akira feels especially challenged by adults who want to move him forward with life plans:

“Yeah, but everything’s so different. School here ends in March, and I thought I wouldn’t have to worry about high school until summer. And there’s that career-guidance form they gave me to fill out. How am I supposed to know now what I want to do for the rest of my life? I’ve never really thought about it.

“What if I pick something and end up hating it? What if I spend years preparing for some career and then realise I can’t stand it? Or what if I find something I actually love, but you can’t make any money from it? What am I supposed to do then?

“I can’t just quit and start over. Life’s hard. Just surviving, you have to work your arse off for food, clothes, a roof over your head. Your landlord isn’t going to waive the rent just because you need time to figure things out.”

Especially poignant and touching are insights about the process of standing on the cusp of adulthood. These reveal inviting, thought-provoking passages as the characters interact and share their thoughts, dreams, and worries about the future:

“I feel like I’m running out of time,” Akira said more quietly. “These feel like the last days of freedom I’m ever going to get. Soon I’ll have to choose something and squeeze myself into it, change so I don’t stand out. It feels like there won’t be any space left to just be myself.”

The result is a powerfully compelling story that weaves together the atmosphere of Japan and the culture of the Japanese, the concerns of three very different boys who each address their future prospects differently, and accompanying issues, from bullying and alcoholism to fantasies and realities, that challenge each of them in different ways.

Ari Ryn’s story will reach young adult audiences and libraries that cater to them, featuring an evocative tone and explorative value that lends to adult interest, as well.

Filled with insights, reflections, and the connections between three seemingly disparate boys who share some of the same concerns about their future, Wonderful Half offers a lesson in adolescent thinking. Its many moments of realization, new discoveries, and ultimate truths about the value and costs of boys liking boys enlighten and delight a wide age range.