If writing was an art, then first-time novelist, Phil LaMarche, has painted a rather elegant portrait. With his debut effort, American Youth , in which he shines light on one of the many struggles youths stomach, Phil has produced a considerably outstanding breakthrough piece in writing.

American Youth revolves around Teddy LeClare – mostly known in the book as “the boy” – a 15-year-old living in New England town. The story takes place at a turning point of the town’s culture where a social change is evident in the population and an unfortunate divide among the people is made. This results in a series of hostile events, the key one being a shooting, which leaves a friend of Teddy’s dead. What follows form the central story of the book – Teddy’s enthralling teenage journey encapsulated by a gun, a firearms accident, a sinister gang of boys who call themselves ‘American Youth’, a girl, and a dreadful moral dilemma, among other elements that make for an absolutely captivating read.

There’s much in the book to be obsessed with. The continuous flow of gripping events that keep occurring with every few flips of the page – especially in the first few chapters – is one example. The attention given to detail in each of these events is another. Phil nails the specifics with every suspense-filled scene, giving readers enough to fully understand Teddy’s struggle – his thoughts, his feelings, and his perspective of and response to the happenings around him, all written to a profound degree. The story is so compelling and the plot so intense and intriguing that there’s hardly a mundane portion within the pages.

The dialogue was another element in the book that stood out, as it rightfully should have, considering the importance and impact of dialogues in a book which deals with teenage struggle like this one does, and how it naturally plays an important role in bringing about for the reader a sense of relation and a higher level of understanding towards the characters and their story. In American Youth, the dialogue isn’t powerful or fierce throughout. Most of the time, it’s melodramatic, short and straightforward – as these youths typically are – and readers will find that with the subtle impact found in each line of the dialogue, a strong impression of the characters is collectively brought about.

Phil’s general writing style in American Youth is interestingly one element in the book that could go both ways in terms of appealing to the readers. Though his flair as a novelist is revealed in his ability to craft more than 200 pages’ worth of intensity, drama, and action through a well-established storyline, the lack of variety in the language and the creative concept of the writing may become a tad bit infuriating by the fourth or fifth chapter for readers who fancy diversity. A clear example is the idea of addressing a main character as “the boy”, which may initially come across as unique and maybe even refreshing as a concept, but will ultimately test the patience of these readers. It’s evident that this particular writing style was meant to portray the alienation of the character, but there are other less painful ways of doing that. In fact, the story itself caters to that very well.

What works for this particular writing style, however, and the reason why it could also appeal to readers, is that it makes the read a personal one, with a clear illustration of the boy’s point of view in the various aspects of his life. It’s a type of writing that somehow eliminates opportunities of connecting with the other characters in the book, because of the fact that they’re not exclusively referred to as “the girl” or “the gangster”. The focus is forced upon Teddy, even in situations, which he doesn’t play a huge part in. It’s such an addictive perspective that you can’t help but draw a strong bond with the character.

The subject of struggles among youths in this book may be familiar, mirroring that of American History X (1998) and The Freedom Writers Diary (1999). It may even be a book one can easily foresee adapted into a movie. But unlike The Freedom Writers Diary, this book does not require a film version or any visuals to convey the powerful message intended. Phil zooms into the life of Teddy so deeply through his writing and makes it so gut wrenchingly relatable that the experience as a reader, being able to understand this intriguing character so fully, is almost magical.

American Youth is not just another book making use of the cliché subject of the struggles youths experience as its focus. It’s a brilliantly crafted novel that gets you hooked effortlessly. It feels like a love potion has been splashed across each page that you find yourself lured deeper into the book and begging for more with every flip.

UrbanWire gives American Youth  4 out of 5 stars.