Wasted potential

South of Broad, by Pat Conroy. I loved The Lords of Discipline. I liked My Losing Season. I saw The Prince of Tides and liked it well enough. And Conroy's forward in Gone With the End made the book sit a little better with me. So I was looking with great anticipation to readingthis book.

It started off with great promise. Leo Bloom Day, when we meet Leo Bloom, as well as Niles and Starla Whitehead and Betty, the orphans. There's Ike, the son of the new black football coach. The reader is introduced to Molly Huger and Fraser and Chad, the ultra-rich kids who were kicked out of their school for pot. And finally, the twins, Sheba and Trevor Poe, with the crazy mother and psychopathic, pedophilic father. Somehow, we're supposed to believe that in their senior year of high school, these ten diverse individuals formed such a tight bond that Niles, the moutain boy, could find love with Fraser, the rich (but homely) high school basketball star. Of course, the only two black characters, Ike and Betty would have to find love with each other. We're supposed to believe that the conversations among these friends was always witty and glittering and that all of them are very successful, particulaly Sheba, who is gorgeous and becomes a Hollywood star.

There's is a lot that Conroy asks us to believe. But the story is not particularly believable and ultimately, I have to admit that I missed the theme of this story. At best, it reminded me of a weaker version of The Big Chill, on the road to San Francisco, without a good soundtrack of course. Ultimately it starts to seem silly and preposterous.

It's beautifully written--that Conroy has a way with words. But this story is not among his best.

Current read: Never Let Me Go
Current listen: Atlas Shrugged