Coming-of-age stories for YA readers are a dime a dozen, so when one comes along that is geared to (often reluctant) male readers, and is interesting, well-written, and smart, it tends to get noticed. Alan Cumyn’s first foray into fiction for an older YA market (following his lauded Owen Skye trilogy for middle-grade readers) is just such a book. Tilt tells the story of 16-year-old wannabe junior varsity basketball player Stan, his complicated family life, and his seemingly uncontrollable hormones, accelerated by an increasingly close relationship with Janine, who may or may not be a lesbian. There is a lot of sex in this book, both real and imagined, but it’s depicted in a manner that comes across as funny and honest rather than salacious. Cumyn’s novel, while simple on the surface, elevates the boy-meets-girl formula to become a touching, nuanced portrayal of a boy reaching tentatively into maturity.
