YA Novel from the 70's with a sinking barstool
March 25, 2022 11:12 AM Subscribe
In the late 1970's I read a young adult novel. It made an impression on me, and I'd like to find it and reread it. Unfortunately, I don't remember much about it.
The main character was a teenage boy. There was something broken about his home life. His father had died, or his parents were recently divorced, or his mother had died. He was trying to figure out who he was.
Okay, that could describe a million YA novels. I do remember a couple more distinctive details. One is that there was a bar that had a trick barstool that could be made to sink, so that whoever was sitting on it would get progressively lower to the ground. Don't ask me why a teenager was hanging out in a bar. This was the 1970's. But it was a place he went, and it had that barstool.
The other is that there were some fireworks, not a professional display but he had some fireworks and at the end he set them off, and that was somehow symbolic of the catharsis that came at the end of the book and him figuring out who he was.
Does this ring a bell for anyone?
The main character was a teenage boy. There was something broken about his home life. His father had died, or his parents were recently divorced, or his mother had died. He was trying to figure out who he was.
Okay, that could describe a million YA novels. I do remember a couple more distinctive details. One is that there was a bar that had a trick barstool that could be made to sink, so that whoever was sitting on it would get progressively lower to the ground. Don't ask me why a teenager was hanging out in a bar. This was the 1970's. But it was a place he went, and it had that barstool.
The other is that there were some fireworks, not a professional display but he had some fireworks and at the end he set them off, and that was somehow symbolic of the catharsis that came at the end of the book and him figuring out who he was.
Does this ring a bell for anyone?
He sets off an American flag firework of his dads that he was saving.
Paul Zindel is a treasure.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 11:21 AM on March 25, 2022 [4 favorites]
Paul Zindel is a treasure.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 11:21 AM on March 25, 2022 [4 favorites]
Response by poster: That must be it. Requesting it from the local library now. Thank you!
posted by Winnie the Proust at 11:23 AM on March 25, 2022
posted by Winnie the Proust at 11:23 AM on March 25, 2022
The sinking bar stool was the key clue.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 11:32 AM on March 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by St. Peepsburg at 11:32 AM on March 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
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posted by St. Peepsburg at 11:20 AM on March 25, 2022