"Pipeliner" is mostly a light, fun book. At 167 pages, it's a fast read. At some parts, I felt transported to Idaho, sitting by a campfire in the mountains or dancing while the band rocked out. However, the whole book I waited for the plot twist, the big "shebang". In the terms of an English classroom, I didn't see the climax of the novel. I enjoyed reading about Jason's adventures, but I wish there was more depth to the plot.
The book had a slew of supporting characters. This included Robert, Jason's nerdy brother who is on the front-line of computer research in the 90's, and Betsy, who Jason is enraptured by at first glance. Throughout the book, their relationship is redefined and changed. Curtis, Jason's dad, is fighting depression. Leah, Jason's mom, wonders what happened to her little boy. Isabelle, Allen, Ron, Doug, all Jason's friends.
I feel that the group that would most enjoy this book would be teenage boys, the same as its main character. The author described the book as including many strong female characters. While there were several female characters, they all revolved around Jason. Betsy, Jason's girlfriend. Leah, Jason's mom. Isabelle, Jason's friend. As a female, I felt it was pretty tiring to hear the constant sexism from the men in the book. I disagree with the notion that the "coming-to-age" of teenage boys has to include sexism. That's a pretty low bar to set.
Aside from that, I did enjoy the novel. It was fun to read and light-hearted. I'd like to thank Mr. Hartje for providing a copy.
Keep reading!
Colleen