Mr Mascellani's Musings

Summer of the Cicada is Will Napier's first novel. It is a well-written dark,gritty Southern Gothic tale narrated by 13 year old, Joseph Pullman,an only child who lives with his dysfunctional parents. His dad is a brutish thug who beats him up, savagely, on a regular basis and his mum is a schizophrenic.

Joseph and his parents have moved to Maritime,Massachusetts during the summer of 1987, a time when the cicadas are emerging from seventeen year spent underground.

Joseph is not having good time of it. As mentioned before, his father gives him a brutalthrashing everyday. His mother tells people such as those atthe hospital
that it was older boys who beat up Joseph.

Not only is Joseph being tormented at home. He is bullied at school and is given grief by teachers and counselors. He befriends an awkward loner, Dean Gillespie, a boyfrom a loving family, with issues of his own.

Joseph’s mother schizophrenia gets worse and she is sent away. Mr. Pullman snaps and
spends his time in the basement with his whisky. The strange noises that come from the basement scare Joseph.

Dean and he start to spend more and more time in the local woods, goading each other to increasingly anti-social behaviour. Finally, the townsfolk have to face to the secrets ofthe Pullman place.