Wow, I am so sorry this title sat on my "to read" list for so long. But what a treat to experience it at last. This coming-of-age-in-the-1960s story is funny, evocative, has the most memorable characters, and is hands down one of the most well-written YAs I've read. Nothing extraneous here; every word, every scene counts.

In the summer of 1965, the world is on the verge of change and so is
16-year-old Paul Sutton, a farm boy and fundamentalist Christian. His
mother encourages him to get a summer job in town and "meet the public" although his father disagrees; Paul is needed on the farm. Paul gets a job at the Shell gas station and there meets more different kinds of "the public" than he ever knew before: Kirk, his co-worker who has affairs with various women in town; Harry Blomenfeld, a former Chicago gangster; a hippie family in a broken down van; high school hotties Dale and Peggy; and assorted tourists and pretty girls. Funny novel; characters pop off the pages; fluid descriptive prose that just absorbed me.
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Personal response:

Coming-of-age story with main character, Paul, getting a summer job "in town" as a break from working the family farm. He learns a lot about the "outside world" including dishonest employees, town resentments about war protestors, cheating couples, smoking, drinking, and sex (almost); some of this as a result of having a hippie family camping at the farm. After attending an annual religous camp with his family, he resists "going forward" in his religion, but sees how he has become too much "of the world" and is determined to correct his wrongs. The book ends with Paul and his mother re-establishing their close bond.

Cirriculum/programming connections:

In unit/display of books about rural America, religion, first jobs for young adults.

I am not ordinarily a boy coming of age story kind of person, and especially when they are combined with historical fiction, then usually I will go running. But this book was unusually poignant and well-written – I really liked it. This is a different sort of book for Will Weaver – his books are usually sports and cars oriented. This book is about Paul Sutton, who is turning 16 in 1960’s Minnesota. His family belongs to an unnamed religious group, and he has been labeled that way his whole life. This summer his mother decides that he should go work in their small town, and he gets a job pumping gas at the local gas station. This brings him into contact with “the public” – an amazing group of characters of all ages who are distinct and interesting. The book talks about faith, religion and all of the things going on in the mid-60’s, including the draft for Vietnam. Paul discovers love, loyalty, friendship and respect throughout the long summer, but the book is so well-written, it seems like just one week. There are many dramatic moments in this book, such as the moment when Paul could potentially accept his faith. There are a family of hippies that live on Paul’s farm that summer which really stand out – a good story for sure. ( )

Teen and twenty-something gas station attendants learn about life and adulthood in their small town.

I kind of liked this book because it was in the olden days during the time of the Vietnam war. I also liked the fact that they told him that there was such thing as a Mr. Shell and then they told him there wasn't no such thing, but at the end he shoes up. Except the fact he didn't know that it was him, the he got a letter from Mr. Shell. My favorite characters were the hippies because i think they're funny, because of their names. Also because the way they talk, but especially because the hippie van with the big O' Peace sign. ( )