Speech Team

Really enjoyed this riff on late blooming coming of age with the caveat that the last 1/3 was a bit dippy for me. Still totally worth a read

TW: death by suicide, drug/alcohol abuse, homophobia, sexual misconduct, racism

For a book with all of the above triggering themes, Speech Team is surprisingly dull and slow. Four former high school classmates from the Boston area travel to Florida to confront Gary Gold, their former Speech Team coach. The impetus is learning that a fifth classmate died by suicide and called out Gold in his goodbye note for labeling him a “fucking drone robot.” Our narrator, Tip Murray (=Tim Murphy?), still remembers the hurtful homophobic slurs that Gold hurled at him. When Tip learns that the other members of the Speech Team had equally upsetting encounters with Gold, the shared desire for justice sends them on their journey.

Most of the book is spent on Tip's recollections of daily high school harassment from bullying classmates, his descent into alcohol and cocaine abuse, and his recent, tenuous sobriety with a caring, supportive partner. Problem is, it's nothing we haven't read before by better authors than Murphy. Tip's interactions with his fellow team members before they decide to make the pilgrimage are mundane and mostly demonstrate his self-centeredness. The big climactic showdown ends with a whimper, not a bang, although the outcome is unexpected.

The final nail in the coffin for me was the fact that, despite their classmate's suicide, the teammates barely mention him or try to learn more about his life, loved ones left behind, etc. They all agree it's very tragic, but then quickly turn back to their own pain. It felt cheap to use the suicide as a motivating force but then basically forget about it.

Life was different in 1987 when Tip and the others were in high school. YMMV if you want a trip down memory lane to the time before cell phones and internet. Just be forewarned that nobody thought twice about being homophobic, and microaggressions towards POCs (e.g., “I want you to know, I don't think of you as Black”) were often considered compliments.

ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for review.