Suburbia by Eric Bogosian

Bogosian, Eric. Suburbia. Theater Communications Group, 1995. ISBN 1-55936-101-8

Plot

Jeff, Sooze, Tim, Buff, and Bee-Bee are all high school friends who live in suburbia and hangout in front of a convenient story on most nights. They are bored suburbans out of highschool who are almost entering there 20s. Jeff talk talks about going back to college some day while he lives in a tent in his parents' garage. His girlfriend Sooze imagines herself as a performance artist in New York. Tim was kicked out of the Air Force and most of his time getting drunk. Buff loves pizza and is a little bit crazy. Bee-Bee, Sooze's best friend, is recently out of rehab but it having a hard time staying clean. These are group of friends are hanging out in front of the liquor store waiting for there old friend Pony. Pony is the only one who has made it out of the suburbs. He has become a big ‘rock star’ who is going to perform at the local arena and is the only one who is doing something besides hanging around in parking lots. His return causes the others to think about there lives and future.

Critical evaluation
Suburbia captures life after high school, the limbo between teen and twenties, and suburban life. The main character Jeff wants to go to college but it to afraid to do so because he thinks that he is not good enough. His fear causes him to be comfortable in the situation that he is in but when Pony returns he realizes that there has to be something more out there and realizes he has to go out there and get it. He no longer wants to stay in suburbia and drink in parking lots. The other characters are also in the same situation or either does not want to aspire to do anything. They do not want to grow up and would rather stay where they know best. Life after high school is one of the hardest transitions and Bogosian portrays that very well.

Readers Annotations

Out of high school, living in suburbia, there is nothing to do except hang out in a parking lot. Pony, there old high school friend is in a band that is playing at the local hockey arena which causes them to re-evaluate there lives.

Information About the Author

The character Jeff is drawn from Bogosians own post teenage life.

Genre

Young adult/suburban life

Curriculum Ties

Drama

Booktalking Ideas

1) Jeff first person narrative

Reading Level/Interest Age
Gr. 9-12

Why Book Included
I thought the idea of post-high school was interesting since most of the novels deal with life in high school or the summer right after graduation.