Customer Reviews

Fruit: A novel about a boy and his nipples

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Peter Paddington, at over two hundred pounds, is constantly bullied and picked on by his classmates as well as his two older sisters. In spite of his weight, I am sure every pre-adolescent can identify with Peter, the 13-year-old protagonist in Fruit: A Novel About a Boy and His Nipples by Brian Francis. I had forgotten some episodes in my life at that age yet Francis took me back to a very insecure time in junior high school. Perhaps one episode not common to many--or any--is that Peter's nipples talk to him. They have voices that only Peter can hear. His nipples argue with him and represent his inner voice or his suppressed truth. In order to silence them, as well as to keep them in place since his chest does have a habit of bouncing out of control, he binds them with tape. Peter starts with transparent tape, making starlike pasties for each nipple. Then he moves on to masking tape which he wraps around his entire body, binding them in place. After repeated trips to the local store to buy more and more masking tape make him paranoid what the salesman will think of him, Peter tries a wide elastic bandage, which ensheathes his cherry-sized nipples. He spends the entire duration of the novel struggling with his loquacious nipples, never knowing when they will have another physical or verbal outburst.

Fruit, a finalist in the 2009 CBC "Canada Reads" competition, is one of the fastest books I have ever read. Francis writes dialogue so realistic that I could hear it being spoken. I am a tragically slow reader, not turning a page until I have grasped everything that the writer intended--and then nine times out of ten flipping back to reread pages after the writer explains more later on. It's a wonder I ever finish a book at all. With Fruit, I turned page after page as if the novel were a child's flipbook.

Francis captures what it's like to be a gay pre-adolescent, when you haven't even come out to yourself yet. While there is an overbearing sense of loneliness in Fruit, as Peter has not one male friend (the term used here is the ambiguous "boy friend") to his name, Francis keeps the atmosphere light and joyful, as Peter certainly isn't living a life of suicidal depression. He loves his paper route and a certain Mr. Hanlan, whom he has a crush on. Peter loves to dance and lip-synch, and he hangs out with gutter-mouthed Daniela, who curses like a sailor and is the nearest thing to a best friend. Peter develops another crush on the most beautiful boy in his class, and dreams of going out to the movies with him and calling him up for a chat. His attempts at becoming close to this blond Adonis will strike a chord with anyone who felt he or she was the loneliest person in school. The idea of being gay never enters Peter's mind, yet it is his nipples that reveal the news to him without ever uttering the G-word.

The pain and sadness of being an outcast in school will resonate with all readers yet Fruit won't make you cringe like flipping through your junior high school yearbook would. Take a trip back to grade eight and have a laugh about it all (as I certainly did) and then see how much of yourself is still there.

Sarnia, Ontario born author Brian Francis gives readers a lot to like in his thirteen year old protagonist Peter Paddington. Like all kids, Peter struggles with his emerging sexuality in the early teen years and his commentary on the angst of puberty made me smile and chuckle several times. Peter really wants to be accepted by the other grade eight kids in his class, and his story frequently digresses into his own imagined popularity. The day to day life of a thirteen year is captured with humour and sensitivity in this book, from Peter's menopausal and overprotective mom to his crabby older sisters; the school cliques he must contend with, his questions about God and faith, his first crush, and the neverending rolls of duct tape (read the novel to find out what the duct tape is all about!). Anyone who grew up in the 80s will fondly identify with the pop culture references to that era that the author effectively infuses into the setting. I really liked this novel with its distinctive teen narrative voice. I hope that the author does a sequel to this novel that follows Peter Paddington throughout his high school years! [Amy MacDougall]

A very good read which came to my attention when it was in contention in the 2009 Canada Reads contest on CBC Radio. It won 2nd place in the contest.

This is another coming-of-age book but it takes place in Sarnia, Ontario. It's Canadian without coming out and smacking you over the head with references to Timbits and Hockey Night in Canada, which is nice.

It's not even typically Canadian. The characters and themes are universal. Peter Paddington is a 13 year old fat kid who is sexually confused, has a crush on a man who he delivers newspapers to and has nipples who speak to him.

The idea of his nipples talking to him is a bit odd but it does work without being an over-used clever plot device. The characters are fun. The writing is sharp as well. Is the word gay used once in context?

The setting of the 80s is fun as well. Bi-way is mentioned as well as parachute pants.

Yes, it's very funny at times. I don't laugh much at books but this one made me laugh. The coming of age story can be told a million times and be told a million different ways. This is a nice GLBT take on it. Very cool.

I really enjoyed this book as it reminded me strongly of my childhood. Growing up gay in small town Ontario, our hero deals with body issues, trying to stay cool, having unusual friends, and occasionally talking nipples.
I was worried about the talking nipple thing as it seemed odd, but it doesn't come up that often and definitely didn't detract from the overall story, though I don't know how much it added.
I couldn't put this book down; you'll breeze through it, a worthy predecessor to the author's more mature and superior next book, Natural Order.

Fruit, by Brian Francis, is a novel with many great qualities, but these are not enough to hold the book any higher than a light, vacation read.

Francis' observations are dead on and his understanding of the teenage mind, when combined with these observations, elicits chills. The down side is that it reads like a Catcher in the Rye for Dummies book. Its style follows many average young adult novels and the reader isn't presented with enough depth anywhere to challenge them.

That being said, the book is worth reading. Take it on vacation and relax by the pool or on the beach and enjoy.

Fruit is a funny, definitively Canadian novel with distinct, understandable characters, despite their limited time on the pages.