REVIEW: Swim the Fly by Don Calame

Guest review by Kulsuma

Swim the Fly by Don Calame was an amazing book. It was a funny, light-hearted book from the point of view of fifteen year old Matt. With the amount of dark, angst-ridden books out there,  Swim The Fly was thoroughly refreshing. It follows three friends Matt, Coop and Sean as they try to fulfil their summer goal- to see a real-live naked girl. Seeing as none of the guys have had a girlfriend yet, the task is seemingly impossible. On top of that, Matt aims to learn the difficult hundred yard butterfly. Many hysterical antics ensue.

I really liked Matt. He was funny, sometimes awkward and courageous when needed. I loved the way Don Calame portrayed his relationships with his friends and family. There were so many funny moments in the entire book; conversations between Matt, Coop and Sean, scenarios they get themselves into and the crazy ways they get themselves back out of trouble. I could visualise all their antics. It felt much more like a movie than a book. This felt like a slightly older version of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. 

The story moved quickly and there wasn’t a single boring moment. I was impressed because there weren’t any plot holes, no point at which I rolled my eyes at any of their numerous ideas to see a real-live naked girl (even the really crazy ideas like when they cross-dressed and snuck into a girl’s locker room). All the characters were memorable, especially Matt’s grandpa.

I felt like Matt grew throughout the book because he learnt about himself and understood others better, such as his brother and love interest. Overall, I would recommend Swim the Fly to those looking for a funny, light-hearted story about swimming, friendship and love.

Thank you Kulsuma!