8.2 /10 1 Votes
Language English Media type Print (Hardcover, MMP) ISBN 0-590-40694-9 | 4.1/5 Goodreads Publication date August 1987 Pages 257 pp Originally published August 1987 Publisher Scholastic Corporation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A Semester in the Life of a Garbage Bag is a novel by Gordon Korman, a Canadian-born author who now lives in New York City.
Contents
The main characters are Raymond Jardine and Sean Delancy. Sean is a popular student, a starter on the high school basketball team. Raymond Jardine is the man with no luck and therefore is constantly scheming to get to the Greek Island Theamelpos that he calls "the luck place", in order to cure his absence of luck.
Plot
The plot of the novel revolves around Jardine bringing Sean Delancey, his English poetry project partner, into various schemes to ensure their arrival at Theamelpos for the summer. Along the way they encounter Ashley, a beautiful model who becomes the third member of their poetry project, and Cementhead (Steve Semenski), the luckiest student in the school. Sean and Raymond eventually ask Sean's grandfather to impersonate an 88-year-old deceased Canadian poet, Gavin Gunhold, in order to bolster their poetry project for English class.
A subplot revolves around SACGEN (Solar Air Current GENerator), a government project that is supposed to power the school, using only wind power and solar energy. The school's central core was gutted to house the control room and the storage batteries. Since the project works poorly or not at all, causing frequent blackouts, the students refer to it as "The Windmill."
Reception
A review in Canadian Family said the book was "a classic tale of teenage scheming" which "will keep readers laughing and engaged throughout". Tanya Boudreau of CM Magazine gave the book 3 out of 4 stars, opining that "Raymond and Sean are likeable, well-rounded characters who have memorable personalities and quirks".