Set in the late '80s and early '90s, In the Middle by Zelmer Wilson chronicles the teenage years of Miller, a bright but troubled kid living in Arizona with his father, an Army veteran and his stepmother, Alma, a woman he's secretly attracted to.

A quiet, pimply-faced seventh grader with a troubled past (he's spent time in a juvenile hall) Miller has a difficult time making friends until the next year when he meets Ray and Eli. During the next couple of years, Miller's relationship with his father grows more strained as he tries to keep his attraction for his stepmother carefully hidden. It isn't until he goes back South to visit her mother that he realizes that he wants to become a writer. Even though his attraction to his stepmother seems to be the main premise, it actually doesn't feature that prominently, more of an undercurrent as he encounters different girls. In fact it seems that it is mostly his relationships with the various girls in his life that provide the catalyst for his growth and change.

When I first read the blurb for In the Middle the premise sounded interesting and it wound up being a fairly easy read that did not disappoint. Since it's literary fiction, it has an almost memoir feel to it (White Teeth by Zadie Smith quickly comes to mind) and I couldn't help but wonder how similar Miller was to the author, Mr. Wilson. Of course that merely points to good writing and how realistically Miller was portrayed.

Meet Miller Hoffman. Growing up in the '80s in Phoenix, Arizona should be hot. Instead, it’s just boring. Until Miller’s parents get a divorce and his world is shaken up as he decides to move in with his dad and the woman that his dad was cheating on his mom with, Alma. Miller is smart, but he struggles to deal with his new life. His dad is very strict, and keeps his thumb right on top of Miller. But Miller also has a secret; he’s starting to have feelings for Alma…and not the mother and son kind of feelings you would expect. In the Middle is an interesting and realistic story about a kid struggling to grow up in a new and confusing world for him.

The writing style was very personal and reads like a memory from your own childhood, if you happened to have been sexually attracted to someone who was way out of your reach. It is very easy to slip into the minds of the characters and really become involved in the story. What I liked the most about the story was that it was very realistic. Even though it is kind of creepy, kids do sometimes have crushes on their step-parents, or heaven forbid their real parents. It’s something that happens when they need a figure to look up to and before they have found other objects of affection at school or around the playground. So while it may seem a little odd that Miller had a crush on his step-mom Alma, it wasn’t all that odd in reality.

I thought that In the Middle was a thoughtful piece that allowed Zelma Wilson to explore a taboo, but normal, subject that is common in our world. Zelmer Wilson does a great job of exploring teen angst and the classic coming-of-age motif.

The book was an easy read. I was interested in how it showed male puberty. It could have been a little more detailed in certain areas, but for a first time book, "In the Middle" was not bad.