REVIEW: The Sidekicks by Will Kostakis

Title: The Sidekicks
Author: Will Kostakis
Publication Date: February 29th, 2016
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The Swimmer. The Rebel. The Nerd.

All Ryan, Harley and Miles had in common was Isaac. They lived different lives, had different interests and kept different secrets. But they shared the same best friend. They were sidekicks. And now that Isaac's gone, what does that make them?

Review

Rather than being a story of each boys lives after the death of their best friend, The Sidekick was a subtle way to explore the depths of friendship, acceptance and grief all in a very short time frame. This contemporary didn't pack a punch, which at first I was slightly disappointed about, but it's more of a slow burning and memorable read that even now I am still mulling over.

I liked that it depicted the bonds of friendship and how it can extend to those who seem so different but underneath all their veneer is still human and share the same emotions as ourselves. There were some really touching moments that I can still remember despite finishing this about two weeks ago. I liked that the different aspects of grief was depicted, and that there is nothing wrong if your own way of coping with loss is not deemed as "normal". I liked that the characters preconceived notions of each other were challenged until they realised that they never really gave each other a chance because they were consumed with their own worlds.

All three characters - Ryan, Harley and Miles - were written with some depth and because their narrative is from their perspective it was interesting to be in their heads and understand how they felt. However, it did become a little disjointed as I jumped from one person to another and I kept wondering what the other character was thinking while being with another. The character I found hardest to connect with was Miles and I think that came down to how his section was written. It was almost script like, which made me feel like I was just a viewer peering into his life and I just felt disconnected. I definitely found Harley to be the most real and personal, and maybe that's because I think Harley and I would've been great friends is he was real (haha).

The Sidekicks is relatable, touching and carries importance about friendship. It works towards delivering a message and I think on this point Kostakis has succeeded in doing that with his writing. It's a short read and worth discovering because I feel like this one will give everyone a different experience.