The Crew By Michael Mohr – A Must Read Coming of Age story

The Crew is a coming-of-age novel by Michael Mohr, published in 2024. The novel encompasses Jack Donnigan’s journey from a nerd into a member of an anarchy seeking punk cult called The Crew. Jack who will soon be christened as “Dog” by the crew leader, is set for the most rollercoaster period of his life, with excitement, love, sex, betrayal, manipulations and more.

Spoiler free plot

The story kicks off with Jack’s introduction and initiation to the crew. Jack believes this was a step away from the rigid structure of the system, St. Andy’s and his mother have forced on him. He was already growing fast in the crew as a force to reckon with, forcing his way on stage and performing with rock bands, and most of all, he had developed feelings for Sarah, a self-acclaimed feminist whom Cannonball (the crew leader) harbored an interest in.

Jack senses a scuffle for power between him and Cannonball, whose rigidity has previously struck Jack as contradictory to the core of the punk crew essence; since he tended to instill authority and rules which could be likened to what the system, his mum, and St. Andy’s did. Perhaps, there is a need for the existence of a structure. He recalled the voice of Mr. Bry; the English teacher who understood him, The Crew and the life the punk sort after “but as you know dog, there are reasons for structure. For rules for parents, even”

Jack soon finds himself in the worst state of his life as he is pitched against, Cannonball, Sarah The Crew, St. Andy’s, and his parents who have tried to persuade him to leave the nuisance causing crew.

Jack might have just been riding on false feelings of friendship from a manipulative Cannonball or worse, his newfound love with Sarah might all be a hoax. Was he just a victim, did he just lose everything in such a short time?

My take on The Crew

The Crew is an event packed story with no dull moments. The narration style is chronological and simplistic. The story uses a first-person narrative technique. The story is beautifully told in a way that an average reader will enjoy as it uses simple diction and simple sentences.

I find the theme very essential. The story is didactic, packed with lessons that a teenager will find helpful. The writer does this by narrating the journey of Jack’s self-discovery in a way that we all can relate to. It puts the reader in a position of helpless hopefulness; the feeling of wanting to see Jack overcome and rediscover himself, a feeling of wishfulness, despite knowing fully well that he is unable to interfere with the plot.

The writer ensures to extend the relevance of the narration beyond the level of fiction by including real life concepts and philosophy like “life replaced theory”, the defect in the system and existing structure, the life of great literary artists, and the concept of maturation. Mr. Bry stands as an all-rounded character who had experienced punk life in his youthful days and still housed the philosophies. But unlike The Crew, he has matured into a fully developed adult with encompassing knowledge. His character stands as a middleman or a compromise. Perhaps, this is what the writer recommends for his readers who might be in a similar position with the protagonist. The writer does not seem to be against the protagonist’s ideology. In fact, the protagonist does not reflect and regrets his choices.

The narration is exciting with unexpected plot twists. The reader as well as Jack are both left in the dark for many parts of the narrative. The writer does not resolve all the conflicts in the narration, leaving the reader with unanswered questions.

Michael Mohr ensures to retain the reader’s attention even beyond the very pages of the novel, by ending the narration with a scene of Jack driving to nowhere in particular. He leaves the reader in a feeling of pain and lunging, hoping that the protagonist leads a good life afterward.

I highly recommend this book for teens and parents alike.

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