Hail Caesar

Publishers Weekly

The setting for Ha's first novel, which she penned at 15, is a wealthy suburb filled with bored rich kids whose idea of a good time is to party hard and sleep around. Life has been easy for John Miller until now. At 17, his life is a mess; he's about to graduate from high school with no plans for his future, and his 13-year-old sister is getting out-of-control. John acquired the nickname of Caesar for his ability to conquer women, a reputation in which he takes pride. Then a new girl enters Caesar's life, Eva, who seems immune to Caesar's charms. Caesar feels himself sliding into a situation he doesn't know how to handle—both being attracted to and desiring one girl. Eva makes Caesar confront his shallowness and encourages him to express himself, something he's never done. Caesar's first-person narrative contrasts his cool exterior with his inner desperation to find a more meaningful life. Ha presents Eva as John's savior, but, unfortunately, she comes across as shallow and lost as he is. The secondary characters never fully come to life, and at times the dialogue seems to drag. (Eva asks Caesar, "So tell me,... doesn't religion ever come up with your friends?" to which he replies, "For fuck's sake,... we don't exactly sit around and ponder the meaning of life.") Readers may grow weary waiting for Caesar to become a deeper person. Ages 12-up. (Feb.)

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Children's Literature - Paula McMillen

This first novel from Thu-Huong Ha, published as a result of winning the publisher's writing contest when she was fourteen, is about people her own age so one can easily believe she knows whereof she speaks. It is a disturbing picture of high school life in the suburbs where adults are absent or ineffectual, and the teenagers are rich and largely irresponsible. Senior John Miller is known by friends, fellow students, and teachers as Caesar, a nod to his elevated social status and seemingly unlimited power over males (physical) and females (sexual). He appears to have no ambitions beyond playing basketball, drinking, driving his car, and having sex with whichever female attracts his attention. The arrival of Eva, a new student at the school who tauntingly asks if his name refers to the famous salad, starts a chain reaction that eventually unseats Caesar from his metaphorical throne. Initially portrayed as the stereotypic jock, Caesar's lack of self-knowledge or genuine interest in others threatens to make him so tedious in the first half of the book that some readers might be dissuaded from finishing. One wonders if this is intentional—showing just how boring such rampant shallowness can be. Caesar's protectiveness toward his younger sisters, and his fondness for spending time alone on an isolated dock at the lake suggest greater complexity of character. In spite of some occasional missteps, creative presentation of internal and external dialog as well as some truly compelling imagery will frequently intrigue and delight the reader who persists. Considerable caution should be exercised in recommending this book; profanity is liberally used and there is abundant description ofdrinking, drug use, and sexual behavior that could offend the values and sensibilities of readers and parents.

VOYA - Matthew Weaver

It is difficult to determine the more appropriate readers for Ha's stunning debut novel-young men or young women. The tale introduces high school big-man-on-campus John "Caesar" Miller, able to seduce just about any female and discard her without even bothering to catch her name. Caesar is on the prowl when he meets new-girl-in-town Eva, who is not swept up by his sex appeal. This lack of enchantment renders Caesar stunned, questioning his own machismo and incapable of getting her out of his head. The trouble is, Eva is already involved, which puts Caesar in the odd position of actually getting to know her better-and of course, he will learn something about himself in the end. A first-year student at Princeton, Ha began writing the book when she was fifteen. It won the PUSH Novel Contest, and she finished when she was seventeen as a PUSH Writing Intern. It is tempting to either declare Ha a wunderkind or enviously poke holes in her plot, when the reality is that she simply has written an excellent book. It is not a romantic tale about Eva's love changing Caesar's life. Through her friendship, Caesar begins to see the impact that his life has upon his loved ones, but Ha avoids the predictable routes and does not bring everything to an easy finish. If anything, Caesar's life at the ending is more complicated than at the beginning, but it carries a message that every teen reader should probably hear.

School Library Journal

Gr 10 & Up - John Miller, aka Caesar, seems to have it all. He is the star senior basketball player who has money, looks, and an amazing way with the ladies. He coasts through the school day, enjoys basketball practice, but lives for the nights, when he hooks up with his female friends and parties. All this changes when Eva moves to town. Unlike the other girls, she is not swept away by his dazzling smile. She even questions his name while laughing, "Are you some kind of salad?" Of course he can't stop thinking about her. When he retreats to his hideout by the lake, he meets Eva there. They begin to talk, and for the first time Caesar lets his guard down and truly begins to express himself. He discovers that he cares for someone other than himself and enjoys just being with her. She makes him think about his life, his relationships, his beliefs, and his goals and dreams. Suddenly he recognizes that he has no plans once he graduates, and that for all his popularity he is truly alone. The ending seems a bit rushed, and readers can only assume that John will change because of his relationship with Eva and (less realistically) a conversation with his 13-year-old sister. The novel has strong, explicit language and constant sexual references. The first-time author holds nothing back and tells it like it is. She confronts issues like drinking, sex, betrayal, friendship, and love, causing readers to think about themselves and the type of person they want to become.-Donna Rosenblum, Nassau Boces School Library System, NY

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