Joyland

by Emily Schultz, Nate Powell (Illustrator)

“Like a Reagan-era Ice Storm, Emily Schultz’s novel Joyland captures the confusion of adolescent sexuality in a tangle of pixelated icons via the video-game generation. Set in the summer of 1984, this book will have you thinking twice about the video-game generation and the power of pining and Pac-Man.” – Flare BackLit bonus material includes an alternate ending and an author interview.

Genres: Fiction, Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Canadian Literature, Canada, Audiobook

289 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2006

About the author

Emily Schultz is the co-founder of Joyland Magazine. Her newest novel, Little Threats, is forthcoming from GP Putnam's Sons for November 2020. Her novel, The Blondes, released in the U.S. with St. Martin’s Press and Picador, in France with Editions Asphalte, and in Canada with Doubleday. It was named a Best Book of 2015 by NPR and Kirkus. The Blondes was produced as a scripted podcast starring Madeline Zima, which has also been translated into French.

Schultz's writing has appeared in Elle, Slate, Evergreen Review, Vice, Today's Parent, Hazlitt, Minola Review, Black Warrior Review, and Prairie Schooner. She lives in Brooklyn where she is a producer with the indie media company Heroic Collective.

Reviews

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joyland is a standalone debut novel written by Canadian author Emily Schultz and illustrated by Nate Powell. It centers on two siblings Tammy and Chris Lane in the small town of South Wakefield, when their last source of entertainment – a video arcade named Joyland is closing and the troubles they go through during that particular Summer of '84.

This book serves as an entry (Two books with the same/very similar titles) in the Toronto Public Library Advanced Reading Challenge 2019. The other book is of the same title, but written by Stephan King.

Tammy Lane, a precocious 11-year-old, spends much of her time spying on her adored 14-year-old brother, Chris, and occasionally on her neighbors, while up a nearby tree. She has also been known to lurk, stalk and eavesdrop. Summer is almost here but the news that the town's only video arcade, Joyland, is about to close, has cast a pall over the town's youth, as there is literally nothing left to do in the small town of South Wakefield.

Frightened at the potentially endless emptiness and ennui ahead of them, Chris Lane and his friends stagger into their holidays. South Wakefield offers few other distractions: a parade, the possibility of a dreary job, swimming, a few boring sports, the odd party, but there is little else to do, but get into trouble, like drinking, try to score drugs, and smoke. Eventually, Chris does what any 14-year-old youth does whenever he runs out of things to do: he lusts. The object of his carnal obsession is Laurel Richards, a streetwise video queen.

Joyland is written rather well. Each chapter is named after a video game: Galaga, Frogger, Venture, Defender, Pac-Man and then is further divided into player 1 and 2, the two voices of Tammy and Chris Lane. Tammy Lane's quieter, slower, more reflective and all encompassing and Chris Lane's driven, intense, narrow and fast-paced.

All in all, Joyland is a wonderfully coming of age stories of two siblings in a small town in the eighties when their last source of entertainment is closing.

[Annett · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is quite possibly a case of having grown up in a very different world from the characters in the novel and being unable to relate to the story emotionally. I didn't feell that wave of nostalgia hitting me in the heart, and so I must conclude that we're just not a good match, this book and me.

[Sean Kottke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This double coming of age story gets the touchstones of early adolescence in the brave new digital culture of 1984 pitch perfect. Set in southern Ontario, it could just as easily have been the north central Indiana or middle Michigan of my youth, so recognizably the setting is developed. The story wasn't as compelling for me, feeling more like a slice of life trajectory within a particular time and place. The titular Joyland makes a major change from arcade to video store that marked an astonishing shift in amusement from my own life that I had never contemplated before. That's something I would like to have explored more.

[Ian Carpenter · Rating 2 out of 5]

This caught me at a super impatient time and the pace of the book just didn't jibe with me. The writing's good, the characters deep and pleasing, but I found myself dying for it to get to something meaningful for me. The book circled it's final destination and built to it too slowly for me. But as it got closer, it got better and the final moments are excellent (though I still wonder if it would make a much better short story). A mixed experience for me despite all the cultural touchstones I shared with the writer and one of their videogame obsessed characters.

[Liza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read. Subtly done coming of age story that somehow reminded me of To Kill a Mockingbird in it's ability to show insights into adolescence. Great tie-ins thematically and imaginatively with early 80s arcade and video games (Atari!). Powell's illustrations are stark, essentialized glimpses into the world of the characters.

[Hans · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not what I expected. Stephen King`s book of the same name was lots better.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emily Schultz's clever and engaging coming-of-age story certainly is brilliant in many ways despite some flaws.

I found the video game format really interesting but the continual shift in point of view between Tammy and Chris to be a bit disorienting. I also found it easier to identify with Tammy although really, I feel that Chris is the main character.

Still, I would always prefer to read a flawed book by a writer who is willing to take risks than a work by a writer who smoothly follows a formula. Emily Schultz never does the latter and I have enjoyed all of the books that I have read by her so far.

[D.J. Sylvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting fiction, with video-game and pop culture references so eerily picture-perfect that I wonder if she doesn't have a time machine ... but for all that, I was disappointed in the way the book resolves itself, and I'm left a little less impressed by her storytelling skills than her picture-perfect research skills / memory.

Still, I wouldn't give it four stars if it wasn't worth checking out.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in southern Ontario in the 80s, on the day the local arcade closed down, Joyland spoke to me. The chapters are named after arcade games and the sections alternating the POV between a brother and sister are labeled Player I and Player II. It was downright strange reading paragraphs describing the gameplay of Galaga, or the different levels of the Atari 2600 Combat.

But as well as the nostalgia there was also a story of summer transformations, and the shifting landscape of teenaged life.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although not quite as good as I had hoped it would be, I was still mostly satisfied with my first Emily Schultz book. The concept was brilliant, the imagery was beautiful, and the characters were excellent, but I wasn't completely content with how things wrapped up (although I should note that I think the epilogue was perfectly done). Still, I'm very much looking forward to reading more of Schultz's work, especially Heaven is Small.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an adolescent child growing up in a small Ontario town enjoying arcades, how could I not like this book? Schultz nails down the 80's pop-culture to a T. The chapters reference a whole slew of popular arcade games in the early 80's - video games I really enjoyed myself.

If you didn't play these video games, you may feel lost in some of the imagery. Thankfully, they connected well with me.

[Jayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story brought tears to my eyes at the end. This novel of Kings reminded more of the early Alice Hoffman stories with a cast of unique and distinct characters that I found endearing and authentic amid the mysterious and spiritual themes.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was on Steven King's must read list, but it didn't really hold my interest. Maybe it was well-written. Maybe I just don't like reading about kids who are wasting their lives. Maybe I don't like the seminal event happening in the second-to-last chapter.

[J.R. Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read…took me back to when I was a kid. If you're from detroit (maybe Windsor but drive into Detroit) you might see the error. But you'll get over it pretty quick.

[Gareth Stevens · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dull