Welcome to the Arcade

by Michael F. DeConzo

Living in South Beach, Staten Island, the "forgotten borough" of New York City, best friends Johnny Romano, Ralphie Molinaro and Giulia Stringer struggle to understand a world that doesn't make a whole lot of sense to them. They're searching for answers to questions that seem impossible to figure why are their parents so crazy? How do they live with the hole left in their hearts when someone dies? Why is the gravitational pull of their neighborhood, a beach town next to the Verrazano Bridge that still hasn't shaken off its past, so powerful? What peculiar shapes can love take? And why has a rundown arcade two blocks from the beach become the center of their universe? But the people they meet--from Joey C., the local mob enforcer, to Luke, a transfer student at Tompkins High School, to Dinino, the mysterious owner of the arcade-all have their own secrets to hide. Covering a decade of their lives, from ten to twenty years of age, WELCOME TO THE ARCADE follows Johnny, Ralphie and Giulia as they move through the kaleidoscope of childhood to the insanity of young adulthood, always keeping one burning question in their How do we figure out the greatest mystery of them all-growing up?

338 pages, Hardcover

Published May 8, 2023

Reviews

[Su · Rating 4 out of 5]

In high school and college, I used to read broadly across several genres. Years later, I’ve narrowed them down to two or three. I mostly read “soft” books nowadays for reasons of staying in my comfort zone as I age. This book was outside my genre, but it was a great read.

Readers are always attracted to heartfelt writing that reflects who the author is. This book is written in direct narrative without excessive embellishments but plenty of stylistic richness. People and events are truly well described and analyzed in a way that leave no doubt about how the author feels as he pens his thoughts.

The descriptions of Staten Island are truly striking. They conjure up vivid images in the reader’s mind as one turns the pages. Wonderful and subtle metaphors are woven through the narrative and the dialogue is crisp, natural.

I think the author has done an excellent job in bringing a rich, poignant, and deeply personal story to the readers. One of my favorite parts of the story is in the beginning - how Joey C. brings a bully down.

Reading the book felt like the author was telling the story while sitting around the fireside and reminiscing his childhood fanning into adulthood - the description of a very personal journey. The characters are three dimensional and authentic and really help to drive the plot.

The language was stronger in places than I usually read nowadays - a matter of personal choice entirely. Also, I struggle with first-person narratives as a reader but I got used to it once the story got rolling and didn’t get distracted by it anymore.

A very well-written and interesting book filled with deep insights and life lessons. Well worth the read. 4.5 stars

[Mandy Lehti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to the Arcade is a vibrant, nostalgic, and emotionally charged coming of age journey that perfectly captures the messy, magical, and often painful transition from childhood into young adulthood. Michael F. DeConzo delivers a kaleidoscope of moments funny, raw, dangerous, tender woven through the eyes of three unforgettable kids navigating the “forgotten borough” of Staten Island.

Johnny, Ralphie, and Giulia feel startlingly real, each carrying their own quiet heartbreaks and loud confusions as they try to understand parents who don’t make sense, neighborhoods that refuse to let them go, and grief that ages them long before they’re grown. The arcade at the center of their world becomes more than a hangout it becomes a sanctuary, a mystery, a rite of passage, and a symbol of everything they can’t quite name yet.

The atmosphere is rich with New York grit and seaside nostalgia, while the parade of complex characters from mob enforcers to enigmatic arcade owners adds intrigue, warmth, and danger. This is the kind of book that feels like flipping through old memories: some hilarious, some heartbreaking, all unforgettable.

[Mdeconz]

This is the Kirkus Review of "Welcome to the Arcade:"

"Giulia Stringer, Ralphie Molinaro, and Johnny Romano were all born and raised in the seaside town of South Beach on Staten Island, New York, while their friend, Luke, moved there when he was 14 years old. Each has pinpointed what they want to become as adults, dreaming of lives as writers, actors, and teachers. As they move toward those goals, they navigate typical and sometimes harrowing adolescent experiences like being teased, bucking against authority, and experimentation with drugs and alcohol while dealing with the pressures of familial dynamics that include death, abandonment, and divorce. Throughout, the friends never fail to have each other’s backs. Their mostly Italian neighborhood is populated by colorful characters who expose the leads to aspects of life that school and family life do not, including Joey C., a troubled and misunderstood Vietnam vet; Dinino, the Italian-speaking owner of the local video arcade; and Mary the Blonde, Johnny's feisty grandma, a department store detective (“When I was four, my grandmother Mary the Blonde walked me into the arcade, put me on a milkcrate in front of Whirlybird, and handed me a stack of quarters. Dinino’s been calling me ‘Pucchiacha’ ever since”). The author also grew up on Staten Island, and, if the short author bio is any indication, he clearly writes from a place of humor and love for his hometown, blemishes and all. DeConzo’s ability to reveal important details strategically, with well-paced and unexpected timing, draws readers fully into the world of each character. He beautifully renders teenage pathos and the internal confusion it inflicts upon the four friends and deftly captures the unique voices and concerns of Johnny, Giulia, and Ralphie. While Luke is a pivotal character, he receives less attention, and when his story does get told, it is in a question-and-answer format that feels tacked-on. Still, following the overall trajectory of the four friends is a rewarding investment.” Kirkus Reviews

[Scott Gurney · Rating 5 out of 5]

DeConzo’s novel ‘Welcome to The Arcade’ is excellently written and one that feels deeply inhabited and beloved. The author handles the world and its characters deftly and takes us for a vivid and compelling, real life adventure, through the formative years of Ralphie, Giulia, Luke and Johnny. Growing up in a small town, I felt drawn to the feeling that keeps these characters tied together, through a habitually simple anchor, a place to commune. It might be run down, it might be odd, but it’s home. I thoroughly enjoyed reading DeConzo’s story and look forward to diving into his next book. This is the epitome of the adage, write what you know, because I can tell the writer has seen the mist on south beach, adored the rotted pier, wondered on the orange waveless sands. This book explores Staten Island so well, it feels as though I have lived there too.

A commandingly descriptive, edgy, and transient observation of youth, family and interiority.

[Michele (Michelem.reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welcome to the Arcade by Michael F DeConzo is a coming of age story about three friends growing up on the South Beach of Staten Island. It takes place in the 1980’s in a neighborhood full of characters.
I really liked it and I feel like anyone who grew up in a neighborhood with a group of friends would enjoy it!

[Josephine Strand · Rating 5 out of 5]

1980s South Beach, Staten Island sets the scene for this beautifully crafted story that follows Johnny, Giulia, and Ralphie from their pre-teen years into young adulthood on a journey of self-discovery. In this prequel to Two Nickels, DeConzo takes us back to the main character’s earlier years. Writing from the perspective of the three young friends, the author skillfully depicts a vivid picture in the readers’ mind, allowing them to easily connect with the characters, following their hopes, their dreams, and daily struggles. The boardwalk, the arcade, the beach with the red sand, the people close to them, are all part of a familiar yet mysterious world to the three friends, as they navigate life trying to make sense of it all.

I found this book incredibly poignant and heartwarming, leaving me with a warm sense of nostalgia. DeConzo's storytelling is heartfelt and genuine, making it easy to connect with the characters’ experiences and emotions. The narrative, the dialogue, the subtle nuances, and the unique qualities of each character and their quirks all add depth to the story, making it incredibly relatable and reminiscent. Brilliant! I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next!

[Derek Passen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed "Welcome to the Arcade." The three main characters are written well and I found a bit of myself in all three. It's a pleasure reading a novel written by someone who clearly loves Staten Island. Although I no longer live there, some of the locations and references brought a smile to my face.

[Traci Fulcher Gervasi · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read! This brought back many memories of my youth growing up in the neighborhood. The three main characters draw you in immediately.

[- L · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was not at all what I expected, which is always true for a great story! I thought it was going to be about the area( SI), but what is a place without its people? And this story IS all about people. And, of course, it’s about love.
The story grips you with its realism, with unassuming humor that covers deep raw wounds. And maybe it is that humor in a perspective of a young soul who is still yet to find out what “it all means” that makes the events of the story feel a bit more tragic, a bit more flavorful and very touching.
These are seemingly insignificant events in the big global scheme of the universe - and yet they are someone’s whole world. They are someone’s big, life defining tragedies.
The author really makes you FEEL that undercurrent theme - while young minds may not understand the full the extent of things happening to us in our youth - the young heart has a six sense. It feels so much more. It feels all of it on a subliminal level. It wonders through youth trying to find …. Itself. Often by trying all other things first.
I loved the author’s writing voice. His gentle way of nudging the reader into thought-provoking, deep emotions while not TELLING you any of it. The most profound truths are in subtle movements of the knees when they accidentally touch. The love is in the darkish dim reflection of a bar mirror. The feelings gently materialize and take shape without being spoken, without being told to the reader. And there is nothing I’m touched more by in a story than feelings that are shown!
He has a great writing where you forget that you are reading separate words and just dissolve in the lament of the story.
It just feels like that really good 80s-90s movie that goes straight to your heart. So real and so unapologetically raw.
This book a beautiful ode to the author’s hometown of Staten Island. Through its pages much love and gratitude in every page.
A beautiful storyteller who tells story with sprinkle of magic in his words.
As a culmination of the story the author takes you through the breathtaking spotlights of New York, so you can see its magic through his eyes.

[Deborah Charnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a delightful book to read. The characters were perfectly crafted. From the main three to the many secondary people that popped in and out through the pages.

DeConzo is a great storyteller. I marvel at those who can create intricate characters and weaving or zigzagging storylines. The central thread is Staten Island and the Arcade. Even though I've never been to the Island --or an arcade-- the story enveloped me and I felt as connected as if I were a part of that community.

[Rose Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book hit me right in the heart. Michael F. DeConzo perfectly captures what it feels like to grow up confused, hopeful, angry, and full of questions you don’t have answers to yet. The Staten Island setting felt so real I could practically hear the ocean and smell the pizza shops. It’s a coming-of-age story that’s equal parts heartache and hope. Loved every page.

[Meghan Malecot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read! Really draws the reader into every detail