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The Final Cut
An hilarious coming-of-age story about home, friendship, and learning that sometimes the most exciting adventures happen behind-the-scenes.
Alex Davis is convinced that seventh grade is going to be his year. After spending all summer at skate camp, he knows he’ll finally be seen as one of the “cool kids” . . . until he’s mistakenly put in the wrong elective. Now, instead of taking a popular video games class with his friends, he’s stuck in Filmmaking with hipster teacher Pablo and a group of eccentric classmates.
But when it’s announced that their films will be entered in the school’s annual Golden Reel competition, Alex becomes determined to claim first prize and salvage his seventh-grade year.
With the help of his longtime crush, his best friend, and a peculiar new student, Alex sets out to make a masterpiece. Soon he discovers that someone is trying to sabotage his film and finds himself embroiled in a mystery—one that leads him and his crew to conniving classmates, traitorous teachers, and even corrupt city politicians!
Alex Davis is convinced that seventh grade is going to be his year. After spending all summer at skate camp, he knows he’ll finally be seen as one of the “cool kids” . . . until he’s mistakenly put in the wrong elective. Now, instead of taking a popular video games class with his friends, he’s stuck in Filmmaking with hipster teacher Pablo and a group of eccentric classmates.
But when it’s announced that their films will be entered in the school’s annual Golden Reel competition, Alex becomes determined to claim first prize and salvage his seventh-grade year.
With the help of his longtime crush, his best friend, and a peculiar new student, Alex sets out to make a masterpiece. Soon he discovers that someone is trying to sabotage his film and finds himself embroiled in a mystery—one that leads him and his crew to conniving classmates, traitorous teachers, and even corrupt city politicians!
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Published April 26, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 17, 2022
This book was fantastic.
I’ve also read and loved, Click Here to Start. So, I’ll be hunting down the rest of this author’s books for sure.
But back to this book.
Not only was Alex, laugh out loud hilarious. He is brilliantly sarcastic, but he has quite a few serious learning moments that I think are important for young (and older readers) to take note of. Especially the scene with Pritti and being stared at.
I found the entire cast loveable, and the plot addictive. I really had trouble putting this one down. There were so many fun “nerdy” references scattered throughout. A bit of mystery and suspense. What an excellent adventure.
I’ve also read and loved, Click Here to Start. So, I’ll be hunting down the rest of this author’s books for sure.
But back to this book.
Not only was Alex, laugh out loud hilarious. He is brilliantly sarcastic, but he has quite a few serious learning moments that I think are important for young (and older readers) to take note of. Especially the scene with Pritti and being stared at.
I found the entire cast loveable, and the plot addictive. I really had trouble putting this one down. There were so many fun “nerdy” references scattered throughout. A bit of mystery and suspense. What an excellent adventure.
October 28, 2022
E ARC provided by Netgalley
Alex is looking forward to a new school year at St. Anselm's school in Brooklyn, and hopes to start off his 7th grade year with a cool new persona. The coolest kid in his summer skateboarding camp called him "Xan", but this doesn't catch on with good friends Lexie and Brandon. When he finds out that he didn't get into the year long Game Theory: Video Game History and Design course that he signed up for but instead was assigned to pottery, he's not happy. It's even worse when he finds out he could have gotten into the poetry course if his hand writing hadn't been so bad! The principal does manage to get him into another course, Film Studies, with Pablo Rosenstein. St. Anselm's is the kind of progressive private school where students call teachers by their first names, and many of the students are from very well-to-do families. Alex feels better about Film Studies as he learns more about the process of making a film, and also when Priti Sharma ends up on a team with him, since she is brilliant and Alex hasn't had a chance to talk with her before this class. Theo, who is a bit odd, is also on the team, and Lexie gets involved with the process as well. There's quite a competition going on between Pablo's class and Mr. Beaverton's, and when Alex and his friends find out that Mr. Beaverton's students are the only ones who win the Golden Reel competition, they are determined to do a good job. The group decides to make a film called "Alice in Anselm", and recruit the best actress in their class to be the lead. There are other issues afoot in their neighborhood; a builder wants to take down Court Street Towers and build a "soulless" new apartment building, which is leading to the displacement of local residents and businesses. Since Alex's father is a deputy commisioner in the Department of Buildings and some of his classmates are very invested in stopping the project, Alex finds himself caught in the middle. When the transfer of film from one computer to another results in computer software that compromises his home computer network, Alex has to figure out how to deal with a wide range of people with evil intentions as well as getting his film done in time for the competition!
Strengths: This included a lot of humor, and I appreciated that Alex and his family were shown in a positive light, with close connections, occasional activities, and a real interest in each other's lives. That is a very hard thing to find these days. The elective course idea is a very cool one that will make a lot of readers jealous; at my school, we are lucky to still have art, gym, and music! Markell is a master at bringing a real sense of place to his stories, like The Ghost in Apartment 2R, and this helped me to feel invested in the building projects. I loved that Priti was so good at everything, and Theo was a mysterious and concerning character who added an additional level of mystery. The details about film making aren't quite as detailed as Marcus Makes a Movie, but are nonetheless helpful.
Weaknesses: Alex is a bit judgey about a variety of people in a way that felt oddly uncomfortable. I taught at a private school with some rather well-to-do families, and it wasn't a very positive experience, so maybe I am bringing my own baggage to this.
What I really think: There's a lot going on in the world right now, and sometimes readers need a story that is a little lighter and funnier. This is a great one that will be popular with fans of Greenwald's Pete Milano's Guide to Being a Movie Star, Giles' Take Back the Block, and Gino's recent Alice Austen Lived Here.
Alex is looking forward to a new school year at St. Anselm's school in Brooklyn, and hopes to start off his 7th grade year with a cool new persona. The coolest kid in his summer skateboarding camp called him "Xan", but this doesn't catch on with good friends Lexie and Brandon. When he finds out that he didn't get into the year long Game Theory: Video Game History and Design course that he signed up for but instead was assigned to pottery, he's not happy. It's even worse when he finds out he could have gotten into the poetry course if his hand writing hadn't been so bad! The principal does manage to get him into another course, Film Studies, with Pablo Rosenstein. St. Anselm's is the kind of progressive private school where students call teachers by their first names, and many of the students are from very well-to-do families. Alex feels better about Film Studies as he learns more about the process of making a film, and also when Priti Sharma ends up on a team with him, since she is brilliant and Alex hasn't had a chance to talk with her before this class. Theo, who is a bit odd, is also on the team, and Lexie gets involved with the process as well. There's quite a competition going on between Pablo's class and Mr. Beaverton's, and when Alex and his friends find out that Mr. Beaverton's students are the only ones who win the Golden Reel competition, they are determined to do a good job. The group decides to make a film called "Alice in Anselm", and recruit the best actress in their class to be the lead. There are other issues afoot in their neighborhood; a builder wants to take down Court Street Towers and build a "soulless" new apartment building, which is leading to the displacement of local residents and businesses. Since Alex's father is a deputy commisioner in the Department of Buildings and some of his classmates are very invested in stopping the project, Alex finds himself caught in the middle. When the transfer of film from one computer to another results in computer software that compromises his home computer network, Alex has to figure out how to deal with a wide range of people with evil intentions as well as getting his film done in time for the competition!
Strengths: This included a lot of humor, and I appreciated that Alex and his family were shown in a positive light, with close connections, occasional activities, and a real interest in each other's lives. That is a very hard thing to find these days. The elective course idea is a very cool one that will make a lot of readers jealous; at my school, we are lucky to still have art, gym, and music! Markell is a master at bringing a real sense of place to his stories, like The Ghost in Apartment 2R, and this helped me to feel invested in the building projects. I loved that Priti was so good at everything, and Theo was a mysterious and concerning character who added an additional level of mystery. The details about film making aren't quite as detailed as Marcus Makes a Movie, but are nonetheless helpful.
Weaknesses: Alex is a bit judgey about a variety of people in a way that felt oddly uncomfortable. I taught at a private school with some rather well-to-do families, and it wasn't a very positive experience, so maybe I am bringing my own baggage to this.
What I really think: There's a lot going on in the world right now, and sometimes readers need a story that is a little lighter and funnier. This is a great one that will be popular with fans of Greenwald's Pete Milano's Guide to Being a Movie Star, Giles' Take Back the Block, and Gino's recent Alice Austen Lived Here.
June 9, 2022
Alex is in 7th grade, and is excited to finally be able to choose his own electives at his private school in Brooklyn. Although he is devastated to miss out on the game development course, he quickly becomes excited by the course he did get, ‘The Moving Image,’ which is a filmmaking course. And he is excited to be assigned a project with the beautiful, popular, smart kid Priti, on whom is has always had a bit of a crush. They are joined by an enigmatic kid named Theo, who is a tech whiz extraordinaire. Along with Alex’s best friend Lexie, they work to make a 10 minute film which has a chance to win the prestigious Golden Reel competition. Their teacher, Pablo, is supportive and mentoring, but another long time film studies teacher, Mr. Beaverton, is conniving and cruel, and clearly has ways to make it so one of his students wins the competition. That is, unless Alex and his team can figure out a way to make a great film while keeping all of their footage away from Mr. Beaverton.
Alex narrates his story in a wry, confessional tone, describing the student drama, family dynamics and awkwardness around Priti, along with the story. He really comes across as clueless at times, as a self-involved middle schooler can be, but he learns quickly and makes the reader laugh along the way. There are crushes (not just Alex’s), a bit of social issues drama (there are protests against the proposal for a tall apartment building and his dad is building commissioner), and also there’s the fascinating steps to making a movie. There is lots of tech talk, as Theo is super into anonymity and online security, with a bit of an OCD vibe. Middle grade readers who enjoy school based fiction with smart kids, minimal romance and lots of tech talk will enjoy this face paced novel.
Alex is white, Priti is Indian-American, and Lexie [spoiler alert!] is gay. The setting is an affluent, private school community.
Alex narrates his story in a wry, confessional tone, describing the student drama, family dynamics and awkwardness around Priti, along with the story. He really comes across as clueless at times, as a self-involved middle schooler can be, but he learns quickly and makes the reader laugh along the way. There are crushes (not just Alex’s), a bit of social issues drama (there are protests against the proposal for a tall apartment building and his dad is building commissioner), and also there’s the fascinating steps to making a movie. There is lots of tech talk, as Theo is super into anonymity and online security, with a bit of an OCD vibe. Middle grade readers who enjoy school based fiction with smart kids, minimal romance and lots of tech talk will enjoy this face paced novel.
Alex is white, Priti is Indian-American, and Lexie [spoiler alert!] is gay. The setting is an affluent, private school community.
May 24, 2022
Although seventh grader Alex Davis is sure that this is going to be HIS year, the one in which he will be regarded as cool and popular, his hopes are quickly dashed when no one seems impressed by his changes and he's assigned to a film class rather than the gaming elective he hoped for. But a film contest in which he must work with Priti, class brain and beauty and his secret crush, and Theo, a classmate who seems to have mad spy skills and appears and disappears with ease, offer him some hope of gaining notice. Still, as the team sorts out their creative differences and enlists help from classmates, including Lexie, Alex's best friend, there often seem to be more challenges than successes. Add to this some drama concerning a new building plan in their Brooklyn Heights neighborhood, some political intrigue, and an untrustworthy teacher or two, and Alex more than has his hands full. The story, perfect for middle graders with a sense of humor and a flair for the creative, is well told although there is a lot going on here and a loose end or two flapping. For instance, I was left wondering about the truth of Theo and what was going on with him. And while readers will probably predict how the relationship between Alex and Lexie evolves, they are also in for a pleasant surprise.
December 13, 2022
Alex Davis is finally in 7th grade, where he gets to choose an elective! Although he hoped for the cool video game design class, he ended up in Filmaking. Determined to make the best of it - and excited about the school's Golden Reel competition, Alex, Priti Sharma - the prettiest girl at school, his best friend Lexi and a loner named Theo begin work on what they think might be a winner. But someone is determined to sabotage their movie.
I like that Markell set The Final Cut in a private school. Primarily because the choices of electives were amazing, difficult offerings to justify to 7th graders in a public school setting, but also, I like that the kids were all a bit eccentric (Theo especially). I really loved the conversation with Alex and his mother about appropriate boundaries with girls, and not making judgments about them based on what they wear. Alex's sister Violet - her parents really treat her like a toddler, I was shocked that she was 7. All in all, though, a solid stand-alone with a fun storyline, full of political intrigue, teacher drama, and mystery. One of the characters comes out to their friend, Priti is of Indian descent, and all other main characters are white - based on the cover illustration.
cross posted to http://kissthebook.blogspot.com
I like that Markell set The Final Cut in a private school. Primarily because the choices of electives were amazing, difficult offerings to justify to 7th graders in a public school setting, but also, I like that the kids were all a bit eccentric (Theo especially). I really loved the conversation with Alex and his mother about appropriate boundaries with girls, and not making judgments about them based on what they wear. Alex's sister Violet - her parents really treat her like a toddler, I was shocked that she was 7. All in all, though, a solid stand-alone with a fun storyline, full of political intrigue, teacher drama, and mystery. One of the characters comes out to their friend, Priti is of Indian descent, and all other main characters are white - based on the cover illustration.
cross posted to http://kissthebook.blogspot.com
September 5, 2022
Alex returns to school after a summer of skateboard camp with a new nickname (Xan) that just won’t stick and to make 7th grade even worse, he doesn’t get to take the video game design class he has been dreaming of all summer. Instead he ends up in film class. Film is so big at their school, they have 2 film teachers and several successful alumni who are successful filmmakers. Alex must work with classmates to create a film for the annual film contest while overcoming computer hackers, protests over a building permit (Alex’s Dad is on the building commission), and some kind of animosity between the two film teachers. Students will enjoy this clever, humorous mystery.
September 1, 2024
Reviewed in NYT back to school round-up: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/28/bo...
August 30, 2022
What's with that epilogue?!
While I will go back to my opening line, I just want to make it clear that I was super interested in this book! I thought the story was good, especially the bits with Theo (more about Theo later). I did feel like the parts with Alex and Lexie slow down a little and did not fit well with the story. There was also moments about real life issues, such as women/girls getting stare downs from men, that I feel did not fit the overall story or at least the story that was being sold through the book's inside flap. For me, what was the biggest selling point of the entire story, why I was pulled through the story, and who was my favorite character was Theo.
Theo stole the show for me! He is like a version of Zane from Eureka, almost to a "T", but he has a lot more paranoia so he was bit like Taggert in that way (also from Eureka). He was also the most mysterious character even when we met his parents, which should have cleared everything up. Yet, you could say there was squishy-ness about that. Everything about Theo came to ahead on page 279. Really?! Denis Markell! You put that line in there, but did not do something with it in the epilogue?! Why?!
Speaking of the epilogue, I was not a fan. You could argue the dialogue between Lexie and Alex was heartwarming between two friends on the last page (286), but I felt like it came out of left field and I have no idea why Denis Markell ended his book like that. I feel like it did not fit the story that was being sold in the summary. It would have been better if we had something with Theo, especially with that "red herring" in the middle book about the yearbook. Was that a red herring? We don't know, but I would have been interested if the epilogue was like the ending to Kat & Mouse Volume 4 by Alex de Campi and we get explanation on Theo.
Verdict: I really want to rate it higher, but I had problems with the flow. I will say the best part of the book was Theo!
While I will go back to my opening line, I just want to make it clear that I was super interested in this book! I thought the story was good, especially the bits with Theo (more about Theo later). I did feel like the parts with Alex and Lexie slow down a little and did not fit well with the story. There was also moments about real life issues, such as women/girls getting stare downs from men, that I feel did not fit the overall story or at least the story that was being sold through the book's inside flap. For me, what was the biggest selling point of the entire story, why I was pulled through the story, and who was my favorite character was Theo.
Theo stole the show for me! He is like a version of Zane from Eureka, almost to a "T", but he has a lot more paranoia so he was bit like Taggert in that way (also from Eureka). He was also the most mysterious character even when we met his parents, which should have cleared everything up. Yet, you could say there was squishy-ness about that. Everything about Theo came to ahead on page 279. Really?! Denis Markell! You put that line in there, but did not do something with it in the epilogue?! Why?!
Speaking of the epilogue, I was not a fan. You could argue the dialogue between Lexie and Alex was heartwarming between two friends on the last page (286), but I felt like it came out of left field and I have no idea why Denis Markell ended his book like that. I feel like it did not fit the story that was being sold in the summary. It would have been better if we had something with Theo, especially with that "red herring" in the middle book about the yearbook. Was that a red herring? We don't know, but I would have been interested if the epilogue was like the ending to Kat & Mouse Volume 4 by Alex de Campi and we get explanation on Theo.
Verdict: I really want to rate it higher, but I had problems with the flow. I will say the best part of the book was Theo!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews