Finding Cooper

There’s a lot going on in the life of young Cooper Arcano. His best friend seems to be drifting away and finding new interests, his parents are stressed out and fighting, and his grandfather is locked in a battle with Alzheimer’s disease, making him unable to carry on conversations or sometimes even recognize Cooper. When his grandfather becomes upset after mentioning the name “D.B. Cooper”, Cooper becomes obsessed with finding out more about the infamous skyjacker, including where he ended up. Soon, Cooper finds himself lying, spying, and sneaking around in order to uncover the truth.

Overall, Finding Cooper is entertaining and clever. The first-person voice of Cooper is believable and honest, with an extreme lack of self-awareness that most readers will find funny and engaging. Cooper’s single-minded determination to find out what happened to D.B. Cooper consistently overwhelms his good judgement, putting him in situations that most teens wouldn’t encounter and which often don’t end the way he had hoped. This is a story that will allow readers to feel smart as they will often see how things are going to go wrong long before Cooper does!

While the overall tone of the book is light and comical, it also presents a close look at what it’s like to live with someone suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. At the beginning of the story, Cooper’s grandfather is in an assisted-living facility, but his rapid decline forces the family to make the tough decision to move him into a full-time care hospital. Through all of this, Cooper holds on to the glimmer of hope that his grandfather is faking in order to protect a secret identity. His determination to find information on D.B. Cooper (and win a bet with a schoolyard foe) is a distraction from what’s really happening in his life. Those who have had loved ones who suffer from Alzheimer’s will understand and connect with Cooper’s reluctance to accept the change in his grandfather.

There is also a nice message in this book about the importance of family and friends supporting each other through difficult times. While Cooper’s parents are very stressed throughout the entire novel, they are there for each other and for Cooper when the big decisions need to be made.

Overall, Finding Cooper is a smooth and engaging read that will likely appeal to fans of Matson’s previous books such as A Year in the Life of a Total and Complete Genius. http://www.umanitoba.ca/outreach/cm/vol21/no7/ayearinthelifeofatotalandc...