Recommended for ages 9+. In the tradition of My Life as a Dog and Stand by Me, Scars beautifully depicts the coming-of-age of a boy at a crossroads. Viktor is little brother to local heartthrob and hockey goalie hero O.K., whom Viktor idolizes. He is also “blood brother” to best friends Arnor and Roger. Navigating the usual minefields-parents, girls, bullies-in a sleepy Norwegian town in the late eighties, Viktor senses change: O.K. suddenly looks very sick; Roger starts to drink; Arnor finds a girlfriend. Meanwhile, Viktor learns important secrets about love, his family, and his own identity.