A #1 Global Amazon Bestseller
1st Place Stargazer Literary Prize Winner & FAPA Bronze Medalist
Developing Minds: An American Ghost Story follows a group of recent college graduates who struggle with alienation and addiction as they try to survive a year of teaching at dysfunctional Miami public schools. A poetic and insightful coming-of-age novel, Developing Minds is centered on 24-year-old Luke Entelechy, an aspiring writer who sees his creative output suffer when he begins teaching at one of Miami’s most challenging middle schools. As the year progresses, however, Luke begins to relate to the neglect and abuse his students suffer, and is faced with a “haunting” decision: continue to let his dark past destroy him, or rise above the struggle to realize his potential as an artist and a “real” human being.
Equal parts disturbing and humorous, Developing Minds offers a brutally honest look at the American public school system and the extreme measures many teachers take to cope with working in it.
In recognition of its cultural and literary significance, Developing Minds has been selected for permanent preservation in the national collections of the Library of Congress (LCCN: 2019937723) and is indexed globally within university and academic research archives through Gale’s Contemporary Authors.
Critical Acclaim for Developing Minds
“Inspired by his own travels, screenwriter and author LaPoma’s narrative is raw and edgy, effectively anchored by two protagonists whose brio and “same sense of adventure” keep the story alive… Entertaining and authentic look at the troubled American educational system, courtesy of two men propelled by perseverance and adventuresome spirits.”
– Kirkus Reviews, Recommended Review selection
“Should be required reading for anyone who is considering or has ever considered teaching as a career… most highly recommended.”
– Jack Magnus, Readers’ Favorite, 5-Star Review
“Conversations are raw, turgid, and right on the money, and just when the reader feels this is all comedy, Jonathan waxes poetic – and the change is seamless. This is brilliant writing from a very promising new author. He is one to watch.”
– Grady Harp, Hall of Fame and Top 100 Amazon Reviewer
“Poignant, engaging… a frighteningly accurate depiction of inner-city schools… a full-bodied work of fiction that will ring true with both students and teachers and provide a point of hope in an industry that has become increasingly profit-minded and complex.”
– Red City Review
“Developing Minds is a raunchy, yet captivating story of two best friends, one gay, one not, who decide to spend a year teaching in the dysfunctional Miami school district… Jonathan LaPoma is an extraordinary writer.”
– Stargazer Literary Prizes (1st Place)
“Sometimes the meat of a title lies not in fire and flames, but in simmering passion. Such is the nature of the coming-of-age experience depicted in Developing Minds, which offers a multi-faceted exploration of growth, maturity, and eventual transformation on the parts of all involved.”
– D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
“There are at least two competing ways of sizing up Jonathan LaPoma’s very entertaining novel Developing Minds: An American Ghost Story, and both have merit. (1) It is a scathing comic novel about the failures of American urban education, sort of a M*A*S*H for Miami schoolteachers. (2) It is a Bildungsroman about the personal growth of a young man who happens to be a Miami schoolteacher for a year.”
– Patrick Murtha, Book ’em, Danno
“Readers will be gripped by the many dimensions the plot has to offer… The story is honest, authentic, entertaining and poignant, and the contrasting images of a young man trying to grow in his personal life and the failures of the Miami school system have been woven together well without sounding forced.”
– Mamata Madhaven, Readers’ Favorite, 5-Star Review
“There is never a lack of style and all the words, carefully measured, encoder a meaning and a wink… The author delves into the intricacies of the human soul…”
– Kalyan Panja, Booktica
“I was quite impressed… The humor was quite well-done, I found myself laughing out loud… As a young adult myself, I find Luke’s personal life so relatable and realist.”
– Trang Tran, Bookidote
“Not for the faint of heart, Developing Minds will either have you furiously flipping the pages or fearfully enrolling your kids in home school.”
– Will’s Weekend Wrap-Up, Noise Trade
“Incredibly artistic… The vast majority of college grads will relate with themes of alienation, addiction, and misguided hopes… It teeters on the edge of obscene, but really stays true to the life of an early 20-year old.”
– San Francisco Book Review
“This book is incredibly raw. about as far removed from ‘Dead Poets Society’ as you can get.”
– Gem L Thompson, The Book Eaters
“Developing Minds deserves five stars as a gritty, character-driven, coming-of-age novel by a talented writer… A satisfying ending resolves many issues large and small, however.”
– Don Sloan of author Ingrid Hall’s Book Review Blog
“In many ways, the novel was spiritual, as well as coming-of-age… plenty of action and adventure, as well as some poignant soul searching…”
– Chantelle Atkins, Underground Book Reviews