I discovered this book in a very roundabout way — because Danica Novgorodoff, whose work I’m always on the lookout for, illustrated the graphic novel version. But when I ordered a copy, I got the actual book instead. Flipping through it, I was immediately intrigued, because it’s a novel in verse. And it’s really good! It’s a YA book, one that speaks to the experiences of kids who are frequently exposed to violence and at risk of being swept up into gang activity, but it’s not patronizing, preachy, or cliché (or at least, it didn’t seem so to me).
It’s the story of a teenager whose brother is murdered. He sets off with a gun to get revenge and is visited by a series of ghosts, Christmas Carol style. But (unlike the Dickens story, ha) it wasn’t obviously moralizing, nor was it predictable. There was a lot of character depth evoked in a few suggestive lines and interactions. I was especially impressed by the poetry, which is plain-spoken, but subtly sophisticated — a great way to get young people interested in poetic forms. In general, this would be an excellent book to teach in a middle school English class: it’s engaging and accessible, but there’s a lot going on under the surface.
Kasia Reads 