Third Quarter Book Review

Shusterman Gives A “Worthless” Boy a New Meaning

Quarter Three Book Review

Genre: Realistic Fiction

           

Brewster Rawlins or commonly known as Bruiser to fellow classmates because of his immense body size and outsider attitude. Bruiser starts dating Bronte but when Bronte’s twin brother (Tennyson) finds out about this he is not happy.  Bronte and Tennyson are twin siblings to two feuding parents. And Bruiser and his brother VHIP live with their abusive uncle. Tennyson does not like Brewster and doesn’t want anything to do with him until he realizes his “power.” Bruiser has the special power of when he loves someone he absorbs all his or her pain. Throughout the book Brew starts to absorb Bronte and even Tennyson’s pain. And his own brothers so when the uncle abuses Cody, Brew feels the pain. When Brews uncle has a stoke Brew starts to feel his pain too but turns away to let him die. Brew and Cody live with foster parents and Brew pretends to hate them so he doesn’t grow to love them too. Bronte and Tennyson convince their parents about taking in the boys and once Brew comes into the house their parents stop fighting until Brew absorbs Bronte’s pain from an accident in the swimming pool when she hit her head and he is in the hospital. Will he ever be ok again?

            The writing styles that author Neal Shusterman was very unique to me and personally something that have never read before. Author Shusterman chopped the story up into different sections told from a unique perspective of each of the characters (Tennyson, Brewster, Bronte and Cody).  He continued the book at a normal speed but changed the course of the story and switched the perspective from character to character between chapters.

            "Maybe it did take guts to stand up to his crazy, belt-wielding uncle, but I think it took more guts for the Bruiser to invite me inside" (Chapter 10, p. 42).

            As someone who may misjudge someone by how they look like Tennyson did in this book. This story when Brewster completely was different from how Tennyson and other classmates saw him but his sister Bronte could overlook his reputation in school and go out with him.