New York : Atheneum, [2017]
306 p. ; 22 cm.
I'm a fan of Jason Reynolds, especially his When I was the Greatest, and somewhat of his foray into superhero fiction; this work did not disappoint. I wasn't sure I'd like his novel in verse; when that genre fails, it reads like mediocre prose chopped into lines. Instead, in this novel the poetry works. The poems help to enhance the ghostly narrative of the work (the main character is visited by ghosts of friends and family who have been killed by guns), and Reynolds uses a lot of assonance, consonance and internal rhymes to keep the language snapping and tight.
The movement of Reynolds' story is also creative and satisfying. Will, a young man is on his way to avenge the shooting/killing of his dearly loved older brother, Shawn. Taking the elevator down from the 7th floor, he is visited at each floor by the ghosts of various people he's known who have been shot. These ghosts offer insights, challenges and experience to Will.
The novel manages to be moving, thought-provoking, and interesting. It also doesn't end wrapped up and tidy. I would definitely recommend this book.
No comments:
Post a Comment