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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
I love Chris Crutcher - he's at the top of my list of authors to recommend, particularly to male readers. This book wasn't quite what I expected (I didn't bother to read the jacket flap...I just snatched it up when I saw he had a new book) but still enjoyable. It contains three short stories that follow up on characters from some of his other novels.
What I loved about Angry Management is what I love most about Crutcher's writing style, period. His characters are so clear. No matter what type of character he writes - male or female - he captures their voices perfectly and makes me root for them as they fight through life. The third story particularly caught my attention. The only black student in his high school, Marcus James is also openly gay. At the start of this story, he finds a pink noose hanging from his locker. The harasser is easily identifiable, though the school administration refuses to address the situation appropriately, wanting just to sweep the issue under the rug. This story shocked and disturbed me in a good way, making me look at myself, how I treat others, and how I address obviously inappropriate behavior, attitudes and discrimination.
I need to go back and revisit the novels that predate this book to really catch the back story on these characters.
What I loved about Angry Management is what I love most about Crutcher's writing style, period. His characters are so clear. No matter what type of character he writes - male or female - he captures their voices perfectly and makes me root for them as they fight through life. The third story particularly caught my attention. The only black student in his high school, Marcus James is also openly gay. At the start of this story, he finds a pink noose hanging from his locker. The harasser is easily identifiable, though the school administration refuses to address the situation appropriately, wanting just to sweep the issue under the rug. This story shocked and disturbed me in a good way, making me look at myself, how I treat others, and how I address obviously inappropriate behavior, attitudes and discrimination.
I need to go back and revisit the novels that predate this book to really catch the back story on these characters.
Chris Crutcher can always be counted upon to deliver great writing and real, compelling characters. Definitely for more mature audiences as the topics are edgy and the dialogue is real.
Chris Crutcher understands humans, especially young adults. #7thgradeandup #adultsshouldreadtoo
Another good Crutcher book, this time exploring the world of anger, especially in adolescents, and how it is expressed. Crutcher uses 3 short stories involving characters that have appeared in other Crutcher books. I dropped it down a star because of two things - a few times the dialogue was not very true to a teenager - too worldly, even for a teenager that has gone through trauma. The other reason was that in the 3rd story he abandoned the story a couple of times to give a history lesson. I think he could have accomplished the same thing with some references within the story and then some end notes. The history lessons were important and needed to be there, but it just didn't enhance the story as it should have.
Crutcher's use of story to reveal his experience of working with kids that live through horrific lives has enlightened me numerous times. It helps me understand why I might see from kids that I encounter abnormal reactions to everyday situations.
Crutcher's use of story to reveal his experience of working with kids that live through horrific lives has enlightened me numerous times. It helps me understand why I might see from kids that I encounter abnormal reactions to everyday situations.
I really liked this book and may just sit down and read it again. I will also read all of his books again this summer. Teachers could do an entire class on this book alone.
I thought the novellas tied together very well through themes - first amendment rights, bigotry, prejudice, you name it! The characters were so strong! I loved them all.
The Psychologist observations added a nice touch of humor.
I thought the novellas tied together very well through themes - first amendment rights, bigotry, prejudice, you name it! The characters were so strong! I loved them all.
The Psychologist observations added a nice touch of humor.
Chris Crutcher is, in my opinion, one of the best young adult authors out there. His books appeal to every type of kid. I loved this book. It was different than I expected. I thought it was going to be about an anger management class. Instead, it links the stories from Crutcher's previous novels. The reader does not need to have read these novels to understand the characters, as this novel can stand alone. The novel is separated into three stories, each pairing two characters. The only reason I gave four stars instead of five was because I became very invested in the characters, and the stories ended too soon for me. I felt like I was reading three novellas, and, selfishly, I wanted more.
A preview of some of the characters:
Sarah Byrnes was burned by her father when she was three. She has a scar on her face and doesn't feel beautiful. Her mother abandoned her, leaving her with her abusive father.
Angus Bethune is overweight and lacks self-confidence. His parents are each in a public, homosexual relationship with another partner.
Montana West is adopted, and she is tired of dealing with her arrogant, right-fighting father. Her parents have decided to give up on her younger sister, who is also adopted, because she is defiant.
Trey Chase's parents died. He is mixed race and very handsome.
Marcus James is black, gay, and living in the inland Northwest, where he is not accepted. Some of the school football players hang a pink noose on his locker.
Matt Miller is a devout Christian, and is tired of the way other Christians look down upon the homosexual population.
The stories are all connected in that they are all concerned with anger: how we deal with it and how others respond to it.
I highly recommend this book.
A preview of some of the characters:
Sarah Byrnes was burned by her father when she was three. She has a scar on her face and doesn't feel beautiful. Her mother abandoned her, leaving her with her abusive father.
Angus Bethune is overweight and lacks self-confidence. His parents are each in a public, homosexual relationship with another partner.
Montana West is adopted, and she is tired of dealing with her arrogant, right-fighting father. Her parents have decided to give up on her younger sister, who is also adopted, because she is defiant.
Trey Chase's parents died. He is mixed race and very handsome.
Marcus James is black, gay, and living in the inland Northwest, where he is not accepted. Some of the school football players hang a pink noose on his locker.
Matt Miller is a devout Christian, and is tired of the way other Christians look down upon the homosexual population.
The stories are all connected in that they are all concerned with anger: how we deal with it and how others respond to it.
I highly recommend this book.
I pretty much love everything that Crutcher does. Here, he provides a work of fiction which features several of his previously used characters such as Angus Bethune and Sarah Byrnes. In this novel, the characters meet up at an "angry management" group and then their respective stories move forward from there. It's split up into three novellas that are both fast paced and easily reminiscent of Crutcher's other work. A very fun read.
Can I add more stars for this book? I would give it a 10 star rating. This was such a powerful book. Three short stories. The first was very good but the second and third stories were more than amazing.
It is a SC Young Adult Award Nominee book and parents and students should read it and then talk to each other about it. This book was brought to my attention because a father of a student in another county in SC wanted to ban it. That made me want to read it more. Go to the authors website and you can read up on that issue.
Read this book you won't regret it.
It is a SC Young Adult Award Nominee book and parents and students should read it and then talk to each other about it. This book was brought to my attention because a father of a student in another county in SC wanted to ban it. That made me want to read it more. Go to the authors website and you can read up on that issue.
Read this book you won't regret it.