jvanfosson's Reviews (170)

Olivetti

Allie Millington

4.0

adventurous reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Whalefall

Daniel Kraus

5.0

adventurous dark reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Giovanni's Room

James Baldwin

5.0

sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

The Last Will and Testament of an Extremely Distinguished Dog

Eugene O'Neill

5.0

hopeful sad fast-paced

Louder Than Hunger

John Schu

5.0

emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This fantastic novel in verse is so needed in the world—especially for young boys who often do not see disordered eating and mental health addressed in media. Schu creates a beautiful story told in a way that the words and form of the poems reflect Jake’s emotional interiority. The writing, the references, the story, all of it will make hearts break and heal better than before in these pages. I hope this is the first of many novels from Schu’s distinctive voice.