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The Brimstone Journals
By Matt Berman,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Free verse poems about troubled teens -- and school attack.
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What's the Story?
Fifteen high-school students tell their stories in a series of free-verse poems. They chronicle the events, large and small, leading up to an attack on the school planned by one of them. They are bully and victim, white supremacist and African-American, anorexic, anarchist, jock, and more. They rebel and conform, rant and plead, preen and worry. But only one will do anything about the attack that all can see coming.
Is It Any Good?
The characters may not be developed, but their voices and concerns are often real, and raw, and there's a lot of meaning packed into a few words. Though all the different voices can get a bit confusing, the types a bit clichéd, and the ending a bit too easy, the author shows how the mundane, everyday concerns of teens can be more important to them than the disaster looming before their eyes.
Almost any of these short, simple poems, chosen at random, could be a discussion starter between parent and teen, or teacher and class. Cumulatively they give teens much to think and talk about.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the free verse format. How would the story be different if it had been told in narrative? Or from one character's perspective?
Do the characters seem stereotypical, or do you recognize any of these voices from your school? Do you identify with any of them?
Book Details
- Author: Ron Koertge
- Genre: Contemporary Fiction
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Candlewick Press
- Publication date: May 2, 2004
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 14 - 17
- Number of pages: 113
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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