Bruiser

I read this at least once a year because its just one of those books that has made an accidental impact on you in all the right ways.

Lots of good character development, some really interesting existential questions, fascinating writing style depending on who narrated which chapter, and excellent plot and satisfying ending. A really solid read, great for a long trip.

Was read for English class Meh

...when you truly start to care about someone, you become vulnerable to all sorts of things. In horse racing they put these slats on either side of the horse’s head, blocking the creature’s peripheral vision. They’re called blinders. They don’t actually blind the horse, but they allow the horse to see only what’s right in front of it; otherwise it might freak out and lose the race. People live with blinders too; but ours are invisible, and much more sophisticated. Most of the time we don’t even know they’re there. Maybe we need them, though, because if we took in everything all at once, we’d lose our minds. Or worse, our souls. We’d see, we’d hear, we’d feel so deeply that we might never resurface. For as long as I can remember I’ve stolen, Ripping all the hurts from the people I love, And from no one else. I don’t choose it, I don’t want it, But because they found a place in my heart I steal their pain as soon as I’m near them, And all because I got caught caring. But those others, ALL the others, Dripping their disapproval like summer sweat, They’re on the outside, And I will never let them in. Never. Let them keep their broken bones, Shed their own blood, I hate them. I have to hate them, don’t you see? Because what if I didn’t? What if I suddenly started to care? And their friends became my friends, And every ache and pain, Every last bit of damage, Drained from them to me, Until I was nothing but fractures and sprains, Cuts and concussions, But as long as I keep them on the right side of resentment, Despising them all, I’m safe. I rise, battered but not broken. Never broken. Because once you stop marveling at that firefly you caught in a jar, it sits on a shelf with no one to let it out If your heart tells you something but your mind tells you something else, which do you believe? Both are just as apt to lie. In fact, they play at deceit all the time. Mostly they balance each other, giving us that crucial reality check. But what happens on the rare occasions when they conspire together? Happiness is a vector. It’s movement. Like my own momentum across the pool, joy can only be defined by the speed at which you’re moving away from pain. "“Guard your heart,” she told me. “That is your hero’s sword.”" And I believe he could keep his broken leg. It’s amazing the things you can hold on to when you’re determined to keep them, and the immunity you can develop if you truly want to. ...everyone must feel their own pain—and as awful as that is, it’s also wonderful… I believe what I can see, but now I also believe there is room in the world for miracles. Maybe not the ones we expect, but they’re miracles all the same. They happen every day if only we pay attention.

When I started reading this book I wasn't sure that I would enjoy a "normal" book by Shusterman. (That's a spoilery as I'm going to get.) Even before Shusterman revealed the "supernatural" twists I was blown away by his profound descriptions of everyday, real trauma. In this book I did not mind the multi-narrator format. I actually loved the free verse structure of Brewster's section. I was absolutely fascinated by this book and all its twists and turns even though I don't fully understand the "mechanics" of the supernatural aspect. I highly recommend it.

I don't know how I feel about this. I like the message that was portrayed at the end of the book, but I feel like other than Tennyson, none of the characters were really fleshed out. I loved the distinct differences in each of the character's chapters, but I could never connect to one character. I also wished that there was more detail to Brewer's 'abilities'.