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Searching... Monmouth Public Library | YA Fic Roskos, E. 2013 | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Salem Main Library | TEEN Roskos, E. | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
2014 Morris Award finalist
"I hate myself but I love Walt Whitman, the kook. Always positive. I need to be more positive, so I wake myself up every morning with a song of myself." Sixteen-year-old James Whitman has been yawping (à la Whitman) at his abusive father ever since he kicked his beloved older sister, Jorie, out of the house. James's painful struggle with anxiety and depression--along with his ongoing quest to understand what led to his self-destructive sister's exile--make for a heart-rending read, but his wild, exuberant Whitmanization of the world and keen sense of humor keep this emotionally charged debut novel buoyant.
Author Notes
Evan Roskos completed his MFA at Rutgers University-Newark in 2009, and currently lives in Collingswood, New Jersey. He was named one of Narrative's 20 Best New Writers, and has had stories in Best Fiction, StoryQuarterly, and other literary journals. Visit his blog at www.evanroskos.blogspot.com.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-James Whitman tries to adopt the spirit of Walt Whitman, loving nature and sounding a loud YAWP to show proof of his existence, but he is having a rough time keeping his poetic chin up lately. His older sister, Jorie, has been expelled from their high school and his abusive parents throw her out of their house. James is feeling guilty about not standing up for her and is depressed about his own life. He is the kind of teen who will run into traffic to try and save an injured bird, but he's also an introspective poet who has frequent suicidal thoughts. His own internal therapist is a pigeon he calls Dr. Bird, and since James is a smart guy, she offers good advice. But since James is also, as he puts it, "wired funny," he does not always listen to Dr. Bird. Since he lives in his head so much, the novel's pace can be a bit slow. Roskos perfectly captures the voice of a teen, but this boy is unbelievably self-aware. Readers only see tiny bits of his parents through his eyes. This is problematic, as James is not the most reliable of narrators, but that certainly adds to readers' empathy. Although Jorie cuts herself and James has suicidal thoughts, the narrative points in a slightly more positive direction for them both by the end as James is able to confront his parents and demand their assistance in getting him help.-Geri Diorio, Ridgefield Library, CT (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
This sensitive first novel portrays the struggle of 16-year-old James Whit-man to overcome anxiety and depression. James blames himself for his older sister's expulsion from their home and estrangement from their bullying parents. Roskos effectively sketches James as a boy who is far more comfortable inside his own head than in connecting with others (case in point, he hugs trees to make himself feel better and seeks advice from Dr. Bird, an imaginary pigeon therapist). Throughout, James takes comfort in the poetry of Walt Whitman, often co-opting the writer's literary techniques in his narration ("I sound my morning yawp! I blast out my inner glow at the sunshine to try to shout it down. To have it lift me up. For someone, somewhere, to see me"). Friendships old and new, along with James's growing interest in his own poetry and photography, help him gain confidence and understanding, especially as he discovers unsettling secrets about his sister. Bravely facing real sorrow, James confronts his problems with grace and courage. Ages 14-up. Agent: Sara Crowe, Harvey Klinger. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
"I'm a depressed, anxious kid." Maneuvering the hazards of high school, abusive parents, a banished sister, and diminishing mental health proves exhausting for sixteen-year-old James Whitman. He's tried everything to feel better -- from reciting Walt Whitman to yawping in the face of adversity, hugging trees, rescuing a Tastykake wrapper (he thinks it's a bird) from being hit by a bus, and even talking to an imaginary pigeon therapist about his problems -- but none of it seems to help. When his parents refuse to pay for real therapy, James decides to get a part-time job in order to afford it himself, while simultaneously undertaking a crusade to get his sister reinstated in school and ultimately welcomed back into his home. However, digging into his sister's past unearths secrets he isn't entirely ready to face and solidifies his belief that his family may be irreparably broken. Though his circumstances are nothing to laugh at, James's wry sense of humor, one of his most charming coping mechanisms, effortlessly fuses with the starkness of his reality. Author Roskos's strength lies in his refusal to tidy up the mess in James's life and in his relentless honesty about surviving with depression and anxiety. shara l. hardeson (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Self-deprecating humor abounds in this debut novel that pulls no punches about the experience of depression and anxiety for its teen protagonist. The words of Walt Whitman provide solace for 16-year-old James, whose mental health struggles are exacerbated by living with abusive parents and agonizing over what he could have done differently to prevent his older sister, Jorie, from being thrown out of the house. James' intense first-person narration, which includes imagined therapy sessions with a pigeon he calls Dr. Bird, both flares with frenetic silliness and sinks heavily into despair, realistically depicting his mood swings. At times contemplating suicide, he's aware of the gravity of his situation, even as his parents react with heartbreaking ambivalence: "Therapy isn't what you need....You're just at that age where you think everything is so horrible and terrible." His self-awareness makes him an enormously sympathetic character. Readers will root for him to win over Beth, the editor of his school's literary magazine, and forgive him for going over the top ("I know that they're all just going to pretend like I'm not here trying to tear the walls down with my fucking barbaric yaawwwwwppppp!") when he rages at a woman who has been carrying on an affair, with his best friend Derek, behind the back of her fiance. Captivating introspection from a winning character. (Fiction. 14 up)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Sixteen-year-old James Whitman is paranoid, depressed, and confused. He despises his stressful homelife; has a crush on a bright, artistic girl who has a jerk for a boyfriend; and is desperately trying to discern why his older sister, Jorie, got kicked out of school and their house. James deals with his feelings of guilt, sadness, and anxiety by avoiding his parents, quoting Walt Whitman, hugging trees, and silently conversing with an imaginary therapist who is a bird, all while nursing a secret hope that he can make everything okay. Roskos' first novel is rich with hilarity and realistic inner dialogue, although James' first-person narrative doesn't always feel wholly authentic. This title may take some booktalking and hand-selling due to its strange title, eccentric cover featuring a pigeon, and Whitman conceit, but the right readers may find it lifesaving. Give this darkly funny debut to fans of Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower (1999).--Mack, Candice Copyright 2010 Booklist