14 year-old runaway, Jamie (nicknamed Punkzilla because of his love of music), was living in a shelter in Portland, Oregon when he learned that his older brother was dying of cancer in Memphis. He sets off across country to be with his brother who had been exiled from the family after coming out of the closet. The story is told through stream-of-conscious letters that Jamie writes to his brother, interspersed with older letters from his family that he carries with him. Jamie has ADD and is physically immature for his age. He can't or won't live up to the expectations of his rigid, retired military father (the Major).
This is a very raw book to read. There is drug use, stealing, violence and sex. Jamie is living on the edge. The cover illustration is a good one - showing a vulnerable young person with a mask pushed up. The wearing of a mask happens in the story but it is also symbolic.
Punkzilla is a Printz Award honor book (2010). The author, Adam Rapp, is an accomplished playwright and screen writer. His young adult novels are bleak in their unflinching look at marginalized youth. Other titles are Under the Wolf, Under the Dog and 33 Blowfish.
2 comments:
This sounds like a really good book! It addresses many different topics and seems like it is packed full of entertainment. I like reading books with a lot going on in them because they keep my attention. I'll have to add this one to my list to read.
I'm really glad Dr Berg reviewed this book. I got it in my Junior Library Guild order and have not yet had a chance to read it myself. It sounds like the reviews I read about it were pretty accurate. I know this book will appeal to certain of my students. Based on the review,I will not book talk to my middle schoolers.
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