Bruiser

June 28, 2010
In this thought-provoking, low-key drama, Shusterman (Unwind) examines the bonds between family, friends, and community, and how the individual can affect the whole. Sixteen-year-old twins Tennyson and Brontë Sternberger aren't the closest of siblings, but Tennyson is concerned when his sister starts dating Brewster "Bruiser" Rawlins, an antisocial delinquent from a dubious family. But as the Sternbergers grow closer to Bruiser, they discover his secret: he takes on the pain and injuries of those he cares about, healing them at his own expense, whether he wants to or not. He can even soothe emotional wounds—his mere presence is enough to save the twins' parents' fragmenting marriage—but the cost to Bruiser may be unbearable. Tennyson and Brontë must face the unintended consequences of their actions when disaster strikes and a lifetime of healing others takes its toll on their new friend. Even as the narrative wrestles with philosophical and moral issues, it delves deep into the viewpoints of Tennyson, Brontë, Bruiser, and his younger brother, each segment told in a different, distinctive style, making for a memorable story. Ages 14–up.

August 1, 2010

Gr 8 Up-Tennyson, 16, is a hulking loner who seems to possess the power to heal both physical and psychic hurts. When his twin sister, Bronte, befriends their shy and withdrawn classmate Brewster "Bruiser" Rawlins, he is concerned that her relationship with this boy from the wrong side of the tracks will prove somehow dangerous. After he spies Bruiser changing in the locker room and notices that his back is covered in scars and welts, he becomes even more certain that the teen and his family are bad news. In spite of her brother's warnings, Bronte continues her relationship with Bruiser, drawing him closer to her family-and Tennyson-in the process. The twins begin to notice Bruiser's unusual talent: not only can he assume the physical pain and wounds of those he cares about, but he can also absorb their anger, hurt, and grief. Told from the three characters' alternating perspectives, with Brewster's rendered in poetic form, Shusterman's novel reveals its secrets and their implications slowly, allowing readers to connect the dots before the characters do and encouraging them to weigh the price of Bruiser's "gift" against the freedom from pain that Tennyson and Bronte enjoy.-Amy S. Pattee, Simmons College, Boston

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 15, 2010

Shusterman's latest is an unlikely love story. Twins Tennyson and Brontë--both parents teach literature, force feed their children vocabulary words and fight incessantly--don't have much in common, but when Brontë starts dating the Bruiser, they find themselves pulled into something unimaginable. Because if Brew loves you, he'll steal your pain--heartache, as well as bruises and broken bones. He has always held himself apart to keep himself safe, but the price is unimaginable loneliness. Brontë has always had her eye out for things and people in need, while Tennyson thrives on his anger, but Brew's power turns everything around. It flattens emotions, because none of the bad stuff ever hurts and life is lived in mental padding. Told in four voices--Tennyson and Brontë, Brew and his younger brother, Cody--this is a wrenching but ultimately redemptive look at how pain defines us and how love, whether familial, romantic or friendly, demands sacrifice and brings gifts of its own. Once again, Shusterman spins a fantastic tale that sheds light on everyday life. (Science fiction. 12 & up)

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