Young Man with Camera

July 1, 2015
A young street photographer with burn scars on his face is terrorized by brutal, manipulative bullies.The narrator introduces himself simply as T-. "I don't like to write out my name," he explains with characteristic eloquence, simplicity, and wisdom, "because I know someone will come along and twist a normal name into something not-normal." Readers learn immediately why T- takes such a self-effacing defensive stance: charismatic Ryan, along with his sycophantic henchmen, targets T- relentlessly. Ryan's favorite tactic is causing destruction and making sure T- takes the fall, using his own charm and others' prejudice against T-'s appearance to full advantage. T- gets a brief moment of triumph when Lucy, a homeless woman he has befriended, thwarts Ryan and his stooges' attempt to harass her and embarrasses them in the process. Ryan's revenge, however, is vicious and disturbing, with violent consequences for both Lucy and a friend's dog. This is not a story in which truth prevails. The hope here lies instead in T-'s photographs, stark, expressive black-and-white portraits that appear interspersed with the text and add depth (though a layer of snow on a bicycle looks a bit too perfect to be real, and Lucy's clothes are strikingly clean). Like the work of Diane Arbus, whose photographs play a central role here: bleak yet life-affirming. (Fiction. 12-16)

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July 1, 2015

Gr 6 Up-A gripping look at bullying, its outcomes, and the reasons why some kids can't "just say no." Seventh grader T-was the victim of a terrible accident as a kid, and one side of his face is disfigured with scars. The bullying-spearheaded by Ryan and carried out by his joined-at-the-hip gang of toadies-has continued ever since. Ryan has the personal charm to cover up his sociopathic tendencies, so no one believes T-'s complaints. When the protagonist befriends homeless Lucy and documents bits of her life with his ever-present camera, his tormentors' focus shifts to include her. An ugly exchange escalates into a murderous assault, leaving T-with a horrifying dilemma: Should he come forward, make the evildoers pay, and live with the almost-certainty they'll go after his best friend? Or should he keep silent? This is a high-intensity, hard-hitting novel-one that could be the source of significant discussion among readers. Unfortunately, there's not a single adult in the title character's life who can get beneath his silent exterior and help him-although a librarian gets close-and the two-dimensional flatness of the adults in the story (and even of his nemesis) is the one jarring note in an otherwise well-executed work. VERDICT Although most teens will be unlikely to pick up this title on their own, it's worthy of hand-selling and should be a staple in English classes and anti-bullying curricula.-Elizabeth Friend, Wester Middle School, TX

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