Break

August 24, 2009
Seventeen-year-old Jonah is on a quest to break every bone in his body, and his best friend Naomi is there to film each attempt, as he crashes his skateboard or dives into an empty pool. His 16-year-old brother, Jesse, has deadly food allergies and their parents aren't vigilant about keeping the house safe, so that job has fallen to Jonah, who is weighed down by the responsibility. He breaks his bones so that as he heals he becomes stronger ("It's sort of a natural bionics thing. Break a leg, grow a better leg. Break a body, grow a better body"), a belief treated with almost religious reverence from some, like Naomi (who calls it a "revolution"), but that eventually results in his being institutionalized. Moskowitz, who wrote the story while a high school junior, paces the story well and creates in Jonah a believable and complex protagonist. Love interest Charlotte is one-dimensional, and Naomi strains credulity as she eggs Jonah on. But the brothers' relationship is poignant, and Moskowitz's depiction of Jonah and Jesse's respective traumas-and a family drowning in dysfunction-are viscerally real. Ages 14-up.

January 1, 2010
Gr 9 Up-Seventeen-year-old Jonah is determined to break every bone in his body, and to this end he stages accidents that are quite disturbing and painful to read. His friend Naomi encourages him and videos the sickening stunts, which include jumping into an empty 14-foot-deep swimming pool. Jonah's dysfunctional activity stems from family dynamics: parents who argue; an infant brother who wails incessantly for no known reason; and a 16-year-old brother who has life-threatening food allergies that frequently land him in the ER. Jesse is a constant worry for Jonah, who believes his brother is primarily his responsibility. There's plenty of teen angst and drama, but the resolution feels rushed and somewhat implausible. Jonah escapes from a juvenile psychiatric unit with the help of Mackenzie, a teen volunteer at the facility who has access to the isolation unit and knowledge of security codes. Mackenzie is enamored with Jonah's explanation of his self-destructive actions, calling them "adorable." Later that evening Jonah learns that Jesse and Naomi are a couple; this inexplicable union is also crucial to the climax. Despite its shortcomings, the unique, emotional story line may draw in teens who want a quick read and are willing to overlook some of the unlikely plot twists."Patricia N. McClune, Conestoga Valley High School, Lancaster, PA"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from June 1, 2009
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* It would seem that Jonahs life is already complicated. He has bickering parents who for some reason have had another baby. Even worse, everythingnecessary for raising a babyparticularly milkis lethal poison forJonahs other brother, the dangerously allergic Jesse. So with all this stress, why is Jonah determined to break every single bone in his body? No one is sure: not Naomi, his pal who videotapes each kamikaze skateboard accident or dive into an empty pool, nor his kinda-girlfriend, Charlotte. The real answer may have something to do with Jonahs desire to protect the fragile Jesse, but Jonahdistracts himself from this reasoning by turning eachtrip to the ER into grisly algebra (2 femurs + 1 elbow + 1 collarbone). Some readers will find Moskowitzs sickeningpremise a stretch. But for those with a taste for the macabre and an aversion to the sentimental, its hard not to be taken in by the booksstrong central relationships andMoskowitzs unapologetic, single-minded dedication to her unsavory task.Like it or hate it, shewrings her concept for all it is worth. The result is like a one-man Fight Club (1996), and it could find nearly as many ardent followers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)