Diary of a Witness

August 17, 2009
Teenage Ernie is overweight, his mother's matching physique and love of food make it hard for him to diet, and he's the target of a cruel group of jocks. But his best and only friend Will has it even worse (“That's life in the Manson family” is Will's frequent refrain). While Ernie has a caring mother and uncle to fall back on, Will's mother abandoned the family, and his father is arrested for child endangerment after Will's younger brother dies in a fishing accident with Ernie and Will. Will is also victimized by jocks at school, who mock him even after a suicide attempt. Ernie does what he can to help Will, talking with him and inviting him to his uncle's cabin for Christmas. But as the abuse from the jocks worsens, Will is driven to bring a gun to school. Hyde (Becoming Chloe
) has created sympathetic, fully developed characters in likable Ernie and tortured and somewhat cerebral Will. The moment of crisis is chillingly believable and will have readers on the edge of their seats. Ages 12–up.

September 1, 2009
Gr 7 Up-Ernie and Will stick together to minimize or deflect the regular bullying aimed at them by a cruel group of five jocks. Ernie's mom and his Uncle Max provide a caring support system, but the boy is overweight. Will is lanky with bad skin and a mother who left him and his younger brother, Sam, with an alcoholic father. The friends enjoy fishing together until the day Sam drowns when their boat capsizes. Will's feelings of guilt about his brother's death and sadness about parental neglect cause him to attempt suicide. Luckily, perceptive Ernie recognizes his friend's signals and intervenes in the nick of time. Despite these circumstances, the bullies continue their harassment, until Will has had enough and plans to get even with a gun. Ernie and Will are sympathetically drawn characters who just want peace, one another's friendship, and the little joy that comes their way. Like Gray in Nancy Garden's "Endgame" (Harcourt, 2006) and Brett in Patrick Jones's "Nailed" (Walker, 2006), Will faces challenging family relationships plus the torment of bullies, and reaches a breaking point where he strikes back to end the pain. The open-ended conclusion offers readers hope that he gets the help he needs, and leaves them with a great respect for Ernie as he chooses to do what is right."Diane P. Tuccillo, Poudre River Public Library District, Fort Collins, CO"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.