Title: The Brimstone Journals
Author: Ron Koertge
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Year: 2001
# Pages: 113
Category: YA Issues
Genre: Poetry
My Summary & Critique:
I was intrigued by this book because its format is that of a series of poems written by 15 members of the graduating class of 2001 from Branston High, a.k.a. Brimstone. They appear to be journal-like free-verse poems written by these students from various backgrounds, ethnicities, and genders, but they are actually written by one author, so they are meant to be read together as a whole.
As I started to read, I noticed the inter-connected nature of the story line as the characters revealed feelings, impressions, and interactions with other characters. What unfolds is a sort of novel, written in poignant pieces of the puzzle, centering around a small group of students who create a “list” of people (“everybody who ever blew me off, flipped me off, or pissed me off”) and then plan to enact their own kind of violent justice. The poems reflect their intended author’s feelings and touch on a variety of teen issues including eating disorders, body image, racism, sexual identity, narcissism, conformity, environmental consciousness, promiscuity, parents’ relationships, religion, bullying, loneliness, jealousy, possessiveness, and violence. As a whole, I thought this book was interesting and would make a good starter for discussion of these teen topics. Teens would surely be able to see themselves in some of the characters. However, I do feel like some of the situations and characters are a bit too simple and one-dimensional to feel real so I have to say that I was a little disappointed. Regardless, I feel like this book could be a good tool for teens to recognize that they are not alone in some of the experiences and feelings they have and it could be useful in providing initial material for productive discussion about the real issues that teens face on an everyday basis.
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