Book review - XL

Title: XL
Author: Scott Brown
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: Noggin by John Corey Whaley
                      Nick and June Were Here by Shalanda Stanley
Rating:

thought-provoking

Summary (provided by publisher): Will Daughtry is a late bloomer--at least, that's what everyone tells him. On his sixteenth birthday, Will is just shy of five feet, and he is bitterly resigned to being tiny forever. His only comforts are his best friend and stepbrother, Drew (6'3"), and their pal Monica (5'10"), the girl Will's been quietly pining for since fifth grade. Everyone else literally overlooks him. But with them, he feels whole. That is, until things take an unexpected turn, and he realizes he's really and truly on his own.
That's when he starts to grow. And grow fast. Astonishingly fast. For the first time, Will's happy with his stature, and the world's at his feet (for a change). People see him differently; more important, he sees himself differently. But the highest heights come with some low, low lows, and his most precious relationships suffer excruciating growing pains. Will has to figure out what to do with himself--and all of this new "himself" he never expected to have.

My opinion: At first blush, it seems like the vehicle for change Brown is using is a simple one: Will begins to grow and it changes his relationship with is brother and his best friend. But as the plot progresses, we realize that the issues that come to light have been simmering for years, things they've all been pushing down and his change in stature causes them to reevaluate the balance of power between them and address those old issues. It's an intriguing exploration that is clearly paralleled in the gorillas. In both situations, Brown shows how a small change can have a devastating impact on an environment. The ending is somewhat ambiguous, creating a source for discussion and potentially for frustration.

More information: XL releases March 26.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

What am I reading today?

The Center of the Universe by Ria Voros

Total read in March thus far: 11

Sometimes things can be fun and practical

Socks are one of my favorite craft supplies. My stock is a combination of feet from unused socks (left over from doll clothes) and whole socks with worn spots. I was sorting through them and found a couple of pieces that coordinated rather well.

I had in mind to make a snail and this seemed like a good combination. I cut the top of the foot and front of the leg from the striped sock and a narrow strip above the heel of the purple sock and stitched them into pillows, coiling the striped one as I went.

 
 A pipe cleaner and some pompoms gave the snail eyes. I wanted a practical use for the snail, so I've tucked a small sewing kit into the snail shell and use the top as a pincushion. It sits on my desk at work, decorating it and storing supplies at the same time.

 

What am I reading today?

The Runaways by Ulf Stark
Total read in March thus far: 9

What am I reading today?

Girls With Sharp Sticks by Suzanne Young

Total read in March thus far: 5

What am I reading today?

Clean Eating for Busy Families by Michelle Dudash

Total read in March thus far: 3

Read with me this month

Every March, to celebrate Reading Month, I make it a point to read more. And also, to carefully track every book that I read. I'll be tracking those books this year here, with an extra post every morning. The plan is to simply post a cover image of whatever book I'm currently reading. I'll also keep a running tally of my total books for the month (all books - picture book, graphic novel, audio book, etc). Why this attention to numbers? I'll be making a donation to RIF (Reading is Fundamental) and the end of the month based on that total. And March is a great time to make a donation to RIF as they're matching all donations made in March. You can learn more about RIF here. 

So what am I reading today?

The Bigfoot Files by Lindsay Eagar

Total read in March: 0