Bruiser Book Review

While Bruiser isn’t one of Neal Shusterman’s most famous works, it certainly defines excellence. Each chapter’s perspective emphasizes key information needed to make the story come together. The plot starts slow but picks up enough speed to leave the reader breathless. Shusterman uses an ominous tone to draw out suspense, making each perspective change agonizing in the best way. The characters themselves form distinct, contrasting personalities, adding to the tension provided by the plot. The relationships, Brewster and Brontë in particular, are both authentic and productive, adding to the story’s plot while encouraging heartfelt emotion. The writing uses metaphors and symbolism that makes readers of all ages think. The thematic aspects are incorporated subtly in word choice but scream through syntax, making them hard to miss but not up in the reader’s face. Overall, the story flows with ease, the perspectives add a brightness to the storytelling without going crazy, the plot engages most readers, and the themes express a much needed pause.

“ The fact that he [Brewster] could heal—and steal—the hurts of others became a commonplace fact. That was my first mistake. Because once you stop marveling at that firefly you caught in a jar, it sits on a shelf with no one to let it out.”

Recommended for anyone who enjoys work tightroping the line of realistic fiction and sci-fi.

-Grace Nask