Because I am Furniture [Hardcover]

Thalia Chaltas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 16, 2009

Read Thalia Chaltas's posts on the Penguin Blog.

Anke’s father is abusive. But not to her. He attacks her brother and sister, but she’s just an invisible witness in a house of horrors, on the brink of disappearing altogether. Until she makes the volleyball team at school. At first just being exhausted after practice feels good, but as Anke becomes part of the team, her confidence builds. When she learns to yell “Mine!” to call a ball, she finds a voice she didn’t know existed. For the first time, Anke is seen and heard. Soon, she’s imagining a day that her voice will be loud enough to rescue everyone at home—including herself.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Incendiary, devastating, yet - in total - offering empowerment and hope, Chaltas's poems leave an indelible mark." - Publishers Weekly, starred review

"A harder read than it seems, but worth it." - Kirkus Reviews --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

As a teenager Thalia Chaltas wanted to do everything, and she envied people who knew without question what their life goal was. Thalia did preliminary training to be a kinesiologist, a helicopter pilot, and a fire fighter, and has at times been a bus driver, a ropes course instructor, and a contralto in an a capella group. Along the way she has played lots of volleyball, written poetry, and collected children’s books. And eventually, that anvil fell from the sky and she realized writing was what all this previous intensive training was for.

She has kept every poem she has ever written – except one. Because she can’t find it.

Thalia lives in California with her daughter. Because I Am Furniture is her first novel.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile (April 16, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670062987
• ISBN-13: 978-0670062980
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,018,666 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ultimately Empowering and Hopeful, April 16, 2009

By 

Mint910 (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Because I am Furniture (Hardcover)

Books written in verse are interesting. You would automatically think they would be easier to write because there are less words etc but I think they are actually harder to write. Having to get across just as much information and emotion with fewer words, each word holds greater meaning. I think this book does a wonderful job of telling a very emotional and important story with so few words.

I thought this would be really hard to read, and while it was it was also an empowering and hopeful book. To watch a young girl find her voice and not be afraid to use it, it was powerful. It was also interesting to see inside of this house, with all the terror and abuse that happens that no one ever say anything or ask for help. That's just the way the family was and they would rather deal with it that privately than make a change to their family. I thought the author did a great job of revealing the mentality of this family and made it easy to understand and believe.

I haven't read many books in verse and I still struggle with them a little bit. At least for me, sometimes things don't come off as clearly as they could, I get the basic idea but sometimes wonder if I'm always understanding everything correctly. Maybe that's just me! All in all a powerful and important book that really packs an emotional punch.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Debut Novel!, June 30, 2009

By 

Emereld2 (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Because I am Furniture (Hardcover)

I picked Because I Am Furniture off a cart of books being processed this afternoon and started paging through it. I was a little put off by the "in verse" style, but after reading the book jacket, decided to give it a try.

Wow. Although this is a heavy subject, the book is easy to read. I am in awe of Chalta's storytelling; every word counts and there is no filler. We are in Anke's head, and it's not an easy place to be. She is vaguely aware of the abuse her father piles on her mother and two older siblings, but the family is in a conspiracy of silence. She understands that it's pathetic to feel left out of the abuse, but one can't help what he or she feels. Being spared means being ignored, being ignored means being worthless.

Entering high school, she defies her father by joining the volleyball team. This decision has unforeseen consequences on the entire family. Once Anke discovers her sense of self-worth, she becomes a force to be reckoned with.

Highly recommended!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic debut novel., May 3, 2009

By 

N. Strasburg (Santa Barbara, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Because I am Furniture (Hardcover)

Smashingly well done. The verse takes you into the story in a most unexpected way, what you might imagine if being allowed to step into another person's mind for a visit. Hauntingly authentic, inspiring and a must read.