Brutal [Hardcover]

Michael Harmon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 10, 2009

With her martyr-doctor mother gone to save lives in some South American country, Poe Holly suddenly finds herself on the suburban doorstep of the father she never knew, who also happens to be a counselor at her new high school. She misses Los Angeles. She misses the guys in her punk band. Weirdly, she even misses the shouting matches she used to have with her mom.

But Poe manages to find a few friends: Theo, the cute guy in the anarchy Tshirt, and Velveeta, her oddly likeable neighbor—and a born victim who’s the butt of every prank at Benders High. But when the pranks turn deadly at the hands of invincible football star Colby Morris, Poe knows she’s got to fix the system and take down the hero.

With insightfulness, spot-on dialogue, and a swiftly paced plot, Michael Harmon tells the story of a displaced girl grappling with a truly dangerous bully.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Sixteen-year-old Poe Holly is “the outcome of a sperm donor program called Poor Choices and Bad Mistakes.” Her workaholic mother has taken a year off to practice medicine in South America, unloading Poe into the custody of a father she’s never met, a straitlaced counselor at Poe’s new school. The pierced and mohawked Poe mostly abhors the homogeneity and elitism of her suburban classmates, though she finds two exceptions: the whip-smart punk-rocker son of the town mayor, and Velveeta, the troubled pariah on the hit list of Colby, the school’s untouchable bully. There is little earth-shattering here, but that’s part of the book’s low-key charm; Harmon’s dialogue is crystal clear and authentic, his youth characters intelligent, and his adult characters finely drawn. The central conflict—the growing hostility between Colby and Velveeta—leads to an ending of contrivance, but that should not take away from an admirably realistic portrayal of a rebel coming to realize that rebellion can be elitist, too. Grades 9-12. --Daniel Kraus

About the Author

Michael Harmon is the author of Skate (“A remarkable first novel” according to Kirkus Reviews) and The Last Exit to Normal (“An excellent read” according to a starred School Library Journal review). He lives in Washington state.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (March 10, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375840990
• ISBN-13: 978-0375840999
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.9 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,104,346 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars It was a good read...., December 4, 2010

By 

Tasha (Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brutal (Hardcover)

I started this book and loved Poe's voice but then things got long winded.

Characters:
The characters are general cut outs with Poe Holly (a rebellious Gothic teen with a parent complex), he mother (a neglectful work obsessive socialite doctor who left her to go work on a charity project), Her father (the quiet school counselor/writer who left when she was born but is really cool), Velveeta "Andrew" (her weird friend who is picked on), and Theo (her very intelligent best friend/boyfriend who is a rebel and mayor's son). The cast is entertaining enough (I loved Theo even though he was unrealistic), but Poe's attitude becomes really annoying. She is so angry at the world when she has a lot more than other kids have, like Velveeta. Her family is very dysfunctional but at least she has the support. Her rebellious act gets old after awhile. Also, all her speeches and arguments were so well planned she becomes a megaphone for the author.

Plot:
The heart of the story is Poe finding out who her father is and fighting the system. Poe fights against bullying and how high school forces students to form cliques. The school has a policy that everyone is in one giant school clique but that is broken down.

Overall:
The book was okay. The characters are a little too perfect and sound a little too "adult" for teenagers. Their fight against bullying and cliques felt tired and unresolved. It is written in a very down to earth style and Poe's narration was always fun to read but you just get tired of it.

It is okay if you like spunky girls with all the answers but it would be better from a library than purchasing it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars By-standers to bullies, October 18, 2010

By 

Whatcha Reading Now? (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brutal (Hardcover)

Brutal's main character Poe Holly is a girl too tough to be bullied. Sassy, savvy and street smart, she is forced to live with her father in a perfect little house in a perfect little suburb giving up singing in her punk band so her doctor mother can go to South America to help "world citizens." Writer, Michael Harmon, puts Poe in the impeccable Benders High School where Poe finds out their dirty little secret; the adults don't look the other way during bullying incidents- they perpetuate it.

It's subtle and important distinction that Harmon explores in Brutal. If the teachers are supporting the intimidation of some students by the popular and athletic ones, what hope is there of eliminating the problem. Certain students are given privileges and it's those students who are the bullies. Colby Morris is Brutal's untouchable football hero who has singled out Velveeta, a misfit of a boy who lives near Poe, for his put downs and degradations. Poe won't allow it, and the tenacity she used to get herself kicked out of three elite Los Angeles private schools will be needed if she is going to take on the system starting with her father who is Benders High's guidance counselor.

Readers will root for Poe, because of her for her inability to let go of what she knows is right.
-- Reviewed by Cathy Castelli

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars cute quick read, June 10, 2009

By 

Sarah Librarian (Iowa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brutal (Hardcover)

a cute story about Poe, who is sent to live with her absentee father after her mother deserts her to provide aid in South America. The story follows Poe as she tries to get to know her dad and figure out why he left their family in the first place. Also, at her new school, Poe tries to stir things up by pointing out all the unfairness to school administrators. This causes some trouble as her dad is the school counselor. The main story revolves around Poe trying to protect her sort of friend Velveeta after he becomes the target of some vicious bullies.
The story was interesting, but I would have liked a little more character development with Velveeta and Theo. It was a fast read and will appeal to boys and girls age 13+