i don't understand verse novels and i read this in 10 minutes in the library at lunch ( )

Fishtailing is a dark, lyric look at the teenage soul. Although it is written in poetry, limiting the description of this book to lines poetry is too much like limiting the description of prose to mere strings of words. This story uses the medium to enhance the effect, rather being limited by it. Verse by verse, Wendy Phillips builds a terrible momentum within her characters. They charge themselves and each other with emotions that force them to veer off onto new, dangerous routes. LIke a car fishtailing past you on the highway, you can't look away, even though you fear what is about to happen.
Fair warning, I know the author personally, but she got the Governor General's award for the book - and it was well deserved. ( )

Realistic teen novel in verse that will appeal to fans of authors like Ellen Hopkins and Sonya Sones. ( )

The most powerful aspect of this GG award winning book is how in such a short time, (under an hour to read) and using free verse, you are able to come to know each of the characters. Many dark themes emerge as we discover their backstories; dysfunctional families, war crimes, rape, cutting, and suicide. I realize that, for many students, literature can be a safe way to explore these dark themes. I do worry though, about their effect on our at-risk teens, who, like Miguel, may feel like they “have no choice.” ( )

• This was a very interesting story to read as it takes place as a series of 4 different poems, each written by a different character for the same English class. Each character (Natalie, Kyle, Tricia and Miguel) have a different story to tell, from stories of rape, alcoholic parents, love, lust, and the drama that comes along with being a teenager in high school. The four are individuals within the story, but are also part of something bigger as their lives intertwine and they end up meeting at a party together at the end where things “fishtail” out of control.
• I would use this novel in a high school setting. I found the idea of writing the novel in a free-style poetic format foreign to me at first, but it grew on me very quickly! After only a few pages I forgot that I was even reading what was really a long compilation of poems, because it told the story so well. I found that this story related really well with a lot of the situations I was surrounded in as a high school student myself, and think that using this book in an English classroom at that age would open up an opportunity for some great conversations about bullying and violence (both physical and emotional) that takes place within the hallways, internet, and social settings that are what we call High School.
• Themes: Teen bullying, “fitting in”, teen violence
• Governor General’s Award Winner