Punkzilla by Adam Rapp

Punkzilla is a short novel about a young man who travels across the country to see his older brother. It is told through a series of letters between the young Jamie "Punkzilla", his brother, parents, and old friends. There are also journal entries told from Jamie's perspective as he travels. He faces many challenges including being beaten in the bus station, having to lie to people, hitchhiking, and people constantly believing he is a girl. In this somewhat humorous but vibrantly honest novel, Jamie discovers much about himself and his place in this world.

I felt that Punkzilla was an interesting novel, and although it is not my favorite, it shows a dark side to teenage life that many people do not see. Most of the main characters had major flaws to their character, but it only made them more human and easier to believe in. A lot of the time I really liked the characters, but they also made me think about what I believe in when they fell out of my good graces. I had to recognize the motives behind their actions and consider my own moral standpoint, making this an interesting read. One problem I had with the novel was the format it was written in. It was often confusing and out of order and I found myself having to go back and reread. Keeping track of all these people who were flying through time with no organization was difficult and differed from the enjoyment of reading this book.I found this novel very interesting and it revealed a world that is vastly different from my own.

There is a lot of explicit language and some grafic descriptions of violence.

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Minnetonka, Minnesota United States