Synopses & Reviews
I got treated pretty badly by Jason. He never set me on fire, but he was pretty mean to me. All the same, there was part of me that desperately wanted him to like me.
Will is pretty much your average, garden-variety 15-year-old. He does well enough in school, plays in a rock band, chases girls with little success, and has a typical collection of oddball friends. With one significant exception. For the last several years, he has been systematically beaten up—physically, mentally, and emotionally—by his 18-year-old brother. The impact of Jasons seemingly inexplicable behavior on Will, and the other members of his family, is the subject of Vandal. This novel is taut, gripping and at the same time riotously funny.
Review
“The age-old question of “Am I my brothers keeper?” receives a particularly thoughtful analysis.”—
The Horn Book Magazine
“It packs an emotional punch.”—Publishers Weekly
“A deftly structured, refreshingly unsentimental, and witty analysis of the resilient, complicated bonds that connect siblings. . . . The character study of a bully who ‘was more than just a brute is nuanced, the pacing is skillfully modulated, and the conclusion, free of nostrums about catharsis and rehabilitation, feels touching and true.”—Booklist, Starred Review
Synopsis
Even a troubled teen isnt all bad.
About the Author
Michael Simmons grew up in Minnesota and, naturally, wanted to be a professional hockey player. His first job was delivering newspapers in Northern New Jersey. He lives in New York City, and is the author of Pool Boy.