Young Adult Literature without Apology

Amy's assessment of contemporary young adult literature, organized by author and title, censored by noone.

Realistic | Romance | Science Fiction | Historical Fiction | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery

Hartnett, Sonya (2006). Surrender. Boston: Candlewick. ISBN: 0763627682. 256 pages.

Oh, man, this book is MAJOR. Following the death of his profoundly disabled brother, Anwell meets Finnegan, a boy just his age who is the first to extend his friendship to the lonely Anwell. Finnegan is somewhat "wild": he's dirty, independent and calls the woods his home. Tormented by the part he played in his brother's death, Anwell strikes a bargain with Finnegan: if Anwell--who takes the name "Gabriel" for this challenge--will work to remain "good," obey his parents and strive to always behave, Finnegan will live out all of Anwell's "bad" impulses. Soon, a series of fires plague Anwell/Gabriel's town and Anwell/Gabriel's father leads the vigilante group charged with finding the arsonist the town's citizens are certain is behind the destruction. Of course, we already know who's really responsible. The story is told from 20 year-old Anwell's perspective; now hospitalized with an unknown but degenerative condition, he recalls the years he shared with Finnegan and the respite Finnegan's friendship provided from the physical and emotional abuse of his parents.
Like Hartnett's more obscure Princes (1998), this novel assumes and articulates man's inherent duality through the characters of Finnegan and Gabriel who, readers may or may not determine, are warring factions of the same person. This novel is tautly written and incredibly evocative; every page is tension-filled. I had to read the last 20 or 50 pages twice, not only to make sure I "got" the story, but also to enjoy the intense way the tale comes to a climax.

Of course, every time I think of this book, the song "Surrender" by Cheap Trick starts bouncing around in my head. It's totally inappropriate in this context, but it just happens.