Punkzilla

14 year-old Jamie (known by some as Punkzilla) has run away from his problems. After leaving his Missouri military school, Jamie finds himself in Portland, Oregon where he steals items from unsuspecting individuals in order to make a living. As the novel opens, we meet Jamie on a Greyhound bus as he is traveling to Memphis to be with his dying brother. As Jamie travels cross country, he meets numerous characters and finds himself in various situations that force him to take a look at who he is and the decisions he has made. Told through a series of letters, primarily written by Jamie, Author Adam Rapp is able to take a character who makes questionable decisions and is not the most likable person, into a sympathetic individual you sometimes feel sorry for. Sometimes, the reader may cringe at the actions of several characters, mainly Jamie, but it shows how invested the reader can become with Jamie and his journey. Several letters throughout the novel are written by other characters, and Rapp masterfully captures the voice of each character. Not all of the letters are presented in a chronological order, which may be jarring to the reader at first, but it adds to the overall interest and heartbreak of the story. This is a story that may be targeted to an older male teen audience, but I could see it appeal to adults in their 20's and 30's also. With some sexuality, language, and drug use, it may not be the best read for younger teens, but do think it may also appeal to them, particularly boys. As Jamie embarks on this cross-country journey, the reader will feel sympathy for this sometimes unlikable character. Even though his decisions and actions may leave the reader upset at times, ultimately Jamie is a tragic figure trying to get to his dying brothers. Rapp weaves a fascinating tale full of memorable characters and moments that the reader will remember long after finishing the novel.

On a bus from Portland, Oregon, to Memphis, Tennessee, is a 14-year-old boy all alone. Jamie, known to most recent acquaintances as "Punkzilla," is on his way to see his older brother, Peter. Peter, or P, is just 27 and dying of cancer, and Jamie is hoping to make it to him in time. Jamie's journey is a complicated one; he is AWOL from a military academy having been sent there by his parents after getting into a series of disruptive and criminal troubles. He has spent the past five months living on the streets of Portland, stealing, living in a sleazy motel, and smoking and drinking. On the night before he left to see P, he did methamphetamine for the first time. In PUNKZILLA, the latest from Adam Rapp, we read about Jamie, his journey, the family he is fleeing and the brother he is trying to reach. Told in a series of letters to, but mostly from, Jamie, we learn why he was sent to Buckner military school, why he ran away from it but didn't go back to his parents in Ohio, and why P is also estranged from the rest of the family. Jamie's letters to P are all written in the notebook he carries with him. Though he is broke and with few possessions, even mugged and robbed, he hangs on to the notebook, keeping the letters with him at all times. More like a diary, Jamie doesn't plan on sending the letters to P, but hopes to get to Memphis in time to share all his adventures, trials, dreams and ideas with the brother who has inspired him and loved him unconditionally. Jamie's letters are raw and often brutal in their content: drug use, violence, abuse, teenage sex, strong language. Jamie holds nothing back. He shares his fears about his sexuality (he is concerned by the slow pace of puberty and angry that he is sometimes mistaken for a girl, but he is pretty sure he is not gay), his hatred for his abusive militaristic father and passive mother, his love of music, his dependence on prescribed medications, and his longing to understand P, his gay, punk rock, playwright brother who has found a community that accepts and nurtures him. Jamie is not a genius and doesn't think of himself as special. Despite his tough family life, he is ultimately responsible for his deeds. Rapp doesn't quite let him off the hook (though almost), but does show him to be an extraordinarily sensitive and creative young man. Jamie's odyssey is filled with peril, some imagined but most horribly real. There are predators and creeps, and they often hurt him. But there are transformative encounters with people who impart wisdom or intellectual and emotional challenges only to disappear from his life again. As dark as things get for Jamie, he is starting to see that there is much love, goodness, beauty and art all around him. Quite bleak yet sometimes funny, PUNKZILLA is a road-trip narrative, coming-of-age story, classical heroic adventure and social commentary all rolled into one. It is heartbreaking, depressing, scary, compelling, poetic and quite entertaining. Battered, bruised

Written as a series of long, descriptive letters, PUNKZILLA tells the story of a fourteen-year-old on a cross-country journey to visit his dying older brother. Jamie (Punkzilla) is AWOL from military school. His father, a retired Major, convinced his mother that Buckner Military Academy would straighten out their youngest son. Jamie is the first to admit he was out-of-control. His ADD - combined with meth, pot, and drinking - had turned him into a punk. But Buckner is way more than he can handle with its emphasis on morning drills and athletic competitions; it's just not who he is. As Punkzilla boards a Greyhound bus heading from Portland, Oregon, to Memphis, Tennessee, he begins writing letters in a notebook. The letters are addressed to his twenty-seven-year-old brother now dying of cancer. Through the letters, readers learn about family tensions that began when Peter announced he was gay and then left to pursue a career as an actor and playwright. This left middle son, Edward, and youngest son, Jamie, at home with a demanding father and an emotional mother. A few scattered letters from these other family members help fill in the gaps in Jamie's tale. One colorful letter after another reveals cross-country adventures as Punkzilla first travels by bus and then hitches rides with one disturbing character after another. Some encounters are helpful and kind, while others are downright creepy and dangerous. Through the letters is Punkzilla's attempt to make sense of his past and come to terms with who he has become. He has very little idea about his future other than his determination to reach Memphis before the death of his beloved brother. Author Adam Rapp has created a world where readers will live vicariously through Punkzilla's letters. The world he paints is harsh and unpleasant with tiny hints of hope and kindness. Readers will appreciate the difficult life of the road as they follow Punkzilla from Portland to Memphis. At times I was frustrated with Punkzilla's actions and choices, but I was drawn to him and remained committed to find out if he arrived in time to say goodbye to Peter. Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"