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Punkzilla
An award-winning writer and playwright hits the open road for a searing novel-in-letters about a street kid on a highstakes trek across America.
For a runaway boy who goes by the name "Punkzilla," kicking a meth habit and a life of petty crime in Portland, Oregon, is a prelude to a reconnecting with his older brother, a gay man dying of cancer in Memphis. Against a backdrop of seedy motels, dicey bus stations, and hitched rides, the desperate fourteen-year-old meets a colorful, sometimes dangerous cast of characters. And in letters to his sibling, he catalogs them all � from an abusive stranger and a ghostly girl to a kind transsexual and an old woman with an oozing eye. The language is raw and revealing, crackling with visceral details and dark humor, yet with each interstate exit Punkzilla’s journey grows more will he make it to Tennessee in time? This daring novel offers a narrative worthy of Kerouac and a keen insight into the power of chance encounters.
For a runaway boy who goes by the name "Punkzilla," kicking a meth habit and a life of petty crime in Portland, Oregon, is a prelude to a reconnecting with his older brother, a gay man dying of cancer in Memphis. Against a backdrop of seedy motels, dicey bus stations, and hitched rides, the desperate fourteen-year-old meets a colorful, sometimes dangerous cast of characters. And in letters to his sibling, he catalogs them all � from an abusive stranger and a ghostly girl to a kind transsexual and an old woman with an oozing eye. The language is raw and revealing, crackling with visceral details and dark humor, yet with each interstate exit Punkzilla’s journey grows more will he make it to Tennessee in time? This daring novel offers a narrative worthy of Kerouac and a keen insight into the power of chance encounters.
244 pages, Hardcover
First published May 12, 2009
48 people are currently reading
2794 people want to read
About the author
Adam Rapp
56Ìýbooks290ÌýfollowersAdam Rapp says that when he was working on his chilling, compulsively readable young adult novel 33 SNOWFISH, he was haunted by several questions. Among them: "When we have nowhere to go, who do we turn to? Why are we sometimes drawn to those who are deeply troubled? How far do we have to run before we find new possibilities?"
At once harrowing and hypnotic, 33 SNOWFISH--which was nominated as a Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association--follows three troubled young people on the run in a stolen car with a kidnapped baby in tow. With the language of the street and lyrical prose, Adam Rapp hurtles the reader into the world of lost children, a world that is not for the faint of heart. His narration captures the voices of two damaged souls (a third speaks only through drawings) to tell a story of alienation, deprivation, and ultimately, the saving power of compassion. "For those readers who are ready to be challenged by a serious work of shockingly realistic fiction," notes SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, "it invites both an emotional and intellectual response, and begs to be discussed."
Adam Rapp’s first novel, MISSING THE PIANO, was named a Best Book for Young Adults as well as a Best Book for Reluctant Readers by the American Library Association. His subsequent titles include THE BUFFALO TREE, THE COPPER ELEPHANT, and LITTLE CHICAGO, which was chosen as a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. The author’s raw, stream-of-consciousness writing style has earned him critical acclaim. "Rapp’s prose is powerful, graphic and haunting," says SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL. [He] writes in an earthy but adept language," says KIRKUS REVIEWS. "Takes a mesmerizing hold on the reader," adds HORN BOOK MAGAZINE.
In addition to being a novelist, Adam Rapp is also an accomplished and award-winning playwright. His plays--including NOCTURNE, ANIMALS AND PLANTS, BLACKBIRD, and STONE COLD DEAD SERIOUS--have been produced by the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the New York Theatre Workshop, and the Bush Theatre in London, among other venues.
Born and raised in Chicago, the novelist and playwright now lives in New York City.
At once harrowing and hypnotic, 33 SNOWFISH--which was nominated as a Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association--follows three troubled young people on the run in a stolen car with a kidnapped baby in tow. With the language of the street and lyrical prose, Adam Rapp hurtles the reader into the world of lost children, a world that is not for the faint of heart. His narration captures the voices of two damaged souls (a third speaks only through drawings) to tell a story of alienation, deprivation, and ultimately, the saving power of compassion. "For those readers who are ready to be challenged by a serious work of shockingly realistic fiction," notes SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, "it invites both an emotional and intellectual response, and begs to be discussed."
Adam Rapp’s first novel, MISSING THE PIANO, was named a Best Book for Young Adults as well as a Best Book for Reluctant Readers by the American Library Association. His subsequent titles include THE BUFFALO TREE, THE COPPER ELEPHANT, and LITTLE CHICAGO, which was chosen as a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. The author’s raw, stream-of-consciousness writing style has earned him critical acclaim. "Rapp’s prose is powerful, graphic and haunting," says SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL. [He] writes in an earthy but adept language," says KIRKUS REVIEWS. "Takes a mesmerizing hold on the reader," adds HORN BOOK MAGAZINE.
In addition to being a novelist, Adam Rapp is also an accomplished and award-winning playwright. His plays--including NOCTURNE, ANIMALS AND PLANTS, BLACKBIRD, and STONE COLD DEAD SERIOUS--have been produced by the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the New York Theatre Workshop, and the Bush Theatre in London, among other venues.
Born and raised in Chicago, the novelist and playwright now lives in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 288 reviews
July 23, 2017
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I really enjoyed this story about 14-year-old Jamie’s journey from Oregon to Tennessee to see his dying older brother. Jamie’s story is told in letters � long, honest and revealing letters, mostly to and from his brother Peter. Jamie keeps his letters in a notebook that never leaves his sight, many of which are not mailed. These letters tell of his brief experience in a military academy, his demanding father and unhappy mother, his strait-laced brother, Edward, his petty thievery, drug use, ADD, and the sad, violent, desperate and lonely characters he meets on the way. Peter’s letters tell of his career as a playwright, his artist lover, Jorge, and the disease that is ravaging his body.
This story was kind of sad, darkly humorous, and raw. I wanted to strangle Jamie at times. It drove me nuts that he referred to every woman as a “skeezer�, but I couldn’t help caring about this very troubled young man who was often mistaken for a girl and digs the and wanting him to get to his brother in time.
I really enjoyed this story about 14-year-old Jamie’s journey from Oregon to Tennessee to see his dying older brother. Jamie’s story is told in letters � long, honest and revealing letters, mostly to and from his brother Peter. Jamie keeps his letters in a notebook that never leaves his sight, many of which are not mailed. These letters tell of his brief experience in a military academy, his demanding father and unhappy mother, his strait-laced brother, Edward, his petty thievery, drug use, ADD, and the sad, violent, desperate and lonely characters he meets on the way. Peter’s letters tell of his career as a playwright, his artist lover, Jorge, and the disease that is ravaging his body.
This story was kind of sad, darkly humorous, and raw. I wanted to strangle Jamie at times. It drove me nuts that he referred to every woman as a “skeezer�, but I couldn’t help caring about this very troubled young man who was often mistaken for a girl and digs the and wanting him to get to his brother in time.
“P it’s not like I WANT to look like I do. I wish I could grow some whiskers or have a scar over my eye. I’ve even thought about cutting myself I really have just like an inch-long slit over my right eye or across my cheek because that might help me look more manly or less soft or whatever.�
October 14, 2010
I must give the full disclaimer here that the author, , is my older brother, but that's not going to stop me from saying that I consider this to be his richest novel yet. As always, Adam unerringly captures the voices of his narrators (the book is a series of letters, most of which are written between two brothers), but in this novel he has reached his deepest level yet of compassion for all of the flawed and courageous and terrified characters he has created. I'm thrilled for his success, and am gratified that there are plenty of folks out there -- including the committee that gave him the Printz Honor for this book -- who share my view that this is a beautifully rendered novel of the lengths we must go to in order to connect to those we love.
November 16, 2019
This is a story that consists of letter correspondence mostly between a younger brother of 14 and his older brother of 27, as the younger has escaped the military school he was enrolled in by his controlling father, to visit his older brother who is dying of cancer far away. It’s a very realistic and unsentimental account of the events that occur as he travels cross country and I freely admit to crying by the end, which is one of the best things a story can make me do. A very powerful, brutally honest story, I truly wish Adam would write more novels, because I’d be right there for it.
April 17, 2014
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3.5 Stars
Jamie (a/k/a “Punkzilla�) has been on the run. Running from his past, running from his father, “the Major�, running from the boarding school he was sent to in Missouri. After being contacted by his dying brother, Punkzilla makes the decision to stop running and head to Memphis and see his brother before it’s too late.
What did I think of Punkzilla? Hmmmmmmmmmm . . .
Screw it � I’m writing this before my brain gets a chance to work against me even more. The truth is, I’m not really sure what I think about it. Punkzilla was added to my TBR pile during my quest to find books that would make me get all feely. The library guaranteed it would bring the tears.
No, seriously, I’m not crying. That’s not to say it wasn’t good. Hell, it won the Printz Award so it’s probably great, right? It was just so different that I don’t really know what to say. I like when an author is brave enough to take a different approach to telling his tale, so choosing to write this novel as a series of correspondence was great. Many times I find myself wanting to strangle YA leads, but that was not the case here. Jamie was endearing and had a great voice. I like reading YA that pushes the boundaries and is really not for kids (seriously - this has some very mature content). But . . . . . there was just something missing (mainly MORE of the story), so
Again, my apologies for such a blasé review. Here is a .gif of a baby monkey taking a bath in order to hopefully keep you from deleting me off your friends list : )
3.5 Stars
Jamie (a/k/a “Punkzilla�) has been on the run. Running from his past, running from his father, “the Major�, running from the boarding school he was sent to in Missouri. After being contacted by his dying brother, Punkzilla makes the decision to stop running and head to Memphis and see his brother before it’s too late.
What did I think of Punkzilla? Hmmmmmmmmmm . . .
Screw it � I’m writing this before my brain gets a chance to work against me even more. The truth is, I’m not really sure what I think about it. Punkzilla was added to my TBR pile during my quest to find books that would make me get all feely. The library guaranteed it would bring the tears.
No, seriously, I’m not crying. That’s not to say it wasn’t good. Hell, it won the Printz Award so it’s probably great, right? It was just so different that I don’t really know what to say. I like when an author is brave enough to take a different approach to telling his tale, so choosing to write this novel as a series of correspondence was great. Many times I find myself wanting to strangle YA leads, but that was not the case here. Jamie was endearing and had a great voice. I like reading YA that pushes the boundaries and is really not for kids (seriously - this has some very mature content). But . . . . . there was just something missing (mainly MORE of the story), so
Again, my apologies for such a blasé review. Here is a .gif of a baby monkey taking a bath in order to hopefully keep you from deleting me off your friends list : )
November 16, 2019
Truly heartfelt, delightful, and touching.
The narration, in form of letter correspondence, creates an unobscured view between the reader and the characters, bringing worth their distinct and authentic individualities, and giving their voices clear, directly affecting sincerity: their bright-eyed naiveté, their fears, excitement, care and worry, their support of each other and their disappointments, their capacity and the incapacity to connect with one and other... - all laid on the pages in an unadorned and often affably awkward honesty.
Story of humanly flawed relationships, told in a jocular, veristic and poignantly intimate manner. Beautiful!
The narration, in form of letter correspondence, creates an unobscured view between the reader and the characters, bringing worth their distinct and authentic individualities, and giving their voices clear, directly affecting sincerity: their bright-eyed naiveté, their fears, excitement, care and worry, their support of each other and their disappointments, their capacity and the incapacity to connect with one and other... - all laid on the pages in an unadorned and often affably awkward honesty.
Story of humanly flawed relationships, told in a jocular, veristic and poignantly intimate manner. Beautiful!
September 2, 2019
This is a beautifully crafted and touching book. It's written as a series of letters mainly from Jamie (Punkzilla), a teenage runaway, to his sick older brother as he hitchhikes across America to see him.
I found this to be very compelling from the first page and the ending brought a tear to my eye. Each of the letters are very raw and honest and I couldn't help but sympathize with some of the characters. An absolutely breathtaking read.
I found this to be very compelling from the first page and the ending brought a tear to my eye. Each of the letters are very raw and honest and I couldn't help but sympathize with some of the characters. An absolutely breathtaking read.
January 21, 2019
Creà que este libro no me iba a encantar. La curiosidad por él me empezó en febrero, cuando oà a un compañero recomendárselo a varias personas en una feria del libro. Luego me olvidé de él por un tiempo, porque no era un libro que planeara comprar realmente, hasta que empezó la FILIJ. Ahà lo leÃ, porque se presentó la oportunidad. Para este entonces, ya me habÃa spoileado el libro entero (advertencia, si alguna vez son staff de feria del libro, acostúmbrense a la idea de que muchos libros se los van a spoilear de cabo a rabo), pero aún asà querÃa ver qué demonios tenÃa para ofrecer. Un compañero habÃa dicho que le recordaba lejanamente a la generación beat, pero para jóvenes. Y sÃ. me recuerda a eso. También me recuerda un poco a la forma de narrar de Holden Caulfield en El guardián en el centeno (un libro que yo personalmente amo, porque lo leà con todo el slang en inglés y porque empatice con el irritante de Holden, pero que entiendo que muchas personas se les hace pesado), sólo que con menos cosas irritantes en cuestión de protagonista. Pero bueno, vamos a hablar por partes de la novela
En una reseña en goodreads, leà que este libro era la prueba de que el YA no habÃa abandonado a los chicos, que nunca los iba a abandonar. Hay una extraña tendencia a creer que el YA de hoy en dÃa se dirige sólo a las chicas y no. En la entrada pasada ya ahondé como la literatura no es para chicas o para chicos, sino que es para todos. Y este libro, sobre todo, presenta la masculinidad y a los jóvenes, algo increÃble. Punkzilla es un adolescente de catorce años que huyó de un colegio militar, que critica duramente a Bush y a lo conservador de su padre (y de su familia en general). Va en busca de su hermano enfermo, que salió del closet hace años y huyó de casa, que escribe obras de teatro y vive en Memphis con su novio. Mientras va viajando, de Portland a donde está su hermano, escribe cartas.
La historia, pues, nos llega a través de las cartas que Punkzilla le escribe a su hermano, con su particular forma de escribir, los hechos que decide narrarnos y, lo que adivino que es mucho slang. Adivino porque si algo hizo a este libro es la traducción. Donde El guardián en el centeno pierde, para mÃ, parte de su encanto (la traducción que empecé a leer nunca fue de mis favoritas y me hizo buscar el libro en inglés), este la gana. La traducción del libro en español, publicado por el Fondo de Cultura Económica, corrió a cargo de la escritora Raquel Castro (a quien en este blog recordamos por Ojos llenos de sombra) y es una traducción que hizo al libro. Es preciosa. Se puede notar es esfuerzo de mantener la voz de los personajes, a la vez que el esfuerzo por traducirlo para, sobre todo, la juventud mexicana.
Entremezcladas con las cartas de Punkzilla, hay algunas respuestas de su hermano y algunas cartas del pasado, de sus padres o su otro hermano mientras está en la academia militar. Hay una, escrita por el protagonista, mientras aun está interno, dirigida a su madre, que me encanta. Escribe la carta y vomita todo lo que siente en ella y al final dice que la acaba de releer, que no la va a enviar, que antes la quema. Como si no quisiera reconocerse vulnerable ante su madre, pero es algo que los lectores podemos ver, esa vulnerabilidad tan obvia de Punkzilla, por más que se quiera hacer el fuerte mientras cruza el paÃs y huye de su casa y se enoja porque se ve como chica y lo ven como chica y repite que le dicen Punkzilla. Esa parte del libro me encantó, porque es además un rasgo que se va repitiendo escondido por las cartas, mientras cuenta su ineptitud en la escuela militar y le pide a su hermano que no se muera.
Además, en el libro hay una obvia crÃtica a las escuelas militares en los Estados Unidos, lo que les hace a los jóvenes y lo que representa. Hay una crÃtica a los gobiernos conservadores y, en general, a las familias conservadoras. Hay un resentimiento muy grande cuando el protagonista se refiere a su familia, porque lo mandaron a una escuela militar para "corregirlo" y porque practicamente obligaron a su hermano a huir de su casa.
La verdad Punkzilla es un libro que recomiendo mucho, de verdad. Me gustó mucho más de lo que esperaba, porque en un principio, ni la portada ni la presentación me llamaban la atención (hasta que oà a alguien recomendarlo). Asà que por eso, también quiero recomendárselos a ustedes. Es un libro juvenil con estilo fresco, que ofrece una historia increÃble y quizá pueda ser incluso considerado un coming-of-age narrado de manera increÃble. No se lo pierdan. Es uno de los tÃtulos de la colección A través del espejo del Fondo de Cultura Económica, la colección que le está apostando a la literatura juvenil.
January 19, 2010
I've kinda found Rapp's other books to be a bit too gritty (and I like some gritty too) but this one I found just perfect. Jamie is 14 and has run away from military school and is living on the streets, basically, in Portland. As the book starts, he's coming down from some crystal meth and on his way, via Greyhound, to see his older brother before he succumbs to cancer.
I felt like I knew (or could know) these people. Mostly, I liked that the people most marginalized (other street kids, obviously mentally ill people, the transgendered, the generally troubled) were the most help to Jamie, while those that seemed straight (Alan Skymer, to a lesser extent Kent and Marty) are more damaging. I also liked that the letters show us that an assumption we might make about the Major and Mom isn't quite true.
Other books about "street kids" (those of you who know me know which books I mean) should read this one to see what it is really like. Actually don't. Just stop writing about street kids if you can't do it like this. Stop now.
I felt like I knew (or could know) these people. Mostly, I liked that the people most marginalized (other street kids, obviously mentally ill people, the transgendered, the generally troubled) were the most help to Jamie, while those that seemed straight (Alan Skymer, to a lesser extent Kent and Marty) are more damaging. I also liked that the letters show us that an assumption we might make about the Major and Mom isn't quite true.
Other books about "street kids" (those of you who know me know which books I mean) should read this one to see what it is really like. Actually don't. Just stop writing about street kids if you can't do it like this. Stop now.
Read
August 28, 2016Whenever I first started reading this, I was really disappointed. The back of the book made the main kid sound like a trouble maker but killer smart. Instead, I found a misogynistic little a-hole who made bad choices at all times. I don't know when my view of him changed, but I ended up growing really close to the kid. I hated watching him be used and watching as he made bad decisions. When his brother didn't respond to his letter, I got really nervous for him. When he found people that treated him well. I was happy. I don't know how I feel about this book. It was definitely an experience, but I'm not sure it is one I would want to live through again. I don't think I would recommend this to someone looking for a good read, but I would recommend it if you need something to make you feel and to make you numb at the same time. Somethings do both because sometimes feeling and being numb can be awful similar.
June 7, 2009
Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com
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.
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.
January 27, 2017
Esta es, probablemente, mi novela favorita dentro del género "juvenil". eso se debe a que aborda su tema sin la menor condescendencia pero, a la vez, sin caer en la sordidez o el cinismo que suele caracterizar al "realismo sucio". La trama de esta novela es simple: nos cuenta la historia de Jamie, un adolescente que huye de una escuela militar y que ha de atravesar Estados Unidos para buscar refugio con su hermano mayor que, por cierto, es gay. Y tiene cáncer, muy avanzado. Aquà empiezan las complicaciones que pueden incomodar a quienes creen que la literatura juvenil tiene que ser ñoña. Porque, además de todo, Jamie se ha drogado, ha robado, ha tenido que hacer cosas de las que no se siente particularmente orgulloso. para mi gusto, eso lo vuelve humano, creÃble. Me encanta que no sea un personaje plano y bueno de buenolandia y que, pese a lo que ha vivido, tampoco es cÃnico y desencantado de la vida.
A esto hay que agregar que la estructura de la novela es complicada: Rapp nos cuenta la historia por medio de una serie de cartas que Jamie le escribe a su hermano mayor en el trayecto a encontrarlo; pero las cartas no se nos presentan en orden, por lo que el lector tiene que hacer su chamba y poner en su cabeza la cronologÃa. Tampoco es cosa del otro mundo, pues. Pero es un libro que demanda atención y que mantiene el interés todo el tiempo.
Ojalá pronto lo traduzcan al español, estoy segura de que muchos lectores de acá lo encontrarán fascinante.
A esto hay que agregar que la estructura de la novela es complicada: Rapp nos cuenta la historia por medio de una serie de cartas que Jamie le escribe a su hermano mayor en el trayecto a encontrarlo; pero las cartas no se nos presentan en orden, por lo que el lector tiene que hacer su chamba y poner en su cabeza la cronologÃa. Tampoco es cosa del otro mundo, pues. Pero es un libro que demanda atención y que mantiene el interés todo el tiempo.
Ojalá pronto lo traduzcan al español, estoy segura de que muchos lectores de acá lo encontrarán fascinante.
August 8, 2009
Anything with "punk" in it always grabs my eye at the library, so I picked this up as the jacket said that 14 year old Jamie (Punkzilla) writes letters to his brother--who is dying of cancer--while riding the Greyhound from Portland to Memphis. This book will get tons of shit if "concerned parents" ever get a hold of it.
Jamie starts by saying how burnt out he is because they did meth last night, then he tells about life in Portland: robbing joggers for their Ipods, getting handjobs from Bucktooth Betty, making friends with Branson, and running a charity scam to get money from people who think they are helping find a kidnapped child.
Rapp sets it up from the start: either you are going to be horrified and turn away in judgement, disgust, or anger; or you are going to keep going and find out how Jamie wound up here and what life can be like for the many kids out there struggling to get by in the cities on their own.
Many of the encounters Jamie makes after he escapes from military school are disturbing, but some are beneficial as his thinking starts to catch up with his potential for life. I thought I knew where this was going several times, but Rapp doesn't take the easy explanation.
Recommended.
Jamie starts by saying how burnt out he is because they did meth last night, then he tells about life in Portland: robbing joggers for their Ipods, getting handjobs from Bucktooth Betty, making friends with Branson, and running a charity scam to get money from people who think they are helping find a kidnapped child.
Rapp sets it up from the start: either you are going to be horrified and turn away in judgement, disgust, or anger; or you are going to keep going and find out how Jamie wound up here and what life can be like for the many kids out there struggling to get by in the cities on their own.
Many of the encounters Jamie makes after he escapes from military school are disturbing, but some are beneficial as his thinking starts to catch up with his potential for life. I thought I knew where this was going several times, but Rapp doesn't take the easy explanation.
Recommended.
August 30, 2009
This new YA novel is the gripping story of 14 year old Jaime (known as Punkzilla, or P. to his friends) after he runs away from military school and travels across the country to see his dying older brother in Memphis. His brother is estranged from the rest of the family due to his homosexuality, but Punkzilla has a close connection with him and is racing to see him before his expected death to advanced cancer. The story is told in a series of letters from Punkzilla to his brother, some of which are actually sent but most are stored in a thick spiral binder that he carries with him. There are also letters to P. from other family and friends. Along the way, Punkzilla encounters a range of colorful (and occasionally dangerous) people along the way who both help and hurt him and he relays the details of these meetings to his older brother in his journal. This book is quite memorable, but it features harsh language and many sexually explicit scenes. Older teen readers will find a lot to like about this book, but be aware of the starkly realistic rawness before offering this book to younger readers.
December 31, 2019
Very touching and delightful book. I listened to this instead of eye-reading it, which I think it made some of the laugh out loud moments even funnier. Because the story is in letter format, it allowed me to fully empathize with the main character, flaws and all. I really felt his desperation to get to his brother - by way of letter, we get to understand what type of relationship they had. Also, I love that we got to meet so many interesting, detailed characters throughout (either along the journey or from his past).
So glad I read this gritty yet intimate, beautiful story!
So glad I read this gritty yet intimate, beautiful story!
January 23, 2023
Una historia difÃcil de clasificar por el gran contenido, la enseñanza, los mensajes que deja el autor hacia nosotros y el querer mostrar el reflejo de la sociedad en un ambiente poco transitado, pero muy usual visto en road movies.
RESEÑA COMPLETA EN MI BLOG:
RESEÑA COMPLETA EN MI BLOG:
January 26, 2016
I am sort of stalled in this book. It hasn't engaged me.
March 7, 2019
Jamie’s story is told in a series of letters that fully embody the voice of a 14 year old on the streets. After running away from military school and living on the streets of Portland for a few months he attempts to travel cross-country by bus to see his older brother who is dying of cancer. Life on the road for is scary and Jamie finds himself needing to ask for help from strangers. Realistic YA fiction.
March 6, 2018
Un libro que nos muestra el viaje de un adolescente que poco a poco se va forjando una idea de la vida.
¿Qué es lo que verdaderamente importa?
Léalo usted mismo.
¿Qué es lo que verdaderamente importa?
Léalo usted mismo.
July 11, 2023
i quite enjoyed this book. it's one of those books where you feel like you're going on the adventure with the character and when the book is over you realize how much of an impact it has on you
September 24, 2010
Even though Punkzilla received the Michael L. Printz award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature from the ALA, I was completely new to Adam Rapp and the reputation that preceded him. I didn’t have any expectations about this novel (thematically or otherwise), which I think is the best way to approach it if you really want to be smitten with it as I was.
The first thing that came to my mind was that it’s like reading a teenage version of Kerouac’s On the road. But then, I don’t actually like On the road very much, or at least I think it’s a widely overrated book that you can probably only fully appreciate when you are (or have been) in a certain� state of mind. Punkzilla on the other hand can be read, and enjoyed by just about anyone with a bit of a heart and soul.
The premise of the book is actually quite mundane in the world of YA-fiction: dysfunctional teen Jamie (‘Punkzilla�) doesn’t fit in at home, is sent away to Military School by his father, a retired Major, and consequently goes AWOL because of the strict regime he can’t cope with. He ends up in Portland, Oregon (not Maine), and starts stealing his way through life, mostly iPods. One of the people he encounters in the book even asks him if he’s “one of them Fagan boys�. So yes, the theme is as old as any Dickensian novel.
The big appeal of this book, and the way it clearly distinguishes itself, lies in the style Adam Rapp uses. Just like The Perks of Being a Wallflower, this book is an epistolary novel, a genre with obvious limitations. Rapp, however, cleverly tries to overcome these by playing with the chronology of the book, but � more importantly � by giving each letter writer a clear voice and an individual writing style. The Major’s style is predictably strict and stern; Jamie’s mom’s letter are quite momsy; etc. However, the standout voice clearly has to be Jamie’s, whose stream-of-consciousness confessions and rants just jump off the page with their innocent candor. Now, innocent, is not how you would describe the events that lead to Jamie’s current state of mind: he’s a pre-pubescent ADD meth-taking potsmoker, and yet� his voice is truthful and sincere, his words are never ironical and he yet has to reach that phase of self-absorbed teen cynicism.
After staying in Portland for a couple of months, Jamie decides to visit his brother P in Memphis, who confesses in one of his letters that he’s dying of cancer. This decision leads to a road trip across America’s underbelly, as we stumble upon society’s throwaways in seedy motels, Greyhound stations, and roadside restrooms. In this world of transsexuals and amateur-photographers Rapp tries to capture the transitory nature of human encounters.
Punkzilla is never another bleak house –to stay with the Dickensian references. It is a deeply emotional and even hopeful book. Most of the outcasts we meet may have lost nearly everything, but during their chance meeting with Jamie they may at least have found integrity.
The first thing that came to my mind was that it’s like reading a teenage version of Kerouac’s On the road. But then, I don’t actually like On the road very much, or at least I think it’s a widely overrated book that you can probably only fully appreciate when you are (or have been) in a certain� state of mind. Punkzilla on the other hand can be read, and enjoyed by just about anyone with a bit of a heart and soul.
The premise of the book is actually quite mundane in the world of YA-fiction: dysfunctional teen Jamie (‘Punkzilla�) doesn’t fit in at home, is sent away to Military School by his father, a retired Major, and consequently goes AWOL because of the strict regime he can’t cope with. He ends up in Portland, Oregon (not Maine), and starts stealing his way through life, mostly iPods. One of the people he encounters in the book even asks him if he’s “one of them Fagan boys�. So yes, the theme is as old as any Dickensian novel.
The big appeal of this book, and the way it clearly distinguishes itself, lies in the style Adam Rapp uses. Just like The Perks of Being a Wallflower, this book is an epistolary novel, a genre with obvious limitations. Rapp, however, cleverly tries to overcome these by playing with the chronology of the book, but � more importantly � by giving each letter writer a clear voice and an individual writing style. The Major’s style is predictably strict and stern; Jamie’s mom’s letter are quite momsy; etc. However, the standout voice clearly has to be Jamie’s, whose stream-of-consciousness confessions and rants just jump off the page with their innocent candor. Now, innocent, is not how you would describe the events that lead to Jamie’s current state of mind: he’s a pre-pubescent ADD meth-taking potsmoker, and yet� his voice is truthful and sincere, his words are never ironical and he yet has to reach that phase of self-absorbed teen cynicism.
After staying in Portland for a couple of months, Jamie decides to visit his brother P in Memphis, who confesses in one of his letters that he’s dying of cancer. This decision leads to a road trip across America’s underbelly, as we stumble upon society’s throwaways in seedy motels, Greyhound stations, and roadside restrooms. In this world of transsexuals and amateur-photographers Rapp tries to capture the transitory nature of human encounters.
Punkzilla is never another bleak house –to stay with the Dickensian references. It is a deeply emotional and even hopeful book. Most of the outcasts we meet may have lost nearly everything, but during their chance meeting with Jamie they may at least have found integrity.
March 4, 2016
"...and my hands wouldn't stop shaking all through breakfast if you don't let me come home think I'm going to run away like go AWOL and never look back or maybe I'll stick a fork in my eye and get kicked out I swear Mom I'm going to do that if you loved me you would let me come home. Okay fuck this I just read this letter and there's no way I'm sending it to you. No way no way no way no way. It will live in this notebook forever or I will burn it."
PUNKZILLA!!!!
I kid you not, I shouted that every time I picked up this book to read. If I was really ecstatic about it, I would add some radical hand gestures with it. Punkzilla!!!!!! I mean, have you ever heard such a badass name for a book? Amazing.
Not only was the title hardcore, but the book itself was downright awesome.
Jamie (also called Punkzilla) is on a journey to go see his older brother Peter before 'P' dies from cancer. This journey will be difficult for several reasons:
~Jamie is only fourteen years old
~He is running away from Buckner, a military school in Missouri
~He goes to Portland Oregon, when his parents don't have any idea that he's gone missing
~He must travel from Portland Oregon, to Memphis Tennessee to see P
~On this epic journey across the country, Jamie will be traveling alone
~Things aren't what they seem
~People aren't who they seem
~Sometimes things are going to get ugly. It's just the truth
Punkzilla is —what I assume to be� Jamie's notebook that he carries with him at all times. Filled with letters from others, letters to P documenting Jamie's trip across the country, and letters that Jamie will never ever send, Jamie narrates his adventures in such a raw unique way, with his stubborn sentences consisting of mild slang, run-on-sentences, and no commas at all.
As with the books I've read by Adam Rapp before this one, I'm not disappointed. I was engrossed in the raw beauty of this book, and how he captures Jamie's blunt innocence just right, and the way he can strip down everything to reveal the ugly truth about some things in life.
And his descriptions!!! GAH! They inspire me to write in ways that I've never written before. Such vivid descriptions of every exact detail that make you stop and reflect on it a bit before going on. Absolutely beautiful.
"When I get to you you better not be blind. At least give me a few days of you being able to see.
Love,
Your Bro"
...
wait for it...
...
PUNKZILLA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PUNKZILLA!!!!
I kid you not, I shouted that every time I picked up this book to read. If I was really ecstatic about it, I would add some radical hand gestures with it. Punkzilla!!!!!! I mean, have you ever heard such a badass name for a book? Amazing.
Not only was the title hardcore, but the book itself was downright awesome.
Jamie (also called Punkzilla) is on a journey to go see his older brother Peter before 'P' dies from cancer. This journey will be difficult for several reasons:
~Jamie is only fourteen years old
~He is running away from Buckner, a military school in Missouri
~He goes to Portland Oregon, when his parents don't have any idea that he's gone missing
~He must travel from Portland Oregon, to Memphis Tennessee to see P
~On this epic journey across the country, Jamie will be traveling alone
~Things aren't what they seem
~People aren't who they seem
~Sometimes things are going to get ugly. It's just the truth
Punkzilla is —what I assume to be� Jamie's notebook that he carries with him at all times. Filled with letters from others, letters to P documenting Jamie's trip across the country, and letters that Jamie will never ever send, Jamie narrates his adventures in such a raw unique way, with his stubborn sentences consisting of mild slang, run-on-sentences, and no commas at all.
As with the books I've read by Adam Rapp before this one, I'm not disappointed. I was engrossed in the raw beauty of this book, and how he captures Jamie's blunt innocence just right, and the way he can strip down everything to reveal the ugly truth about some things in life.
And his descriptions!!! GAH! They inspire me to write in ways that I've never written before. Such vivid descriptions of every exact detail that make you stop and reflect on it a bit before going on. Absolutely beautiful.
"When I get to you you better not be blind. At least give me a few days of you being able to see.
Love,
Your Bro"
...
wait for it...
...
PUNKZILLA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 16, 2013
Title / Author / Publication Date:
Punkzilla. / Adam Rapp. / 2009.
Genre: Young Adult Realistic Fiction.
Format: Book - print (epistolary novel). 256 pages.
Plot summary:
"As a runaway on the streets of Portland who sustains himself through petty crimes, a 14-year-old boy nicknamed Punkzilla decides to try to kick his meth habit and turn his life around; putting him on a cross-country, soul-searching journey to Tennessee to visit his older brother who is dying of cancer" (NoveList).
Considerations or precautions for readers advisory:
teenage boys, drug use, running away, hick-hiking, cross country bus travel, alienation, family expectations, military school, homosexuality, cancer patients, coming of age story
Review citation:
"Rapp pulls no punches in depicting the degrading life of children on the streets. The choice to live free from parents and school comes at a cost–to survive Jamie becomes both exploited and exploiter. But there is more here than the sordid streets. Impulsive and naive as he may be, Jamie is struggling for something that just might come close to integrity. Readers can see the good in him and even in his infuriating parents. In the end he finds shelter with his brother’s lover, who opens the door to the creative life, a more intelligent and focused world-outside-the-box where Jamie just might find what he needs. Exquisitely true in its raw but vulnerable voice, this story is a compulsive read" (Carolyn Lehman in School Library Journal).
Section source used to find the material:
YALSA: Michael L. Printz Winners and Honor Books (2010 Honor Book)
Recommended age: Ages 13 to 18.
Punkzilla. / Adam Rapp. / 2009.
Genre: Young Adult Realistic Fiction.
Format: Book - print (epistolary novel). 256 pages.
Plot summary:
"As a runaway on the streets of Portland who sustains himself through petty crimes, a 14-year-old boy nicknamed Punkzilla decides to try to kick his meth habit and turn his life around; putting him on a cross-country, soul-searching journey to Tennessee to visit his older brother who is dying of cancer" (NoveList).
Considerations or precautions for readers advisory:
teenage boys, drug use, running away, hick-hiking, cross country bus travel, alienation, family expectations, military school, homosexuality, cancer patients, coming of age story
Review citation:
"Rapp pulls no punches in depicting the degrading life of children on the streets. The choice to live free from parents and school comes at a cost–to survive Jamie becomes both exploited and exploiter. But there is more here than the sordid streets. Impulsive and naive as he may be, Jamie is struggling for something that just might come close to integrity. Readers can see the good in him and even in his infuriating parents. In the end he finds shelter with his brother’s lover, who opens the door to the creative life, a more intelligent and focused world-outside-the-box where Jamie just might find what he needs. Exquisitely true in its raw but vulnerable voice, this story is a compulsive read" (Carolyn Lehman in School Library Journal).
Section source used to find the material:
YALSA: Michael L. Printz Winners and Honor Books (2010 Honor Book)
Recommended age: Ages 13 to 18.
February 17, 2010
Adam Rapp hits the nail on the head again with Punkzilla. I wondered if he'd permanently lost his touch with , but he's got it back. Punkzilla revists many of the things Rapp has written about in previous books: the military academy, intellectually precocious children, pedophilia, drugs, aimless wandering. The only thing missing were his gorgeous similies and believe me, I felt the loss.
The book consists of a series of letters concerning Jamie "Punkzilla," who went AWOL from a military boarding school about six months ago and has been on the run ever since. Most of them are journal-type letters he's writing to his older brother, but there are also several letters written to Punkzilla by others. The letters aren't in chronological order, but they are dated so it's pretty easy to make sense of them. Each letter-writer has a distinctive voice, and though many of them get only one or two letters each, those few pages were enough to very clearly show Punkzilla's relationship with that person. Punkzilla's letter/journals to his brother P seem like something a real fourteen-year-old boy would have written, and his reactions to the events of his cross-country journey and the people he encounters ring true as well.
This book is very bleak and not for the faint of heart, but it's not as dark as many Rapp books and it ends on a hopeful note. I zipped right through it and really enjoyed it. Very much recommended.
The book consists of a series of letters concerning Jamie "Punkzilla," who went AWOL from a military boarding school about six months ago and has been on the run ever since. Most of them are journal-type letters he's writing to his older brother, but there are also several letters written to Punkzilla by others. The letters aren't in chronological order, but they are dated so it's pretty easy to make sense of them. Each letter-writer has a distinctive voice, and though many of them get only one or two letters each, those few pages were enough to very clearly show Punkzilla's relationship with that person. Punkzilla's letter/journals to his brother P seem like something a real fourteen-year-old boy would have written, and his reactions to the events of his cross-country journey and the people he encounters ring true as well.
This book is very bleak and not for the faint of heart, but it's not as dark as many Rapp books and it ends on a hopeful note. I zipped right through it and really enjoyed it. Very much recommended.
April 2, 2014
The book punkzilla is a fiction novel. Its about a 14 year old boy Jamie who is traveling from Oregon to Memphis to see his brother who is dying from cancer. On the way he goes through tough times and struggles on his journey.
I loved the book, it kept me interested and wanting to read more. On the other hand I didnt like some of the details in the book; such as the old man giving him a hand job in a motel. My favorite character was Jamie because this is the only character that was given a lot of detail throughout the book. The characters felt very real to me, all the troubles they went through were real situations. The story unfortunately did not keep me guessing because I could guess what the story had in store. My favorite part of the story was when Jamie talked about how much he hated his step dad. This is relatable to a lot of people and in some ways I can relate. I laughed most of the book but at the end it made me sad when Peter died. Although the ending made me sad I think it came out to a perfect ending I do not wish it was different.
I would reccomend this book to anyone. To some it may not be relatable, but I feel like anyone would like the book and it would be a good read for anyone. I dont read ever so I dont know any books or series that are conparable.
I loved the book, it kept me interested and wanting to read more. On the other hand I didnt like some of the details in the book; such as the old man giving him a hand job in a motel. My favorite character was Jamie because this is the only character that was given a lot of detail throughout the book. The characters felt very real to me, all the troubles they went through were real situations. The story unfortunately did not keep me guessing because I could guess what the story had in store. My favorite part of the story was when Jamie talked about how much he hated his step dad. This is relatable to a lot of people and in some ways I can relate. I laughed most of the book but at the end it made me sad when Peter died. Although the ending made me sad I think it came out to a perfect ending I do not wish it was different.
I would reccomend this book to anyone. To some it may not be relatable, but I feel like anyone would like the book and it would be a good read for anyone. I dont read ever so I dont know any books or series that are conparable.
February 10, 2017
I thought this was a great book. I loved h perspective of Punkzilla. I really enjoyed reading his journey and hope whoever reads this book does too.
December 14, 2009
4 1/2 stars. This is now my favorite book by this amazing writer, and it's knocking North of Beautiful off of my 2009favorites list. I love that Punkzilla/Jamie/James comes from a solidly middle class background, and how believable it is that he could end up on the street. Love his (literally) pain-filled road trip, and how one of the adult characters calls his own road trip a "thinking vacation". I've taken lots of those long driving trips where all you do is think, myself. I tried to start reading both this and Orange Houses a few months ago, and was apparently unable to take anything at all gritty at the time, but I'm definitely ready again. I love that this was a 2010 Printz Honor. Go Printz committee!
September 15, 2014
What I didn't like about this book:
-The portrayal of women throughout. Every woman is weak, dirty, or stupid. Discussion of women's bodies and calling them 'skeezers' condones this kind of behavior in readers.
-The letter format started out interesting, but didn't quite work as effectively as it could have. I felt like so much had to be explained to the reader that the correspondence between the brothers seemed unnatural.
-So many issues for a fourteen-year-old protagonist. Especially the encounter with the pedophile--too heavy for the age group, and the way Jaime dealt with it seemed unrealistic.
Hats off to the editor that wrote the flap copy, though, because that was fantastic.
-The portrayal of women throughout. Every woman is weak, dirty, or stupid. Discussion of women's bodies and calling them 'skeezers' condones this kind of behavior in readers.
-The letter format started out interesting, but didn't quite work as effectively as it could have. I felt like so much had to be explained to the reader that the correspondence between the brothers seemed unnatural.
-So many issues for a fourteen-year-old protagonist. Especially the encounter with the pedophile--too heavy for the age group, and the way Jaime dealt with it seemed unrealistic.
Hats off to the editor that wrote the flap copy, though, because that was fantastic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2009
Fourteen-year-old Jamie (aka Punkzilla) is AWOL from military school. He's already lived hand to mouth in a west coast city, stealing iPods, doing cheap drugs, and getting the occasional joyless hand job. Now he is headed to Memphis where his oldest brother, Peter, a gay playwright, is dying from cancer. His story is told through his letters to Peter as he hitchhikes across the country, written in the backseats of cars, under a tree where a man hanged himself, and ultimately in retrospect when he reaches his journey's sad end. Raw, devastating, astonishing, exquisitely bleak. Rapp never disappoints.
February 12, 2010
I always have to give props to a book told in letters that I didn't put down. BECAUSE I HATE THAT STYLE.
(And yet I'll get over it really quickly if I'm absorbed. So props!)
So heartbreaking, extremely spot-on voice, vivid pictures painted of all the people Jamie encountered. Wish some of them had been a bit less... well, a bit less.
I'm not entirely sure what I'm saying. I guess it's that at times this felt so scripted. This dramatic encounter means this which is symbolic of that which lends drama to this. If I can see you, the writer, writing, I'm definitely taken out of the story.
(read: 14)
(And yet I'll get over it really quickly if I'm absorbed. So props!)
So heartbreaking, extremely spot-on voice, vivid pictures painted of all the people Jamie encountered. Wish some of them had been a bit less... well, a bit less.
I'm not entirely sure what I'm saying. I guess it's that at times this felt so scripted. This dramatic encounter means this which is symbolic of that which lends drama to this. If I can see you, the writer, writing, I'm definitely taken out of the story.
(read: 14)
June 23, 2010
This book would be the high school version of Heartbreaking Work of a Staggering Genius or Running With Scissors. It was so depressing, yet hard to put down. It also reminded me of Into the Wild. I guess I felt it was difficult to feel sorry for the main character when he was so bent on self-destruction. I know his parents were extreme, but he didn't have much in the way of a conscious. The redeeming characteristics were present in his letters to his brother, which were often hilarious and tragic at the same time.
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