Elizabeth's Reviews > The Crossover

** spoiler alert **
I am not much of a fan of verse novels because I am a crabby jealous person. I pretty much have to write three times as many words to produce a book this thick and I bet it takes three times as long. I look at all that white space on the page and I feel: RESENTMENT.

So that means that I bring a big bucket of bile to the book party before it even starts, and it is a measure of how excellent a book this is that I really loved it.

I loved the characterization, I loved the careful weaving of the themes and metaphors throughout the novel, and now that I think about it, this weaving is in some ways best expressed in poetry. I wasn’t a fan of the many different type sizes in the rap sections, but hey, whatever, I bet it works for the teen readers.

I liked the combination of myth with reality. I liked the contrast of the twins, their closeness and their separation, the accidental pain they inflicted on each other and their genuine regret and their ultimate ability to forgive. (Really quite classical in its elegant set-up.) I liked seeing it through Josh’s eyes, sympathizing with him, knowing it was going to be too much for him to deal with because it was too much for ME to deal with. I like their wealth and their color and the fact that neither of these things matters much either in their society or to the reader. They have EARNED their respected place in the world. I liked that the basketball champion dad was actually a European champion, playing for Italy, not some NBA star, although it in no way diminishes people’s respect for him. I liked the empowered mother – DOCTOR Bell, the Assistant Principal, forced and ABLE to mete out real discipline – but also vulnerable – kingly in her authority.

I’m sorry, this is going all FISHER KING ON ME.

And her wounded, invisibly dying husband, still respected and admired as a champion despite his crippling – OMG HE HAS TO QUIT BECAUSE HE HAS A KNEE INJURY.

AAAAHHHHH HE NEVER TAKES THEM FISHING

It’s very good.