BookChick Recommends Ann Dee Ellis’ “This is What I Did”
Read enough books for teens and you start to think kids are the witnesses to a lot of bad things. And, sadly, that’s kind of the truth.
I read Ann Dee Ellis‘ heartfelt “This is What I Did” this summer and it reminded me of one of my favorite books, Courtney Summers’ “Cracked up to Be,” which I reviewed earlier this week. Both books center on main characters with dark secrets, who saw bad things unfold and might have been able to stop those bad things from happening.
The success of this type of novel lies in the storytelling.
Ann Dee Ellis relies on a clever episodic style to dole out little bits of eighth grader Logan’s story - the crime he witnessed, the bullying he’s endured as a result. The story is told artfully, like a screenplay with sections of dialogue and stylized illustrations at the start of each chapter suggesting the theme. There are also pictures of notes in the book with palindromes on them (palindromes play an important role in the character’s growth).
I read this book in one day and found the story at times terribly sad, at times incredibly funny, and ultimately hopeful.
Diane ~ The Book Resort posted: 16 Sep at 4:56 pm
Oh, I am going to order this one. Thank you. I loved Cracked Up to Be, too.