Last Night I Sang To The Monster by Benjamin Alire Saenz Zach is spending his senior year of High School in rehab. He almost died of alcohol poisoning, found on the side of the road one night. Zach can't remember what happened nor does he want to. In rehab Zach must admit he has a problem with alcohol and begin putting his life back together.
This novel was intense, beautiful, strong and believable. I finished this novel awhile back, Zach is still with me. I remember Zach worry about where his monster comes from (maybe his brother) or what God tattooed on his heart.
"I keep seeing a newspaper being toosed around in the wind. And then a strong gust comes along and the newspaper is thrown against a barbed wire fence and it gets ripped to shreds in an instant. That's how I feel. I think God is the wind. It's all like a game to him. Him. God. And it's all pretty much random. He takes out his pen and starts writing on our blank hearts. When it came to my turn, he wrote sad. I don't like God very much. Apparently he doesn't like me very much either. "
Zach becomes close friends with Rafael his roommate who is old enough to be his father. I can't even begin to try to find the words to describe how beautiful their friendship was.
"My lips were trembling and I couldn't make them stop. And there were salty tears running down my face and I couldn't see. I just closed my fists tight until I could feel my lips stop trembling. Then the tears stopped. And then I took a breath and then I unclenched my fists. I looked down at the floor. I could feel the words coming out of my mouth, could feel them, the words I didn't want to speak. "The last time - the last time I felt really alive was when Rafael sang to me."
The authors writing is beautiful and poetic. Zach is as three dimensional as they come. Last Night I Sang to the Monster is a wonderful and unforgettable realistic YA novel featuring a male protagonist.
Check out this wonderful interview with the author over at School Library Journal
This novel was intense, beautiful, strong and believable. I finished this novel awhile back, Zach is still with me. I remember Zach worry about where his monster comes from (maybe his brother) or what God tattooed on his heart.
"I keep seeing a newspaper being toosed around in the wind. And then a strong gust comes along and the newspaper is thrown against a barbed wire fence and it gets ripped to shreds in an instant. That's how I feel. I think God is the wind. It's all like a game to him. Him. God. And it's all pretty much random. He takes out his pen and starts writing on our blank hearts. When it came to my turn, he wrote sad. I don't like God very much. Apparently he doesn't like me very much either. "
Zach becomes close friends with Rafael his roommate who is old enough to be his father. I can't even begin to try to find the words to describe how beautiful their friendship was.
"My lips were trembling and I couldn't make them stop. And there were salty tears running down my face and I couldn't see. I just closed my fists tight until I could feel my lips stop trembling. Then the tears stopped. And then I took a breath and then I unclenched my fists. I looked down at the floor. I could feel the words coming out of my mouth, could feel them, the words I didn't want to speak. "The last time - the last time I felt really alive was when Rafael sang to me."
The authors writing is beautiful and poetic. Zach is as three dimensional as they come. Last Night I Sang to the Monster is a wonderful and unforgettable realistic YA novel featuring a male protagonist.
Check out this wonderful interview with the author over at School Library Journal
6 comments:
This one is going on my wishlist. Young adult, right? I have a young adult reading challenge that I entered. I signed up for 12 books. This would be a good one.
I think Saenz is one author who doesn't get nearly the recognition he deserves. His books consistently gets good reviews. Susan gave me "He Forgot to say Goodbye" for xMas, I can't wait to get into it. Reading "Wanting Mor" right now.
Mardel - I think you'll like this one and Edi is so right, you can't so wrong with any Benjamin Alire Saenz novel
Wow! This looks so much like my kind of book, and I hadn't heard of it before. I can't wait to read it. Thank you, Doret.
Ali, you should. The author is an amazing writer
Writing my review right now, and again I say: Wow. And thank you.
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