Our superb volunteer Belinda explores the world of verse novels and makes some recommendations…

I have to confess to a slight sinking feeling when I picked up my first verse novel, One by Sarah Crossan.  I was interested in the story line but was sceptical about the verse format.  How could the details and subtleties of the story be conveyed when the word count was so much lower than a novel written in prose?  How wrong I was!  The sparseness of the language added power and punch to the story, as every word on the page mattered.  The story was quick to read, as the word count was low, but the white space on the page gave room for my imagination to flourish.  The emotional punch of the story was enhanced by the verse format and left me deeply moved.  Since then, I have read many verse novels and have consistently found myself drawn into the stories on a profound and emotional level.  Here are a few of my favourites:

One – Sarah Crossan
A beautiful, heart-breaking and award-winning verse novel about the unbreakable bond between sisters. 

When sixteen-year-old conjoined twins Tippi and Grace start a new school, all they want is to fit in, hang out with friends, break a few rules, maybe even fall in love. Above all, to be treated as individuals. What they are not expecting is to face the most difficult decision of their lives, one that will change them forever.

The power of this book undoubtedly lies in the relationship between Tippi and Grace and the sensitive and believable way that this is depicted. The use of verse rather than prose means that every word, every sentence has been honed and crafted and pulls at your heartstrings. One will touch your soul and live on in your memory.

Run, Rebel – Manjeet Mann
A compelling and powerful verse novel, which deals with themes of bullying, domestic abuse and family.

Run, rebel tells the story of a revolution.  Not a political, but a personal revolution in the life of Amber, a young girl trying to find her place in the world whilst dealing with a difficult set of circumstances at home. Can she find the courage to resist her overbearing and violent father, and perhaps rescue more than just herself?

One of the strengths of this book is that the characters are flawed but all the more believable as a result.  Amber is a victim but also a perpetrator of bullying, which makes for some uncomfortable reading but gives her a more rounded character.  Her father is violent and autocratic, but Amber still loves him and cannot fully reject him. Manjeet Mann uses the structure of this verse novel cleverly, hiding within the text of some of the poems the feelings that Amber does not dare to reveal openly. 

Long Way Down – Jason Reynolds
A cautionary tale in verse about the cycle of violence created by young men, guns and gangs.

When his older brother is shot, Will knows The Rules: Don’t cry.  Don’t snitch.  Get revenge. So armed with his brother’s gun, he gets in the lift of his apartment block to exact revenge on the person he believes shot his brother.  At each floor the lift stops to let in a host of characters all keen to share their experiences of guns and the consequences of using them.

Jason Reynolds is a master storyteller and this is one of his best books.  It is fast-paced and punchy and raises far more questions than it answers.  I read it in less than an hour, but immediately had to read it again to spot all the subtleties I had missed in my haste to find out what happened at the end. 

The Poet X – Elizabeth Acevedo
A teenage girl finds her voice through poetry and the courage to stand up for herself, to be heard and to forge her own path.

Fifteen-year-old Xiomara is a tough teenager growing up in a tough neighbourhood, with an over-bearing and strict mother, a distant father and a seemingly perfect twin brother. She keeps her feelings to herself and lets her fists do the talking, until a slam poetry class allows her to find her voice.

This is a beautiful and powerful verse novel with strong themes of identity, womanhood, discrimination and finding your voice. 

Punching The Air – Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam
A powerful verse novel about a black boy wrongly convicted of a crime and sent to prison, where he almost gives up hope but finds ways to express himself through poetry and art.

Amal is just sixteen when he is caught up in a street fight and unjustly accused of attempted murder.  The story of the night when the alleged crime took place is gradually revealed alongside Amal’s trial and incarceration, where he is dehumanised and treated as guilty even before the verdict.  In prison, he finds refuge in art and poetry and attempts to keep a sense of self and dignity even while the system tries to grind him down. 

This is a hard-hitting and important book about systemic racism and how the criminal justice system fails Black people.  It challenges the reader to resist prevailing stereotypes and look for the humanity behind the media headlines. 

The Black Flamingo – Dean Atta
A coming-of-age story about a bi-racial gay teen finding his place and his identity in modern Britain.

Through deft glimpses into his childhood, we build up a picture of Michael, growing up with his sister and their Greek-Cyprian mum in London, after his Jamaican dad deserted the family.  He feels different to other boys, more interested in Barbies than Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and as he reaches his teens, he experiences both racist and homophobic abuse. At university he struggles initially to find his place but through the Drag Society he finds his wings as the Black Flamingo and embraces his uniqueness.

At the heart of this book is the beautifully drawn character of Michael as he navigates growing up, coming out, moving out and finding his people, his place, his voice and ultimately himself.