How much of who we are is by design and how much is by influence? We may never really know. This book was an interesting look at that very subject. A boy who has literally terrorized a school, so much so that one of his classmates had to move to a boarding school to escape the torment, takes a serious tumble and ends up with amnesia. He doesn't know his parents or his friends. He also doesn't know himself. He doesn't remember the terrible things he's done, he doesn't understand why people at school give him lots of space when they see him coming. Slowly he learns about some of the horrible things he's done and can't square that Chase with the Chase he has become. Worse, there are people who would rather he returned to being the brutish thug he'd been. A new circle of friends (former victims) and his family hope he can hold on to who he is at his core, this new Chase who hates the things he did in his old life. As his memories start to return and his friends try to rope him into misdeeds, it becomes difficult to know how to steer himself through his new existence. This was such a fascinating story. It brings the nature vs. nurture question to the forefront and also makes one wonder what makes a bully. I recommend this for all ages and think it would be a great book for a classroom discussion.
No comments:
Post a Comment