Fifteen and Change

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. This was a great book.

This is what is considered “hi-lo” fiction—short books that are designed to encourage young, reluctant readers to read more. This one seems like it is aimed for a late middle school to early high school audience, so basically late middle grade and early young adult. In this novel, we follow a teenage boy named Zeke who is struggling quite badly in life. He lives with his mother, who is trapped in an abusive relationship, and they are all barely making ends meet.

So Zeke wants to make some money so he and his mother can escape this situation and he finds a job at a local pizza place. While there, he meets a group of labor activists who are fighting their unfair pay and offer Zeke a chance to stand up and have a voice. Because of this, he is left with the decision of whether to remain in his quiet life, focusing on work and an escape or to stand up for an important cause.

Of all the hi-lo fiction I have read recently, this was not one of my favorites. The idea for the plot is great and definitely deals with some extremely important and timely topics. I think it is something that would teach readers quite a lot about the unfairness in the workforce and how it is good to raise one’s voice for a just cause. However, I have to say I didn’t really get into this story. The writing made it feel jumbled and all over the place. It felt sort of disjointed and I never felt a sense of completion at the end. The characters also fell a bit flat. There is not enough time in a story this short to build these characters and fully develop the storyline given the deep topics it deals with. Overall, it wasn’t my thing, but I do think some reluctant readers may really enjoy it.

Although Zeke would like nothing more than to be invisible, he gets a job at a pizza shop. His only goal is to earn enough money to move him and his mother back home to Blue Way & away from his mother’s current boyfriend. As tensions arise at the pizza shop, Zeke learns how to stand up for himself and may even enjoy not being invisible.

I enjoyed this book and Zeke’s journey but was left wanting more from his overall story. The elements of social justice were relevant and relatable for young adults, but I would’ve liked to see the story of Zeke’s family and the supporting character’s stories be more developed.

The story was written in poem form and was a very quick read. I really liked the format because the author was able to paint a pull picture with very little words. My heart broke for Zeke and was healed again by his generous spirit. A very good read indeed.

This book is done in verse and I really enjoyed it. It's honest and real life viewpoint of minimum work is worth the read.

Fifteen and Change
Max Howard
(West 44 Books)
4 stars
Zeke, Zekers, Z would much prefer himself as invisible. His mother is in a relationship with a horrible man and Zeke just wants to go back home to Blue Way. The only way to help his mom get away from her abusive boyfriend is to get a job and save the money to leave. Things don’t go as planned and he must be visible to do what he feels is right.
The story was written in poem form and was a very quick read. I really liked the format because the author was able to paint a pull picture with very little words. My heart broke for Zeke and was healed again by his generous spirit. A very good read indeed.

I thought this would be interesting in the beginning but I quickly lost passion in this book and felt that it would be better for a different reader.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. A book completely written in verse. I have never read anything like this before. It took a little getting used to but it was a very effective way to write this. There is a lot going on in this novel that is only really touched the surface of these issues like domestic abuse, activism, homelessness and more. Zeke is trying to survive and help out his mother who is in an abusive relationship so he gets a job and soon comes to the conclusion that money is not going to solve their problems or issues. I kind of wish there was more to this novel. It has left me with a lot to think about now that it is done.

Thank you to Netgalley for this Advanced eGalley of “Fifteen and Change” by Max Howard.

Zeke wants a way out of the miserable life he lives with his mother and her jerk of a boyfriend. He hopes a new job will help him earn enough money to go back to Wisconsin where everything was seemingly better for them both. However, he quickly realizes money won’t solve all their problems.

Written entirely in verse, this is a book that strives to address several issues: poverty, labor unions, love, social activism, domestic abuse, and homelessness.

However, in trying to do so much, it manages to barely break the surface of any one of those topics. Leaving you with the shell of a story.

Zeke likable but it was difficult to connect with him in any meaningful way because he was so poorly developed. He felt alien to me. And while a few of his actions did humanize him somewhat, he was mostly a bystander and didn’t seem very important to the story—even though he was its central character!

The same could be said of his supporting cast. They were empty vessels. Ghostly in their lack of development.

Perhaps the decision to write use verse made depth difficult but I’ve read other stories, which used that format, with more success than Howard does here.

Honestly, it was as if Howard threw introduced the basic makeup of a particular person (the single mom, the devoted dad, the horrible boss, the well-meaning rebel, etc.) and left the reader to fill-in the blanks of what they were like based on the situation in which they were placed.

He expected empathy and sympathy without having to establish a connection.

It didn’t work.

It could’ve been a good story, if Howard had centered on one particular aspect—especially given the decision to utilize verse—but as-is it falls flat.

A YA told in verse, we follow Zeke (or Zekers as he is affectionately known) as he navigates home life with his mother’s abusive boyfriend and the job he took as a means of escape, which turns out to be difficult in its own ways. The prose was both refreshingly different and also very readable and the book was rather insightful. It doesn’t dumb down the harsh realities of those working at the pizza shop and says a lot with very few words. Although heavy, I encourage readers to give it go.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and West 44 Books for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm on the fence about this one. On one hand, I liked the story about the fight for higher wages, and how Max Howard showed that low minimum wages affect many people, and many families. On the other hand, I don't think all of the characters were as developed as they could have been, because of the verse format.

I enjoyed the side characters, and I sympathize with their struggles as they try to change their workplace environment. The only problem was that I wanted more of everything. I wanted to hear why Olivia decided to take a job at the pizza place. I wanted to see Hannah opening up and making friends, and I wanted Mary to be able to find a good place to live with her kids.

Zeke obviously had a hard time with his family, and has a rocky relationship with his mother. He always mentioned going back to Blue Way, the town he used to live in, but I had a hard time finding depth in this because I don’t think there were enough comparisons between his life in Blue Way and his life now.

I’m giving Fifteen and Change 3 stars, because the bones of a great story are clearly here, they just need some extra detail.