The Brimstone Journals - Softcover

Ron Koertge

Softcover

ISBN 10: 074458521X ISBN 13: 9780744585216

Publisher: Walker Books Ltd, 2001

Synopsis

In the school they call Brimstone, Judgement Day is fast approaching...Meet the Branston High School Class of 2001 - an average class in a suburban school. On the surface they seem recognisable enough: the Smart one, the Fat Kid, Social Conscience, Good Girl, Bad Girl, Jock, Anorexic, Dyke, Rich Boy, Sister, Stud...But, as their journal entries reveal, things are not exactly what they seem. One of them in particular, Boyd, an angry young man with a dangerous obsession with guns, hides a dark secret - a bitter, violent plot whose goal is terror and extermination. Unless someone can stop him. Through the very different voices of the students themselves, Ron Koertge creates a story that fizzes with violent emotion, sexual tension and a pathological pursuit of excess that threatens at any moment to erupt into tragedy.

About this title

Review:

The Branston (a.k.a. Brimstone) High School Class of 2001 has got it all: Damon is the jock, Meredith the slut, Jennifer the good girl, David the computer game addict, Kitty the anorexic, Neesha the sistah, Rob the stud, Sheila the lesbian. And Boyd the angry and scared neo-Nazi with an arsenal in his basement and a list of "everybody who ever blew me off, flipped me off, or pissed me off."

Through a series of poetic journal entries from 15 students, author Ron Koertge chronicles the sometimes funny, sometimes poignant, and ultimately chilling lives of fictional high school students in contemporary America. With just a few words from each character in each entry, readers glean more than a glimpse into their complex and often troubled worlds. Koertge's characterizations are compelling, if clichéd, although omitting two or three of the student roles might have made keeping up with who's who a little easier. Social messages covering racism, classism, homophobia, and an entire high school melting pot of "isms," come across a little heavy-handedly, but work well as an intentionally pointed illustration of the perils young people face today. Subject matter and language make this appropriate for older readers. Koertge is the author of several acclaimed novels, including Confess-O-Rama. (Older teens) --Emilie Coulter

About the Author:

Ron Koertge is the author of several award-winning novels in his home country, although this is a first title for Walker. Of The Brimstone Journals, he says, "Usually I choose characters and settings that are humorous and offbeat. The Brimstone Journals, however, chose me. I began the book before the tragedy in Colorado, and the characters woke me up at night. The entire first draft took just three weeks. Then the voices were gone and it was time to be a writer again instead of merely taking dictation from God-knows-where." Ron lives in South Pasadena, California.

About this edition

• Publisher: Walker Books Ltd
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 074458521X
• ISBN 13: 9780744585216
• Binding: Paperback