Book: Because I Am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas

Publishing Info: Published by Viking Juvenile: 352 Pages in Hardcover

Because I Am Furniture is the heartbreaking story of Anke, who is witness the abuse that her sister and brother suffer at the hands of their father.  Anke is ignored, and feels very much like a piece of furniture.  Through her time on the volleyball team, she learns to speak up and finds the voice she thought she didn’t have.

I really liked it.  The thing I thought was most interesting was that the entire book was told in poems.  It was refreshing to see Anke’s thoughts just spilling out onto the page, but at the same time, I felt like I was just an observer.  The poetry made it really easy to follow but it also added a certain complexity to it.

The ending felt a little rushed, and it would have been nice to see what happened to her dad, her friend Angeline, and a couple other people mentioned in the book.

Overall, it was realistic and very emotional.  I give it a 4 out of 5.