House Arrest by K. A. Holt (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: House Arrest by K. A. Holt Karen Coats Holt, K. A. House Arrest. Chronicle, 2015 [304p] ISBN 978-1-4521-3477-2 $16.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 4-7 Timothy’s baby brother Levi has subglottic stenosis (a too-narrow throat), so clearing his trach tube, dodging snot bullets when he sneezes, and suctioning the gunk out of his lungs so he can breathe had become part of Timothy’s normal day. So had worrying about money, especially since his father left, so when Timothy saw an unattended wallet, he took it, using the credit card to pay for Levi’s meds. He got caught, of course, and was sentenced to a year of house arrest and keeping a journal. That journal is the book’s narrative, and in it Timothy expresses his anger, frustration, and fear in free-verse poems that are not always contrite enough to satisfy his court-appointed counselor, Mrs. B., and his probation officer, James. Nevertheless, they offer him a chance to tell his side of the situation and work through his mercurial yet clearly justified emotions. The straightforward poems rely on accessible vocabulary and well-chosen, forceful metaphors that will bear up well under the kinds of literary analysis that English teachers favor, but the verses also tell a moving story about a kid pushed to his limits where he unexpectedly finds help—sometimes because he asks for it, but more often because people are paying attention. His fierce commitment to his brother, his cute crush on the girl next door, and his evolving ability to appreciate the efforts of the adults who want to help him render him utterly likable even when he lashes out; readers will nod their heads in sympathy with this guy who breaks the rules for all of the right reasons. Copyright © 2015 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois