This Is What I Did (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: This Is What I Did Deborah Stevenson Ellis, Ann Dee This Is What I Did: Little, 2007 [176p] ISBN 0-316-01363-3$16.99 Reviewed from galleys R* Gr. 6-9 "A year ago, in seventh grade, I was fine," says Logan, recalling his closeness with his friend Zyler and their burgeoning friendship with Cami, a girl Logan really liked. Now he and his family have moved to a new house and town to escape the shadow of a traumatic event involving Zyler and Cami; as Logan struggles with bullying by his new classmates and tentatively makes a connection with Laurel, a girl with a taste for palindromes, he begins gradually to reveal and to deal with his history. This is an original story, and it's told in an offbeat and original style, with thirteen-year-old Logan's narration appearing in brief, one-sentence thoughts structured in sections delineated by thematically relevant thumbnail artwork and punctuated by palindromic notes between Laurel and Logan. It's actually a highly accessible format that also adds effectively to the tension, enhancing the tautness of Logan's account and lending a certain verisimilitude in its unpolished and choppy relation. The bullying is depicted with more nuance and sophistication than usual, with the book tacitly noting the social physics of victimization as Logan moves from likely target (rumors have followed him to his new school) to an outcast whose tormenting is tacitly approved and sometimes abetted by adults. Logan's reluctance to address his past is believable as well as suspenseful, and the event—Zyler shot his abusive father to stop his sexual assault of Cami, while a frightened Logan fled and refused to help his friend—is a dramatic and credible source of Logan's guilt. Reluctant readers will particularly appreciate the blend of provocative story and approachable format, while readers in general will find much to discuss in this thoughtful story. Copyright © 2007 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois