Because I Am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas Review

Anke’s father is abusive. But not to her. He attacks her brother and sister, but she’s just an invisible witness in a house of horrors, on the brink of disappearing altogether. Until she makes the volleyball team at school. At first just being exhausted after practice feels good, but as Anke becomes part of the team, her confidence builds. When she learns to yell “Mine!” to call a ball, she finds a voice she didn’t know existed. For the first time, Anke is seen and heard. Soon, she’s imagining a day that her voice will be loud enough to rescue everyone at home—including herself.

First, I should say that when I picked up this book, I did not know it was composed entirely of poems. The novel is a pretty decent size, about 350 pages, so I wasn't expecting poetry at all. However, I quickly discovered that it is a quick, but powerful read. Chaltas has this ability to weave an entire story into what must be a third (probably less) of the words used in a similar-sized novel. Truly, I was impressed. Every image, sound, word, told the tale seamlessly and with a grace that I've rarely seen. Chaltas wrote simply, yet profoundly and poignantly.

I could go on for pages about the beauty of Chaltas' writing, but I think I'll keep in short and sweet, just as her novel is. Truly, I cannot wait to see what she has in store for the YA community. I know it will be brilliant.

Rating: 9.5/10