Crash

Poem novels are an increasingly popular form, particularly in the US and especially in the teen market. The Peters have produced a moving collection of poems dealing with the issue of road accidents – which the book tells us is the leading cause of death for under-25-year-olds. The book has three main characters aged 16 and 17 and details their lives from 31 May until 25 August. In this time we hear about first love, adoption, death of a parent, sex and farming. The poems are written from the varying perspectives of the characters, each identified by a different font. Till page 63 when even the fonts go into shock. The form and the changing perspectives pull you rapidly into this ‘novel’. Crash is a good, deceptively quick and easy read, that winds you emotionally into the lives of these three teenagers and the drama that is unfolding.