Leverage

Gr 9 Up—The rape of a gymnast by three members of his high school's football team is the central event in this disquieting novel of bullying at its most violent. Danny Meehan is a promising gymnast bothered by his small stature and youthful appearance. Kurt Brodsky is a massive, physically talented football player tormented by past abuse he has suffered in the foster-care system and by a pronounced stutter that leads others to believe he is mentally challenged. In alternating chapters, the two boys describe the manner in which the campaign of intimidation orchestrated by the football team's tri-captains leads to an escalating level of violence that culminates in the attack on the smallest and weakest of the gymnasts, a freshman named Ronnie Gunderson. Kurt is not a part of the bullying, which reminds him of the torture he himself endured and that led to the death of a close friend. In fact, Kurt intervenes in the rape, fighting off his teammates in their attack on Ronnie. Danny was hiding in the room where the attack occurred, too fearful to defend his friend. Ronnie subsequently kills himself, but, for reasons of their own, Kurt and Danny are reluctant to openly accuse the attackers. Finally, with the help of a techno-savvy Goth girl, the two boys are able to expose the rapists in a very public way. This powerful novel is thought-provoking and well-written, and it's about as dark and disturbing as YA literature gets.—Richard Luzer, Fair Haven Union High School, VT