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Metamorphosis: Junior Year (2009)

by Betsy Franco(Favorite Author)

3.29 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0763637653 (ISBN13: 9780763637651)

languge

English

genre

Poetry

publisher

Candlewick Press

review 1: Betsy Franco acknowledges a debt to Mary Zimmerman's play based on Ovid's Metamorphoses--and you can definitely sense more of Zimmerman's tone than Ovid's in this novel. Zimmerman's tongue-in-cheek, over-simplified Ovid rubs me the wrong way, and so I was a bit put off by Franco's revisioning of Ovid, too, for the same reason. I also wonder if the high-school language would sound contrived to an actual high-schooler. It definitely did to me--but it's been decades since I was that age.
review 2: Ovid is an observant teenager who likes to express his thoughts about life, death and identity through his drawings and poetry. He has a lot to say recently because his meth-addict sister has runway from home and his parents have been on his back ever since trying to ... moremake sure he doesn’t go down the same path. Ovid’s friends are also experiencing some tough issues including a break up, the death of a parent and divorce. Ovid documents these events in his journal using narrative stories, poetry and drawings. The poems Ovid writes mimic Greek and roman myths and make parallels between classic characters and his friends. For example, the love story of Apollo and Daphne is retold through a poem about poetic Paula and her unrequited love for Franny the filmmaker. The journal format of the book allows the reader to connect with Ovid on a personal level, and at times the reading experience feels almost voyeuristic. The book is short but definitely packs a punch. The references to classical mythology and mature subject matter might scare away some readers who at first glance think this small book will be a quick read. Other teens will be able to relate to the creative and often funny way Ovid handles life. The drawings by Tom Franco are a perfect accompaniment to the mystic feel of the book depicting strange creatures and imagined landscapes. Recommended for the artsy teen who likes Greek mythology. less

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