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ISBN: 0374380732
ISBN13: 9780374380731

Calvin: A Novel

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ISBN: 0374380732
ISBN13: 9780374380731
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A read copy that remains in clean condition.

Formats

Conditions

*Best Available: (ex-library)

A read copy that remains in clean condition.

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Book Overview

Just because you see something doesn't mean it's really there.

Seventeen-year-old Calvin has always known his fate is linked to the comic book character from Calvin & Hobbes.

He was born on the day the last strip was published. His grandpa put a stuffed tiger named Hobbes in his crib. And he even had a best friend named Susie.

Then Calvin's mom washed Hobbes to death. Susie grew up beautiful and stopped talking to him. And Calvin pretty much forgot about the strip--until now.

Now he is seventeen years old and has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Hobbes is back, as a delusion, and Calvin can't control him. Calvin decides that cartoonist Bill Watterson is the key to everything--if he would just make one more comic strip, but without Hobbes, Calvin would be cured.

Calvin and Susie (is she real?) and Hobbes (he can't be real, can he?) set out on a dangerous trek across frozen Lake Erie to track down Watterson.

Calvin by Martine Leavitt is a stirring YA novel that's not just a story about one boy's struggle with schizophrenia, but a coming of age story, a love story, and one unforgettable adventure. Martine Leavitt is the author of Keturah and Lord Death, a National Book Award Finalist, My Book of Life by Angel, which garnered five starred reviews and was a Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist, and Heck Superhero, a finalist for the Governor General's Award.

Praise for Calvin:

"The novel has a fresh, funny voice that never diminishes the seriousness of schizophrenia. Leavitt delivers an imaginative exploration of mental illness, examining what's real and what's true in this magical world." --Booklist, starred review

"Written as a letter to Watterson (to fulfill a make-up English assignment), the first-person narrative eschews quotation marks and dialogue tags, further blurring the lines between real life and what's in Calvin's head. . . .Memorable." --Horn Book, starred review

"Equal parts coming-of-age tale, survival adventure, and love story, this outstanding novel also sensitively deals with an uncommon but very real teen issue, making it far more than the sum of its parts. " --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Funny, intellectual, and entertaining, it's a sensitive yet irreverent adventure about a serious subject." --Publishers Weekly

"Sweet, romantic, and funny." --School Library Journal

This description may be from another edition of this product.
Format:
Hardcover
Language:
English
ISBN:
0374380732
ISBN13:
9780374380731
Release Date:
November 2015
Publisher:
Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Length:
192 Pages
Weight:
0.61 lbs.
Dimensions:
8.6″ × 0.8″ × 5.7″
Age Range:
12 to 18 years
Grade Range:
Grade 7 to Postsecondary
FictionTeen & Young Adult

More by Martine Leavitt

Customer Reviews

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Lovers of Calvin and Hobbes or never heard of them will devour this story!

I experienced so many emotions reading “Calvin”. I’d give it ten stars if I could. Mere words cannot describe how thoroughly I enjoyed this book! Though I’ve never read but a scant few Calvin and Hobbes comics over the years, my son grew up with them. He’s creeping up on forty now ... a husband and father with a nice home and profession, but his face still lights up, and I get a kick from the sheer joy it brings, when he picks up a book and reads from one of Watterson’s collections. So, when I found “Calvin” on the shelf of my local Dollar Tree store and read the jacket, I felt I was onto something, but OMG ... I couldn’t concentrate on anything else, and read every free minute until finished. I understand the many fans of Calvin and Hobbes mourned the day Watterson walked away from his craft. Martine Leavitt weaves a tale about a young man named Calvin with a mental illness who believes his only cure is another Calvin story ... so much of his life mirrored the antics of THE Calvin, so who can blame him for thinking Watterson could cure him, given that Calvin had so much in common with the fictional character?! Throughout the book Leavitt successfully had me guessing about what parts were real and what was not. So frustrating! I know nothing of schizophrenia but this book gave me a glimpse into that world. So with a box of Kleenex nearby, I prepared myself for the ending ... p.s. I first read Calvin in 2020 and recently gave a copy to both of my adult children. And then I got the bug, and read it again. Love it still❣️

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