Metamorphosis: Junior Year

By Betsy Franco

Book Overview

He's a young artist obsessed with myths. But can he fix his own fate? Acclaimed author Betsy Franco and her talented son collaborate on a hip YA novel of "epic" proportions.

Life. Love. Death. Identity. Ovid's got a lot on his mind, and he pours it all -- as confessions, observations, narrative poems, and drawings -- into the pages of a notebook. Inspired by his namesake, he wryly records his classmates' dramas as modern-day Roman mythology. There's Sophie and Caleb, the Psyche and Cupid of cyber-couples; poetic Paula, who pursues filmmaker Franny like Apollo chasing Daphne; and graphic novelist Duwayne, a Proserpina shuttling between divorced parents. Meanwhile, Ovid hides his own Olympian struggles: his meth addict sister Thena has run off, leaving him with a suffocating home life and a disturbing secret. In her striking YA debut, Betsy Franco introduces an expressive soul with a heartbreakingly authentic voice. Fantastical ink illustrations by her son Tom Franco enhance the intimate tone, delving deep into one intriguing teen's imagination.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0763637653
• ISBN13: 9780763637651
• Release Date: October 2009
• Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.6" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 14 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 9 and higher

Customer Reviews

Flamingnet.com Top Choice Book-really pulled me in

This book follows a boy named Ovid through his junior year. All of Ovid's classmates have changed over the summer. Ovid draws pictures and writes poems about his classmates. He is really good at art. He keeps his journal in between his mattress. He hopes that people care about what he draws. Read this book and find out how Ovid's classmates progress through their junior year. I thought this book was really good. Whenever I started to read it, it was kind of confusing, but when I got into it, the book really pulled me in. I loved this book! The book had really good descriptions of the characters in it. There are a lot of interesting poems and drawings of his classmates. NOTE to parents: This book had bad language,and talked about stuff that little kids should not read without an adults permission. Reviewed by a young adult student reviewer Flamingnet Book Reviews Teen books reviewed by teen reviewers

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Ovid, named after and inspired by the Roman poet, journals all of his thoughts into a notebook, adding his expressive drawings throughout. Ovid's journal tells of his high school experience, as well as his family life, from an interesting perspective. Through narrative, drawings, and emotional poetry, Ovid gives the reader a snapshot of his life, as well as the lives of other high school students. Each new poem reveals a different student's background and current going-ons in their life. Ovid's writing is snarky, raw, and honest. METAMORPHOSIS: JUNIOR YEAR was incredible. There was such honest emotion in Ovid's writing. He held nothing back, putting all of his feelings on the line. I was incredibly drawn to his poetry, each about a different high school student. These poems dug deep into the person's life and showed their secrets, unknown to others. They were truly wonderful. The drawings, often abstract, were difficult to understand at times. Ovid, however, does describe many along with their meanings, creating a clearer image of what he is expressing through them. Ovid also gives each student a separate identity, connecting each one to a Roman mythological character based on their personalities and struggles. Fans of mythology will love this concept. The book has a strong theme of, you guessed it, transformation. In such a short book, it's amazing how each character, including Ovid, grows and changes to become something better. METAMORPHOSIS: JUNIOR YEAR by author Betsy Franco is a true masterpiece. I could find absolutely nothing wrong with this book. I recommend it to all readers. This one is a must-read. Reviewed by: McKenzie Tritt