Thoughts & Things

Novels in Verse

For those who aren't familiar with the concept, a novel in verse is essentially a novel that is told through poetry rather than a more traditional novel format. Sometimes it can feel a little hokey, but when it's done right, it can create an incredibly beautiful story. Well known examples would include Jacqueline Woodson's Brown Girl Dreaming (which I have failed to read, although still have every intention of reading) and many novels by Ellen Hopkins (whose books I have also failed to read, but will hopefully get to soon).

I just recently read The Surrender Tree by Margarita Engle, a young adult historical fiction novel in verse, telling the story of a nurse who lived during Cuba's three wars for independence. Not only was this a book of beautiful poems, but I actually learned a lot from it (I knew basically nothing about Cuba's wars for independence from Spain prior to this, mind you).

I have read a number of novels in verse in the past. The first I ever read was Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse. It was a gift from my fourth grade teacher (she got all of her students a book for Christmas), and I still have my original copy with her hand written note in it. It details a young girl's tragic life during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. I can remember crying at the tragedy of the story when I first read it about fifteen years ago. For some reason I still hesitated to pick up too many novels in verse after that. It was a few years later that I picked up Margaret Wild's Jinx, which tells the story of a teenage girl who has two boyfriends die and proceeds to have a bit of a downward spiral (as one does in such a scenario). I remember loving this one as a fourteen or fifteen year old, and thinking the poetry was especially effective, but I haven't re-read it since.

Now that I've been spending more time thinking about novels in verse, I have definitely felt more of an urge to read them. It seems like an oversight on my part to miss out on even major releases told in verse, because I have mostly really enjoyed the novels in verse that I have read. I certainly intend to make more of a habit of reading them.

(I have committed to blogging daily with Give It 100. This is Day Ninety-Seven. Eight days of leave taken total.)