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Because I Am Furniture

3.76 of 5 stars 3.76 · rating details · 2,627 ratings · 422 reviews

Anke’s father is abusive. But not to her. He attacks her brother and sister, but she’s just an invisible witness in a house of horrors, on the brink of disappearing altogether. Until she makes the volleyball team at school. At first just being exhausted after practice feels good, but as Anke becomes part of the team, her confidence builds. When she learns to yell “Mine!”...more

Hardcover, 352 pages

Published April 16th 2009 by Viking Juvenile

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May 09, 2012 Sandra rated it 5 of 5 stars

Not only are the verses in this book beautifully written with meaningful poetic devices, if you're inclined toward noting that sort of thing, the topic is unfortunately, always contemporary.

There's so much I could say about this fantastic book, but I'll focus in on a couple of points. Anke believes it's better to be like a piece of furniture in her family. Those who are noticed are hit and sexually used and abused. She's the youngest and somehow ignored in nearly every aspect of the family's lif...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Sherry rated it 4 of 5 stars

My students love verse novels and depressing books where horrible real things happen. This book is on our 2012-2013 Eliot Rosewater nominee list and I'm positive all my copies will stay checked out. This book fits the bill of containing both depressing and horribly real situations: a dysfunctional family with an abusive father. The main character is like furniture in her family of 5. Her father extends no abuse physical or sexual towards her but instead focuses it in her brother and sister. She...more

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Dec 29, 2011 Christina (Reading Thru The Night) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, retelling-of-sorts, ya-love, novel-in-verse

The Short of It

Being ignored can be abusive too.

The Long of It

Anke lives in a tumultuous world. Her father is abusive to everyone in the household except her. Immediately you can see her struggle between not wanting the abuse, but then still wishing that she was at least acknowledged, even if that means, being abused. Anke also has a problem with the silence. Why isn’t anyone talking about what is happening? Why are your siblings and mom remaining silent?

The Thoughts about It

The novel is told in...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Karin Librarian for TeensReadToo.com

Anke lives in a house full of fear. Fear of her father. His temper can flair at any moment and everyone around him suffers. Anke's brother and sister take the physical abuse and Anke is, for the most part, ignored in the house. She feels she has no choice but to sit back and witness what is going on around her. Sometimes she even feels jealous of the attention her brother and sister get, no matter how horrible that attention is.

Anke has one bright...more

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Jun 24, 2011 Veronica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Age of Readership:

12-14 years

Genre:

Realistic fiction/Novel in Verse

Diversity:

Physically/emotionally abused child; Middle class families

Personal Response:

This is the first novel I read that is written entirely in verse. However, it was quite a good read. Each poem clearly depicted a scene and yet kept the plot forward moving. The story is all about a girl trying to find her voice, while having to endure her siblings and mother get abused by her father. She does not get abused, and must deal with...more

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Jan 27, 2009 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars

I am always there.
But they don't care if I am
because I am furniture.

I don't get hit
I don't get fondled
I don't get love
because I am furniture

Suits me fine.

Anke has a difficult home life, though that is putting it mildly. Her father is abusive. She sees all. Hears all. Yet though a witness, she's somehow avoided being the subject of his abuse. (Though witnessing it is damaging enough as it is.) Can a teen girl break out of her silence and get help for her troubled family?

Because I Am Furniture is...more

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May 08, 2013 Kiko rated it 5 of 5 stars

It took me about two and a half hours to finish this book. I devoured every single page. I couldn't put it down. And I didn't want to. I love Anke. (Pronounced Ahn-Keh.) Her journey is incredible. Through the pain, she finds her own strength. And voice.

Here are two of my favorite passages from this book.
FIRST ONE:

"Every day,
every day he rips you open,
chips off pieces week by week,
till a few years from now you are not even a
mouthful of sawdust.
A drawn-out killing.
Well, I'm tired of all of us do...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Samantha rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sam Davin

Mrs. Payton

5: Book Review

13 March 2013

Because I Am Furniture Book Review

Title: Because I Am Furniture

Author: Thalia Chaltas

Publisher: Viking Juvenile

Place of Publication: New York, New York

Binding: Hardcover

Price: $16.99

Number of Pages: 353

ISBN: 978-0-670-06298-0

My first impression of the book was skeptical. I had been told to read this that not only was it a quick read but, it was actually good as well. Poetry has never really been my cup of tea. I was shocked at the fact that I rathe...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Deborah Takahashi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-poetry

Anne, or Anke, is the youngest of three children. Not only does she feel ignored by her father, she has to bear witness to his anger and abuse. In this story, Anke just started high school and has decided to escape her family by trying out for the volleyball. Not only is she one of the tallest Freshman at her school, Anke does not believe she is special or beautiful. However, the taller she gets, the stronger she becomes, especially when she starts to notice that her father's temper is only part...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Melissa Wehunt rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: coming-of-age, brothers-and-sisters, daddy-issues, controversial-issues, emotional-abuse, father-daughter-issues, disturbing-read, dark-bleak-depressing-but-good, family, feeling-unwanted, friendship, father-son-issues, jealousy, for-older-teens, flawed-heroine-but-we-love-her-anyw, mature-ya, self-esteem-issues, physical-abuse, growing-old-before-your-time, parent-child-relationships, ya-dark-bleak-depressing-but-good, read-in-2013, like-ellen-hopkins, ya-sports-as-self-esteem-builder, parental-issues, molestation, predetory-adults, quick-pick, teens-growing-up-too-fast, quick-reads, pedifilia, ya-sports, manipulative-adults, recovery, sexual-abuse, ya-rape, quick-realistic-pick, relationships, taking-on-your-abuser, sibling-rivalry, strong-female-charaters-teen, wtf-mom-you-knew, self-discovery, ya-physical-abuse, realistic-fiction-teen, ya-sexual-content, written-in-verse, ya-realistic, trust-issues, ya-molestation, ya-family-issues, young-adult, ya-in-verse, ya, ya-realstic-problems

Good read. It is a fast read that will definitely get you thinking. It is fairly graphic... Not really in descriptions of the actual abuse, but more like the author just doesn't shy away from making it obvious that there is physical and sexual abuse going on in the home. One of the most disturbing, but real parts that I really liked was how our narrator struggles with jealousy that she is left out of the abuse. Her struggle to figure out that taking on her father was better than being abused was...more

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Dec 09, 2012 Aleyda rated it 4 of 5 stars

I chose this book because it looked very interesting. It had said "Anke's Father is Abusive" and I have always wondered how the child would feel about his/her father. This book is about a girl named Anke. She has an abusive father who hits her mother, brother , & sister but, the dad never touches her. Her family doesn't say anything about the father , they just let it go. Anke joins a volleyball team where each time she has to scream out "Mine" everytime she goes for the ball. In that team s...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Turea rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemperary-realistic-fiction, novels-in-verse

Because I am Furniture is a novel in verse. It tells the story of Anke Feld, a high school freshman who is trying to navigate the halls of high school and develop an identity. All the while she is holding a horrible secret. Her father is abusing her sister and brother. Home is a nightmare, and Anke has to try to maintain a sense of normalcy to the outside world. Interestingly enough, Anke is never abused. Anke's father does not seem to know she exists. To him, "she is like furniture," until she...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Carrie rated it 5 of 5 stars

“Because I am Furniture” by Thalia Chaltas is a powerful book! It is a novel in verse, and I would have to give it five stars. I had a little bit of trouble identifying with the main character because she comes from a horrific family situation and my childhood was idyllic in comparison. However, I couldn’t help but be moved by the inner-strength and determination she showed as she worked to make life better for everyone in her family.

“Because I am Furniture” tells the story of Anke and her fami...more “Because I am Furniture” by Thalia Chaltas is a powerful book! It is a novel in verse, and I would have to give it five stars. I had a little bit of trouble identifying with the main character because she comes from a horrific family situation and my childhood was idyllic in comparison. However, I couldn’t help but be moved by the inner-strength and determination she showed as she worked to make life better for everyone in her family.

“Because I am Furniture” tells the story of Anke and her family. Anke’s father is exceedingly physically abusive. Well, abusive to everyone except Anke. Anke is nobody, nothing, as invisible as the furniture in her father’s eyes. Throughout the book, Anke experiences multiple internal struggles. On one hand, she is grateful that her father doesn’t abuse her, but on the other hand, she is jealous that she doesn’t get any attention from him. On one hand, she knows her father can be loving and kind (he used to read poetry and sing to her), but on the other hand, she watches him daily scream at and hit her siblings. Where is that old father? On one hand, she wants the abuse to stop, but on the other hand, stopping it would tear her family apart. In the end, Anke witnesses something so shocking that she is forced to take action… but at what cost to herself and her family?

I wish I had read this book a month ago because it would have been PERFECT for our “moment” unit at school. Anke definitely has several “moments” in this book. One very clear one near the end I won’t talk about here because I don’t want to spoil the book. However, another crucial “moment” in Anke’s life is when she makes the high school volleyball team as a freshman. Anke isn’t even sure she wants to try out for the team initially, and she knows her father doesn’t want her on the team. However, through encouragement from friends, Anke does try out and makes the team. By being part of the team, Anke learns about friendship and, to some degree, family – or what family should be. She also learns to shout, stand her ground, and declare something “MINE!” The lessons she learns playing volleyball and the experiences she has (making friends, winning games) help to build Anke up. If Anke never made the volleyball team, it is certain that she would have remained the invisible wallflower she had always been, the all-seeing “footstool in the corner,” the furniture that no one took the time to notice.

I loved this book and would highly recommend it for any high schooler, especially girls. There are lots of valuable lessons to be learned within it pages. (less)

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Jul 10, 2012 Karyl rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, library-reads, young-adult-reads

This was my first novel in verse, and wow, was it powerful. Anke is a high school freshman, just fourteen years old with all of the uncertainty that entails. In addition to all of that, her home life is absolutely horrific. Her father is physically and sexually abusing both her brother and her sister, and even lashes out at her mother. Bruises bloom on skin overnight, bruises that are not commented on, or hardly noticed. The three children have very little to say to one another, while the mother...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Josie added it

This is a poetry book that is about a freshman girl named Anke who definitely lives a hard life. Anke tries as hard as she can to live a normal life, but her father makes that impossible. Her father is a child abuser and sexual harasser. He abuses Anke's brother and sister, but strangely not her. She goes unnoticed, hence the name "Because I Am Furniture". Throughout the story she watches her father's rage on her siblings and is too scared to do anything about it. The story isn't all bad though....more

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Feb 01, 2012 BookChic Club rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is such an emotional and powerful book. Chaltas has an extremely gripping, raw and realistic debut here; what makes it even more chilling is reading the acknowledgements where she writes "I write now what I could not say then." and the wry witticism of "Only truth and fiction were used in writing this." (Both of these are paraphrased as my copy is unreachable at the moment.) As this is a verse novel, the reading goes by quickly, but I was propelled even more so with the wondering of how thi...more

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Dec 04, 2011 Sevannah Mckeeman rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I started reading because I am furniture I felt really bad for Anke because her father and mother treated her like she wasn't even there. But my favorite part of the book is when Anke makes the volleyball team because she finally feels like she is being excepted. My favorite character is Kyler because he treats Anke how she should be treated and she finally starts to feel not neglected.I am surprised when Anke finally stands up to her dad. I liked the way the author wrote the book , in poet...more

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Jul 10, 2011 Aubrei Kamilah rated it 4 of 5 stars

OH HAI. okay so um Because I Am Furniture...i loved it. i really really enjoyed it..so the plot..

This story is about a teenage girl named Anke, and she has a difficult life at home. Every day she watches her older brother,sister, and mom be verbally,sexually and physically abused while she is just neglected by her father entirely. This stirs up alot of emotions in Anke. You would think she is glad that her dad never touches her like he does the rest of the family but Anke wishes he would, merely...more

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Jul 05, 2011 Courtney rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: abuse, realistic-fiction, teen-fiction, novel-in-verse

Told entirely in poetry format, this story follows Anke, the youngest child her in family. Her two older siblings are victims of abuse and have been for as long as Anke can remember. As in so many of these situations, the situation more or less the elephant in the room. Everyone knows it's taking place, but no one does anything. Anke, however, is not abused. In fact, she is more or less invisible to her father, which is both a relief and a reminder that she is somehow less than her sister. Anke...more

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Jun 13, 2011 Kych rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What I really liked about this book is that the story is told in poems. As a literature student, we're taught that every word, punctuation and arrangement of the lines contribute to the meaning of the poem/story. With this in mind, reading the novel through these poems made it even more impactful and compelling. The protagonist's feelings are emphasised by the words and sentences that have been singled out through the form and punctuation.

I would've given this 4 stars. However, what I found lack...more

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Apr 29, 2011 Grace rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has spoilers in it... Just a warning. c:

This was a good book in the beginning. I feel she did a good job focusing on the protagonist's point of view throughout the story clearly. But she also added in other character's such as the protagonist's crush and neighbor. It feels they are just there and important in only a few points. But near the end the author did not really say what happened to the neighbor or crush... now here comes -SPOILER ALERT- did the crush really just stay friends...more

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Jan 08, 2011 Julia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Julia by: Hanna

Shelves: 8th-grade, poetry, ya

I started this book because I had to read a poetry book for school. My sister had read it and recommended it, though she warned that it was corny and kind of dumb. I thought that the whole volleyball part would be a bit strange, but it wasn't too bad.
This book is about a girl named Anke, whose father abuses her two older siblings but never her, making her feel like furniture. She would rather be abused than ignored. (However, I somewhat disagree with this. Her dad didn't IGNORE her, he just d...more

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Oct 31, 2010 Hanna rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 8th-grade, creepy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Because I am Furiture, is not the best book ever. It is written in verse, but I think that it should have been written as a regular novel. I read the excerpt and saw how she plays volleyball and I knew that it was going to be cheesey. I still gave it a chance, though. Then I saw how it was in rhyme. Noone should ever write poetry about volleyball. I could not stand it!

Then rest of the book was rather...

Her dad is a creepo and I don't know why Anke's (the protaganist) mom ever married him and w...more

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Jun 15, 2010 Tessa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: makes-you-think, contemp-realistic, abuse, verse

I took a break from my current fantasy/fairytale kick to read this. The title was so compelling I couldn't just pass it by on the library shelf. And the description on the inside jacket cover got me hooked. It was very well written. The story would have lost so much if it had been written in prose. The poetry fit so well.

3 out of 4 cases of abuse go unreported (or some similar statistic). Victims excuse the abuser and continually return to them. I've always had a hard time understanding how thi...more

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Dec 27, 2009 Cornmaven rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: high-school

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book just didn't work for me. It's a novel in verse, which I usually like very much. But I don't think that the story should have been told that way. I think it should have been a regular novel.

The 'verse' alternated between pretty sophomoric stuff, I supposed in an attempt to make the voice of the 14 year old protagonist authentic, and some high level word usage within the verse,which would not fit a 14 year old living in the situation.

The father is over the top abusive - beats up the son,...more

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Jul 21, 2009 Alex rated it 3 of 5 stars

Because I Am Furniture is written in verse, and it works. It's quite a powerful novel that deals with an interesting subject: child abuse. Of course, we've seen it, read it, heard it all before. But Anke's not the one being abused, she's the witness of the abuse, which is probably equally as tough.

Even though it's a thick enough book, because it's in verse, it goes very quickly. I was able to read it in one day, almost in one go. I however, thought that maybe it was a little too short. There per...more Because I Am Furniture is written in verse, and it works. It's quite a powerful novel that deals with an interesting subject: child abuse. Of course, we've seen it, read it, heard it all before. But Anke's not the one being abused, she's the witness of the abuse, which is probably equally as tough.

Even though it's a thick enough book, because it's in verse, it goes very quickly. I was able to read it in one day, almost in one go. I however, thought that maybe it was a little too short. There perhaps wasn't as much depth and detail as I may have liked. It describes her life, her experiences with volleyball, her journey to finding the strength to speak out. But that's really it. I would have liked to learn about more of the characters' opinions. Exactly why her father abused them, why no one really did anything. I mean, obviously the family was scared of the father. But... I just think there could have been more to it.

It's a very simple book in that way. There isn't really that much other stuff or subplots. It isn't really a bad thing, but well... I thought there would be more to it.

I do like the change in Anke. I like how at first she's timid and frankly a little weak, but as she plays volleyball, her confidence grows and grows. She learns a lot and I like the fact that it comes from a sport, in this case volleyball. Through volleyball, Anke discovers a strength and beauty within herself, and others notice. For instance, she attracts the attention of males now, including her father. Which is disgusting.

Overall, it's a great fast read that encourages one to be able to stop abuse. It reminded me a little of North of Beautiful, but with a lot less. But the abuse is the same, always from the father. Why is that? Or maybe I just haven't read a lot of books with an abusive mother, except for Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen.

Read it if you like verse. Read it if you're interesting in learning and understanding more of child abuse. Read it if you want to be able to feel good at the end. Read it if you want to feel empowered.(less)

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May 21, 2009 Theresa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

I imagine I put this book on hold at the library because it's about a girl with an abusive father, and let's be honest- I like reading books about kids being abused. I've always read these kinds of books, as long as I can remember. Now that I work with kids who have experienced or witnessed abuse, I still read the books. I think maybe as a kid/teenager, I was trying to remind myself that there was a scarier world out there. Now, I think I'm trying to remind myself that there are fictitious stori...more I imagine I put this book on hold at the library because it's about a girl with an abusive father, and let's be honest- I like reading books about kids being abused. I've always read these kinds of books, as long as I can remember. Now that I work with kids who have experienced or witnessed abuse, I still read the books. I think maybe as a kid/teenager, I was trying to remind myself that there was a scarier world out there. Now, I think I'm trying to remind myself that there are fictitious stories out there, not just the kids and families who tell me tough real-life stories.
Also, this book is written in prose, and, let's be honest, I would not have probably picked this book out if I'd known that ahead of time, because I am sometimes biased for no reason against books written in prose. (There is no good reason for this at all. I've read a few and they're good, this one included.) But I liked this, so I need to remember that.
I loved Anke's honesty about her, as we call them in Kids' Support Group, "double-dip feelings." She feels lots of different things at once, and manages to live an often happy life outside of the abuse at home. I love how things bother and preoccupy her, and I love how she tries to understand her siblings' lives because they don't talk about the abuse. I wish the author explained why Anke doesn't suffer direct abuse from her dad- that's never explained, and it's something I want to know- not even because I'm a social worker, but because I think that dimension would add to the story.
I love that she files for a restraining order against her dad at the end- that makes me very happy. The author acknowledges, though, that the dad still ends up free and walking the streets- this is true to life, and I'm glad she included that.
Sorry to be a DV-downer today, but I just got back from a training on risk-factors for lethality in a DV relationship. Seriously, people, there should exist enough DV cases that we can do longitudinal studies on these relationships. That's so incredibly sad. (less)

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Apr 06, 2013 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: abuse, young-adult, poetry, contemporary-lit, rape, sports

I read this book in one sitting, which is what I like about novels in verse. They give you a glimpse into a point in time without being explicit. For a story as heavy as this one, that approach definitely worked. I really couldn't imagine reading this as prose...it would be way too intense.

Anke is the youngest of three and the only sibling who isn't physically or sexually abused by her father. She relates herself to furniture because she feels as though she just exists, that no one pays attentio...more

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Mar 14, 2013 Lynsey Johnson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Because I am Furniture
Title: Because I am Furniture
Author: Thalia Chaltas
Publiture: Penguin Group
Publication Year: 2009
Publication Place: New York, New York
Binding: Hardback
Page Number: 352 pages
Price: $8.99
ISBN: 2008023235

When I was first told to read this book, a friend said, “here, it’s really short and you’ll get it read really fast.” And she was right, I read the book completely in school in a total of two days. But what my friend didn’t tell me was what the book was even about, and how go...more Because I am Furniture
Title: Because I am Furniture
Author: Thalia Chaltas
Publiture: Penguin Group
Publication Year: 2009
Publication Place: New York, New York
Binding: Hardback
Page Number: 352 pages
Price: $8.99
ISBN: 2008023235

When I was first told to read this book, a friend said, “here, it’s really short and you’ll get it read really fast.” And she was right, I read the book completely in school in a total of two days. But what my friend didn’t tell me was what the book was even about, and how good it actually was. I honestly had a hard time putting the book down. I wanted to read ahead and find out what is going to happen to the main character Anke and her family. The book I am talking about is Because I am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas.
The book takes place mainly in Anke’s house, with her family, which includes her older sister Yaicha, older brother Darren, and her mom and dad. But they aren’t your typical next door neighbors. Anke’s father is abusive to everyone in the house, but her. Anke is confused why she can’t even get the worst kind of attention from her father, she feels as important as the living room furniture. She would rather receive abuse like her siblings than be ignored. But when Anke decided that she wanted to join volleyball she found a voice and confidence that she didn’t even know she had. Anke discovers a way to use her voice outside of volleyball to hers, and her family’s advantages.
A conflict to discuss is how Chaltas made it a point to have Anke’s father be both physically and sexually abusive. Her father targets mostly her siblings, but her mother has been targeted for abuse in the past as well. But Anke, receiving no attention at all, is as relevant as the living room chair. Chaltas does a good job of showing how Anke goes from a character who is shy, and ignored by everyone, to someone who finds a voice, and decides that she will take a stand for something that she believes in.
An important matter Chaltas had Anke portray would be the way he makes her feel throughout the book. She feels like a shadow in the background. No one cares about her, and one of her closest friends only spends time with her when he has nothing better to do. The only thing that is keeping her in the light would be volleyball. On the volleyball court she actually has a voice and is heard, and her dad doesn’t want her to play it. All of this was very important information about Anke. The readers need to know she is a shy and misunderstood girl. The author does a good job in developing Anke’s character because he makes it easy for the readers to what kind of person Anke is, and how she feels about
everything.
A book that reminds me of this book in many ways is A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer. This book is also about abuse and neglect towards a child. It’s about a young boy whose mother is the one that is abusing (unlike in Because I am Furniture where her father is the abuser). She has three children, but only abuses one of them. She starves him, beats him horribly, makes him sleep in the garage, and even tried to burn him with the oven once.
These books are similar because in both, in the beginning, neither main character knows what do about the abuse. Although in A Child Called It David is actually getting abused, and Anke is not, they share a connection, because they just want it all to stop. They want to live normal lives like everyone else, and not feel like they need to hide something from the world around them.
This book is an example of justice because of many reasons. Anke’s family needed justice. They needed someone to stand up to her father and tell him when enough was really enough. But the only problem with that was that anyone who did, would have to face the wrath of his angry behavior. Justice is brought to the family in a surprising twist. People should read this book because everyone needs to be aware of abuse. Reading books like this can help people understand and notice signs of abusive behavior, even if the people getting abuse won’t talk about what is going on in their home life. I personally never thought that a family that is suffering through abuse, could have some members who aren’t being abused. I have learned from this books more about what abuse is, and there is more than just one kind. Anybody who likes a happy ending would enjoy reading this book. (less)

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Mar 14, 2013 Kendall Smith rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am the kind of person that is deeply impacted by difficulties that other people have endured and I have a lot of respect for those who have to experience anything other than the best that life has to offer. Because I Am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas was the first novel in verse that I have ever read and all I can say is wow, that was powerful. This book was published by Penguin Group Inc., 345 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, U.S.A. in 2009 and it has 352 pages and is approximately nine...more I am the kind of person that is deeply impacted by difficulties that other people have endured and I have a lot of respect for those who have to experience anything other than the best that life has to offer. Because I Am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas was the first novel in verse that I have ever read and all I can say is wow, that was powerful. This book was published by Penguin Group Inc., 345 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, U.S.A. in 2009 and it has 352 pages and is approximately nine dollars in cost. Although this book seems that it may be somewhat lengthy, the style of the writing helped the story flow faster than any other book that I’ve ever read. I can definitely say that I will be reading more novels in verse because I absolutely love poetry and the underlying meaning that is incorporated with poetry pieces. I like the challenge of trying to figure out the message that a poem is trying to convey. Thalia Chaltas does a great job of portraying her message about child abuse in her exceptional poetry piece titled, Because I Am Furniture.

This novel is narrated by Anke, a fourteen-year-old girl who feels invisible in her terribly abusive home. While her brother and sister are being abused by their father, Anke remains untouched. This should be a good thing, right? To Anke not being abused makes her feel worthless. She believes that being abused means that you are still getting attention, and even that negative attention is better than none at all. She sees herself as furniture because, even though she’s always there witnessing the abuse, she is ignored. When she makes the volleyball team, Anke gains the confidence she has always been lacking and finally finds her voice. When she catches her father about to harm one of her friends, she uses her newly found strength and takes action.

Because I Am Furniture is a gutsy, lyrical, and thought-provoking verse novel about one girl’s struggle with abuse–or, rather, with not being abused. This is a quiet but intense book on a difficult subject, and though the issue is the focus of this book, it felt real enough to relate to without being overbearing. Although the main character is Anke, the secondary character is her abusive father with whom the whole story could not exist without. Anke is a realistic, sympathetic, and dynamic individual who feels invisible, she feels like it should be a blessing, but also feels unwanted; it’s complicated and sounds a little crazy, but Thalia Chaltas makes Anke’s feelings and her silence make sense. The author conveys a real feel for the personalities of all the characters, and the intense emotion of this heartbreaking (but ultimately hopeful) story, in a few well-chosen words that pull the entire piece together.

This book is a phenomenal inspiration towards the act of standing up for what's right. The reality of living in a family that's on the verge of breaking apart is relevant to our modern society today. Readers feel sparks of excitement as Anke, a girl whose voice was suppressed, gradually grows into a visible person who knows when to say, "STOP!" Because I Am Furniture is a book that'll create an everlasting impact on our moral beliefs of family and finding one's voice.

Chaltas alluded to the fact that this story borrows elements of her own childhood (she dedicates the book to her own mother, sister, and brother, stating “I write now what I could not do then”), this builds the atmosphere of Anke’s home life and family excellently. This is illustrated especially well in the many ways Anke struggles - with her desire to be noticed by her father and her near-horror when he occasionally does (as when he mentions her rapidly-developing, “sexy” body); how she questions why she doesn’t tell on him straight out; whether a twisted, “together” family is better than having a broken one in the middle of an outright confrontation; and whether she really wants to know what happened between her father and her siblings, if they’re just “waiting for someone to ask,” she is searching for the personal closure these questions could bring.

Because I Am Furniture reminds me a lot of the poetry piece that I am performing for forensics class, titled “Stop Pretending” by Sonya Sones. It is a cut version from her autobiography about her older sister’s mental breakdown when she was only thirteen years old. Her sister had to be hospitalized and her family was torn apart by grief and heartache. Even though these two pieces are completely different subjects, I see similarities in the way both of the protagonists look up to their older sisters and wish that everything would stop and just go back to normal. Both characters come to realize that even though what their family is going through is tough, if they are patient and persevere they will eventually find happiness once again. When I perform my poetry piece, I have to tap into my emotional thoughts and I think about both of these pieces so that I can accurately portray the great emotion that my character is trying to convey. I just think about how awful it would be to be in either one of those situations and I really try to connect it to my life the best way I can because I want my judges to feel the heartfelt message of “Stop Pretending” by Sonya Sones.

Because I Am Furniture is one of those books that once you start, you lose track of time until you flip the final page. It’s powerful, emotional, and, unfortunately, will hit home with some readers. This is the first time I’ve read anything where the main character was only an onlooker to abuse at home and I’d never really thought about it before reading this book. This book deals with a number of hard subjects such as abuse and rape. The way the author goes at these subjects head on leaves you to really feel the emotion in the story. You are a fly on the wall as Anke vividly describes her life outside of her house, and what it's like trapped inside. It's startlingly real and honest the way that it's told through the eyes of someone who spends most of her time trying to ignore the horrible things that go on around her.

I don't think everyone is going to like this story, I know from reading it that some people may have problems getting into the story and characters. Everything is laid out right on the surface in a raw and intense way; the reader either can't look away or can't bear to look. This is an author to watch for more great novels in the future. She has a gift of speaking/writing just like a teen, yet with imagery and vocabulary that is sophisticated enough for adults. I also recommend this book to teens who find it hard to get through a book. It has lots of whitespace; can be picked up and put down easily because each poem is a mini story in itself. In many ways, this is a five star worthy book. Absorbing and so completely spot on with each of Anke's conflicting emotions, Chaltas has almost written a masterpiece. I felt a bit let down by the ending though. It wasn't bad, just a bit… wimpy. For a book that had been so hard to put down, so gritty and so dark, it was all a bit too happy days at the end. Despite this, it is still an excellent read and definitely worth buying or borrowing. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in looking at a different perspective of child abuse and domestic violence. I cannot wait to read more of Thalia Chaltas’ great work!

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About Thalia Chaltas

Thalia Chaltas (Author, Because I Am Furniture, Viking, 2009) worked hard at her luck to get her Young Adult novel Because I Am Furniture published by Viking. She has been writing for children since just before the turn of the century. The current century. Running her medical transcription business has taught her the value of editing, since most physicians don’t sound brilliant without a transcrip...more

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Quotes from Because I Am Furniture

“I got an A on the third quiz in American history,
an A,
dammit.
Last time I got a B
up from a C
and my father said,
"if you can get a C
you can get a B,
if you can get a B
you can get an A."-
I got an A
and my father said,
"grades don't mean anything.” — 50 people liked it

“I never realized
till now
how hard the brain has to work
to make the body do what it asks.

Or maybe how hard the body has to work
to ignore
the brain.” — 15 people liked it

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