This exciting, engaging novel by Neal Shusterman is one that will keep you thinking days after you finish. It’s like frozen yogurt—a sweet, almost cheesy love story with great morals, but without all the sugar that makes it too clichéd. The unique narration from 4 different POVs was especially interesting, and the way the author so skilfully created the authentic voices from a cheery teenage girl to a mischievous grade school boy is astonishing.

To be considered a bruiser means that you are a strong, tough person. For someone like Brewster Rawlins that is what anyone would suspect he is like, and he is. But there is more to him than that. Brewster has a condition. He is able to take the emotional and physical pain away from the ones he loves, as long as he is near them. He is lonely and depressed, because he chooses to refrain from making friends...until he meets Tennyson and Bronte.

One thing I really adored about the novel was the character development. The characters were so thoroughly developed it was almost as if they were real. At times I can really feel them standing in front of me telling me their story. Shusterman’s ingenious combination of humour and bitter sweetness is what I believe makes the characters even more lovable than they already are. “It’s the F word that gets my waterworks going. Forever. The escape valve opens; I wipe my eyes quickly and close the valve again. Forever sucks.” (p326)

I am usually not a fan of free verse, and usually try to steer clear of it as much as I can, but in this book, I think the free verse actually helped portray Brewster as this lovable, romantic gentleman, which strongly contrasted with his appearance and reputation. It also gave the book a little more variety, making it more interesting (p313):
“I feel no wounds now,
Or any stolen pain.
All that remains
Is gratitude
And pure
Perfect
Joy.”

Overall “Bruiser” was a fantastic read, with plenty of wonderful characters, an amazing plot and morals which will make you think for a long time. I would recommend it to anyone 14 and up who are interested in romance and humor.