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Hamilton High #10
Shut Up!
SYNOPSIS, Shut Up!, by Marilyn Reynolds
When their mother gets sent to Iraq with her National Guard Unit, seventeen-year-old Mario Barajas and his ten-year-old brother, Eddie, go to live with their aunt Carmen. Mario is not pleased with the arrangement because Carmen is “one of those people that gets all bent over every little thing, plus she likes Eddie way better than she likes me.” But the boys want to stay in their own schools, and Carmen is their only hope for that. She becomes their legal guardian and Mario and Eddie move in with her the night before their mother, Max, has to report for duty.
Max tells Mario that Carmen’s busy with her job at the bank, and with Denton, the new love of her life, and as long as they follow her house rules and keep a low profile, they won’t have anything to worry about with Carmen.
Soon after the boys move in, Denton begins spending more and more time at Carmen’s. Mario says Denton “hecka bugs me. He talks like he knows everything, and he acts like he owns the place, even though it’s Carmen who pays the rent.” But he sees that Denton is nice to Eddie, and Eddie likes the attention.
Mario’s focus on his girlfriend, his job at Java Jive, and school, and he’s barely aware that Eddie is laughing less, and sometimes behaving rather strangely. The, after they’ve been at Carmen’s several months, Mario comes home from work earlier than expected and sees “Denton sitting on the edge of Eddie’s bed, with Eddie’s face pushed down onto his lap. Denton’s pants are open and his briefs are pulled down, and he’s holding Eddie’s mouth down on his dick.”
Mario goes into a rage, attacking Denton with all his might, but he’s no physical match for the man. When he threatens to call the police, Denton tells him the first thing that will happen with police involvement is “they’ll want to protect you nice little boys. Which means they’ll take you away and out you in foster homes. Probably a group home for you, Mister Mario. No regular family wants to take in a smart-ass seventeen-year-old loser-boy like you…Eddie boy here; they’ll take him away and put him in a different foster home. You’ll both change schools. One of you may be in Riverside, and the other in Northridge. Who Knows? Protective services go a long way to find foster homes. Maybe you’ll get to see each other once or twice a month, if you have nice foster parents. You get my drift?”
When Carmen comes in that evening, Denton acts as if nothing has happened. Mario doubts that Carmen would believe him if he said anything against Denton. When he and Eddie are alone, he tries to get Eddie to talk to him but Eddie has taken seriously Denton’s threats to kill them both if they don’t “Shut up and stay shut up.” Mario tries to keep Eddie away from Denton, but realizes he can’t be with Eddie all of the time. Finally, he feels he has no choice but to run away with Eddie. They take Max’s old car and go four hundred miles to an Aunt and Uncle’s in Redville, a California farming community.
Carmen figures out where they’ve gone. She drives up to Redville to retrieve Eddie. She claims Mario is “incorrigible” and wants nothing more to do with him, but she loves Eddie and she and Denton are going to get married and provide a good home for him. Mario finally tells the family what’s been going on, but Eddie, who stays “shut up,” doesn’t back Mario up, and the others doubt his story. It is not until another family member takes a good look at Eddie’s drawings that she notices details that might indicate molestation. In the meantime, Max has called from Iraq and urged the Redville family to keep the boys with them until she can help sort things out. Ultimately, Denton is arrested and the boys are in a safe, stable place, but both their lives have been drastically changed by their experiences. The story ends on an uneasily hopeful note.
When their mother gets sent to Iraq with her National Guard Unit, seventeen-year-old Mario Barajas and his ten-year-old brother, Eddie, go to live with their aunt Carmen. Mario is not pleased with the arrangement because Carmen is “one of those people that gets all bent over every little thing, plus she likes Eddie way better than she likes me.” But the boys want to stay in their own schools, and Carmen is their only hope for that. She becomes their legal guardian and Mario and Eddie move in with her the night before their mother, Max, has to report for duty.
Max tells Mario that Carmen’s busy with her job at the bank, and with Denton, the new love of her life, and as long as they follow her house rules and keep a low profile, they won’t have anything to worry about with Carmen.
Soon after the boys move in, Denton begins spending more and more time at Carmen’s. Mario says Denton “hecka bugs me. He talks like he knows everything, and he acts like he owns the place, even though it’s Carmen who pays the rent.” But he sees that Denton is nice to Eddie, and Eddie likes the attention.
Mario’s focus on his girlfriend, his job at Java Jive, and school, and he’s barely aware that Eddie is laughing less, and sometimes behaving rather strangely. The, after they’ve been at Carmen’s several months, Mario comes home from work earlier than expected and sees “Denton sitting on the edge of Eddie’s bed, with Eddie’s face pushed down onto his lap. Denton’s pants are open and his briefs are pulled down, and he’s holding Eddie’s mouth down on his dick.”
Mario goes into a rage, attacking Denton with all his might, but he’s no physical match for the man. When he threatens to call the police, Denton tells him the first thing that will happen with police involvement is “they’ll want to protect you nice little boys. Which means they’ll take you away and out you in foster homes. Probably a group home for you, Mister Mario. No regular family wants to take in a smart-ass seventeen-year-old loser-boy like you…Eddie boy here; they’ll take him away and put him in a different foster home. You’ll both change schools. One of you may be in Riverside, and the other in Northridge. Who Knows? Protective services go a long way to find foster homes. Maybe you’ll get to see each other once or twice a month, if you have nice foster parents. You get my drift?”
When Carmen comes in that evening, Denton acts as if nothing has happened. Mario doubts that Carmen would believe him if he said anything against Denton. When he and Eddie are alone, he tries to get Eddie to talk to him but Eddie has taken seriously Denton’s threats to kill them both if they don’t “Shut up and stay shut up.” Mario tries to keep Eddie away from Denton, but realizes he can’t be with Eddie all of the time. Finally, he feels he has no choice but to run away with Eddie. They take Max’s old car and go four hundred miles to an Aunt and Uncle’s in Redville, a California farming community.
Carmen figures out where they’ve gone. She drives up to Redville to retrieve Eddie. She claims Mario is “incorrigible” and wants nothing more to do with him, but she loves Eddie and she and Denton are going to get married and provide a good home for him. Mario finally tells the family what’s been going on, but Eddie, who stays “shut up,” doesn’t back Mario up, and the others doubt his story. It is not until another family member takes a good look at Eddie’s drawings that she notices details that might indicate molestation. In the meantime, Max has called from Iraq and urged the Redville family to keep the boys with them until she can help sort things out. Ultimately, Denton is arrested and the boys are in a safe, stable place, but both their lives have been drastically changed by their experiences. The story ends on an uneasily hopeful note.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
17 people are currently reading
272 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
December 25, 2020
this book pissed me off. eddie's trauma was not addressed, people around him treated him like a burden, even his own brother who could only think of some girl that was a completely selfish bitch, and mario loved to fat shame, always making it a point to express his disgust at overweight people. there was a few good family moments and I do think mario sacrificing so much to keep eddie away from denton was admirable but for the most part this book was a steaming pile of horse shit that no air freshener could ever remedy.
December 5, 2014
This book is about 2 brothers, and their mom went off to Iraq. In the story they have to stay with an aunt, who's relationships are over the board. Their aunt had a boyfriend, who at the beginning seemed really nice. He would take the youngest of the brothers out to play basketball, to the store. Eddie seemed to enjoy going out with Denton, but all of a sudden Mario notices that Eddie changes he becomes more quite and reserved, he doesn't even laugh at Marios farts anymore, and he doesn't even draw the same anymore. One day Mario comes home to find that Denton is abusing Eddie.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2023
Ho parecchio da dire. Inizio dicendo che chi è interessato c’è un sequel dal punto di vista di Eddie che va alle superiori: Eddie’s Choice.
- Iniziamo da cosa NON mi è piaciuto.
Non ci sono sviluppi dei personaggi, sono per la maggior parte statici e antipatici. Gli “amici” di Mario si capisce sin da subito che sono classici americani che non prendono nulla seriamente e pensano solo a sé. Mi dispiace per Walker, che nonostante anni di amicizia, è sempre stata qualcosa di superficiale e alla fine Mario l’ha capito.
Mario infatti è l’unico che possiamo dire è leggermente cambiato alla fine, che ha capito qualcosa, ma mi sarei aspettata molto di più. Il suo carattere era troppo egoista per i miei gusti. È vero, ha portato Eddie lontano da Denton, ma era il minimo che potesse fare dopo quello che era successo, e dopo? Ha continuato a lamentarsi della sua cottarella e del fatto che gli mancasse la sua vita delle superiori. Continuava a dire che gli mancava la sua vita senza pensare a Eddie il quale la sua vita era stata completamente stravolta. Che non sarebbe mai tornata come prima. Quando ha provato ad abbandonarlo dagli zii nel suo periodo più brutto, di mutismo, mi sono davvero arrabbiata. La macchina si è rotta, altrimenti lui non si sarebbe fermato. Una cosa che anche mi ha dato fastidio è come si fidasse più di una ragazzina conosciuta da manco due mesi per dirle la questione di Eddie invece che magari dare la priorità al suo miglior amico se proprio voleva dirlo a qualcuno. Ho trovato stupida la cosa di tenere segreto la questione di Eddie perché gliel’ha promesso al fratello. Cioè, scusami, una cosa tanto seria tu tiene conto di mantenere una stupida promessa con un ragazzino di 9 anni, traumatizzato, che non sa cosa sta succedendo? Va bene magari rispettarlo e dirgli che è una cosa grave, che va detta.
Tutti i personaggi poi mi sono sembrati troppo superficiali. Mario sta dicendo che Eddie è stato molestato e voi non provate neanche ad accertarvi un po’ di più della cosa? Volevano rimandarlo indietro come se nulla fosse. Ma poi, terribile che si aspettavano e insistevano che Eddie parlasse. Stava affrontando un evento traumatico, bastava portarlo un attimo a fargli un controllo da uno specialista perché questo capisse che il palese comportamento di Eddie era segno di abuso o evento traumatico. Non mi piaceva come infatti si comportavano con Eddie o come parlavano di questo o del sesso in generale come un argomento qualunque. Non c’era quello shock o quella rabbia che mi sarei aspettata. Oltre lo sfogo di rabbia di Mario inizialmente, poi è perfino rimasto in quella casa per la notte e il giorno dopo. Pronto? Scappa subito, porta subito via Eddie, chiama la polizia. Per non parlare di come Mario prima dice che non lascerà mai più Denton avvicinarsi a Eddie, e quando stanno per portare Eddie di nuovo a casa di Carmen, lui va in bagno non volendo vederlo andare via. MARIO TI PREGO. Io avrei dato di matto, avrei provato a parlare con Eddie, la polizia. I numero che ha ricevuto dall’insegnante? Doveva usarli, dovevano in qualche modo essere più inseriti nella trama.
Lenta la trama all’inizio. C’erano anche pochi dettagli, soprattutto sui personaggi. Oltre gli occhi blu di Eddie, noi non abbiamo saputo nulla sulle caratteristiche degli altri. Le cose accadevano ma mi aspettavo più specifiche di luoghi o situazione. Era come leggere un diario di eventi molto semplice.
- Cosa mi è PIACIUTO
Era bello come le cose nella seconda metà del libro hanno iniziato a girare. Quando finalmente i personaggi hanno iniziato a definirsi e anche gli eventi. Eddie era tropo carino e veramente mi è dispiaciuto un sacco per la sua situazione. Ho amato il rapporto che aveva con Mario, nonostante ciò che ho detto su Mario prima, si vedeva quanto comunque si volessero bene.
I personaggi nonostante nessuno sviluppo, erano molto diversi. Appena comparivano ti rimanevano impressi. Era molto presente il legame della famiglia, tutto girava attorno a questo perno. Quando le cose sono iniziate a migliorare mi sono sentita sollevata. La storia non era per nulla pesante rispetto a come mi aspettavo. Neanche sempre cupa. Anzi, succedevano spesso cose che alleggerivano l’atmosfera. Gli eventi variavano, non era mai uguale o ti annoiava.
Sarebbe potuta essere mooolto meglio, perché le basi c’erano, le fondamenta erano solide, ma vabbè, ci sono stati alti e bassi nella lettura. 3 stelle.
- Iniziamo da cosa NON mi è piaciuto.
Non ci sono sviluppi dei personaggi, sono per la maggior parte statici e antipatici. Gli “amici” di Mario si capisce sin da subito che sono classici americani che non prendono nulla seriamente e pensano solo a sé. Mi dispiace per Walker, che nonostante anni di amicizia, è sempre stata qualcosa di superficiale e alla fine Mario l’ha capito.
Mario infatti è l’unico che possiamo dire è leggermente cambiato alla fine, che ha capito qualcosa, ma mi sarei aspettata molto di più. Il suo carattere era troppo egoista per i miei gusti. È vero, ha portato Eddie lontano da Denton, ma era il minimo che potesse fare dopo quello che era successo, e dopo? Ha continuato a lamentarsi della sua cottarella e del fatto che gli mancasse la sua vita delle superiori. Continuava a dire che gli mancava la sua vita senza pensare a Eddie il quale la sua vita era stata completamente stravolta. Che non sarebbe mai tornata come prima. Quando ha provato ad abbandonarlo dagli zii nel suo periodo più brutto, di mutismo, mi sono davvero arrabbiata. La macchina si è rotta, altrimenti lui non si sarebbe fermato. Una cosa che anche mi ha dato fastidio è come si fidasse più di una ragazzina conosciuta da manco due mesi per dirle la questione di Eddie invece che magari dare la priorità al suo miglior amico se proprio voleva dirlo a qualcuno. Ho trovato stupida la cosa di tenere segreto la questione di Eddie perché gliel’ha promesso al fratello. Cioè, scusami, una cosa tanto seria tu tiene conto di mantenere una stupida promessa con un ragazzino di 9 anni, traumatizzato, che non sa cosa sta succedendo? Va bene magari rispettarlo e dirgli che è una cosa grave, che va detta.
Tutti i personaggi poi mi sono sembrati troppo superficiali. Mario sta dicendo che Eddie è stato molestato e voi non provate neanche ad accertarvi un po’ di più della cosa? Volevano rimandarlo indietro come se nulla fosse. Ma poi, terribile che si aspettavano e insistevano che Eddie parlasse. Stava affrontando un evento traumatico, bastava portarlo un attimo a fargli un controllo da uno specialista perché questo capisse che il palese comportamento di Eddie era segno di abuso o evento traumatico. Non mi piaceva come infatti si comportavano con Eddie o come parlavano di questo o del sesso in generale come un argomento qualunque. Non c’era quello shock o quella rabbia che mi sarei aspettata. Oltre lo sfogo di rabbia di Mario inizialmente, poi è perfino rimasto in quella casa per la notte e il giorno dopo. Pronto? Scappa subito, porta subito via Eddie, chiama la polizia. Per non parlare di come Mario prima dice che non lascerà mai più Denton avvicinarsi a Eddie, e quando stanno per portare Eddie di nuovo a casa di Carmen, lui va in bagno non volendo vederlo andare via. MARIO TI PREGO. Io avrei dato di matto, avrei provato a parlare con Eddie, la polizia. I numero che ha ricevuto dall’insegnante? Doveva usarli, dovevano in qualche modo essere più inseriti nella trama.
Lenta la trama all’inizio. C’erano anche pochi dettagli, soprattutto sui personaggi. Oltre gli occhi blu di Eddie, noi non abbiamo saputo nulla sulle caratteristiche degli altri. Le cose accadevano ma mi aspettavo più specifiche di luoghi o situazione. Era come leggere un diario di eventi molto semplice.
- Cosa mi è PIACIUTO
Era bello come le cose nella seconda metà del libro hanno iniziato a girare. Quando finalmente i personaggi hanno iniziato a definirsi e anche gli eventi. Eddie era tropo carino e veramente mi è dispiaciuto un sacco per la sua situazione. Ho amato il rapporto che aveva con Mario, nonostante ciò che ho detto su Mario prima, si vedeva quanto comunque si volessero bene.
I personaggi nonostante nessuno sviluppo, erano molto diversi. Appena comparivano ti rimanevano impressi. Era molto presente il legame della famiglia, tutto girava attorno a questo perno. Quando le cose sono iniziate a migliorare mi sono sentita sollevata. La storia non era per nulla pesante rispetto a come mi aspettavo. Neanche sempre cupa. Anzi, succedevano spesso cose che alleggerivano l’atmosfera. Gli eventi variavano, non era mai uguale o ti annoiava.
Sarebbe potuta essere mooolto meglio, perché le basi c’erano, le fondamenta erano solide, ma vabbè, ci sono stati alti e bassi nella lettura. 3 stelle.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2024
OVERALL RATING: 3 out of 5 stars
- Writing: 3 out of 5 stars
- Characters: 3.5 out of 5 stars
- Story/Idea: 3 out of 5 stars
Tags and keywords: brothers, coming of age, teen, YA, sexual abuse, overcoming trauma
I work at a public library in North Carolina and along with my everyday duties I am also part of its book audit team. This title came up in our YA list to research and it brought up a question that I was very interested in learning more about: How could an 88-year-old white woman write a book giving the account of sexual abuse and its ramifications in a Mexican-American military family and tell it through the eyes of its seventeen-year-old main character?
The outcome surprised me very much!
To give some insight, Marilyn Reynolds is a former high school teacher turned author after teaching students in an at-risk school. She noticed a lack of interest from her kids in the curriculum’s required reading and also a shortage of relatable literature with the issues her students were facing. She took it upon herself to change that, creating and writing a series of award-winning YA novels centered around seldom-talked-about and controversial issues that young people face, naming it the “True-To-Life Hamilton High Series”. With a total of 10 books, topics such as teen pregnancy, domestic/physical abuse, racism, family crises, and sexual abuse are prevalent in the stories–all inspired by her real-life students.
The premise of Shut Up (book number 10 in the series) details the life-changing events that occur when Mario Barajas (the MC and narrator) and his little brother Eddie are sent to live with their aunt after their mother is called to serve in Iraq with her National Guard unit. Their aunt has a new boyfriend who is mysterious, suspiciously cautious about being in public, and a little too friendly with ten-year-old Eddie…
Let us begin with what I disliked: This book can be very dated with the terminology and references of its time (early 2000s with many conversations regarding the war in Iraq). Reading it as a millennial, the lingo used by the teenagers doesn’t just encapsulate that era but makes it feel forced and outdated. It was obvious that this was written by someone who is not from that generation and very likely Googled what was “hip and now” back then, overusing it to the point of making the dialogue seem artificial and unnatural in some parts. I also felt the pacing of the story cut some critical moments (that should have been prolonged for effect) into snippets while unimportant details were kept that did not support or move the storytelling at all. Being Hispanic, another dislike I had was how the family was painted as being Mexican-American, but the culture shown was very typical and shallow with basic Google-translated Spanish phrases and terms sprinkled throughout the text. This story would have remained exactly the same if it were written with a white family experiencing this (the author’s race).
And yet…the dislikes somehow align themselves with the reasons why I liked this book.
What I liked: Yes, the terminology is very dated, and yes it’s pretty obvious a Boomer wrote them. However, apart from overusing some terms, the author somehow makes it work enough to still convince the reader that the story really IS being told by a seventeen-year-old boy.
What Ms. Reynolds lacked in the natural use of social terms she made up for with the strong knowledge and awareness she had of her characters. Their personalities still shone through so powerfully that even in the moments when I was rolling my eyes, I found myself rolling my eyes at what the male MC was saying and not what an old lady was writing. Does that make sense?
It was cringy because teenagers are cringy.
The voice of the characters SAVED the story. It’s honestly an impressive talent that needs to be highlighted here. Another area that I appreciated was the straightforward facts about the trauma that happened. This book is VERY GRAPHIC in the act that the big brother witnesses between his little brother and the aunt’s boyfriend. Nothing is censored here because a situation like this is shown in its true nature: horrifying, unjust, and abusive. This is a sensitive topic not sprinkled with “but they still found their strength and all lived happily ever after” or some Live Laugh Love mentality. Its approach is very real and the repercussions for the abused and the family of the abused are shown in the most authentic way possible. My heart broke for this child and the abused children he represented.
YA novels are not my thing (my Twilight era broke me of that, thank goodness), and let it be known that this is no Catcher In The Rye type of book hailed as the next great teen-angst novel of this generation. But sometimes a rare book comes along that impacts even the atypical reader of said books and lingers in the mind. Ms. Reynolds, even in the flawed aspects of her writing, did just that.
This will stay with me for a long time and I believe myself to be a better reader for letting it stay.
***BOOK 31 OF MY 2024 READING CHALLENGE***
Memorable Quotes:
- Writing: 3 out of 5 stars
- Characters: 3.5 out of 5 stars
- Story/Idea: 3 out of 5 stars
Tags and keywords: brothers, coming of age, teen, YA, sexual abuse, overcoming trauma
I work at a public library in North Carolina and along with my everyday duties I am also part of its book audit team. This title came up in our YA list to research and it brought up a question that I was very interested in learning more about: How could an 88-year-old white woman write a book giving the account of sexual abuse and its ramifications in a Mexican-American military family and tell it through the eyes of its seventeen-year-old main character?
The outcome surprised me very much!
To give some insight, Marilyn Reynolds is a former high school teacher turned author after teaching students in an at-risk school. She noticed a lack of interest from her kids in the curriculum’s required reading and also a shortage of relatable literature with the issues her students were facing. She took it upon herself to change that, creating and writing a series of award-winning YA novels centered around seldom-talked-about and controversial issues that young people face, naming it the “True-To-Life Hamilton High Series”. With a total of 10 books, topics such as teen pregnancy, domestic/physical abuse, racism, family crises, and sexual abuse are prevalent in the stories–all inspired by her real-life students.
The premise of Shut Up (book number 10 in the series) details the life-changing events that occur when Mario Barajas (the MC and narrator) and his little brother Eddie are sent to live with their aunt after their mother is called to serve in Iraq with her National Guard unit. Their aunt has a new boyfriend who is mysterious, suspiciously cautious about being in public, and a little too friendly with ten-year-old Eddie…
Let us begin with what I disliked: This book can be very dated with the terminology and references of its time (early 2000s with many conversations regarding the war in Iraq). Reading it as a millennial, the lingo used by the teenagers doesn’t just encapsulate that era but makes it feel forced and outdated. It was obvious that this was written by someone who is not from that generation and very likely Googled what was “hip and now” back then, overusing it to the point of making the dialogue seem artificial and unnatural in some parts. I also felt the pacing of the story cut some critical moments (that should have been prolonged for effect) into snippets while unimportant details were kept that did not support or move the storytelling at all. Being Hispanic, another dislike I had was how the family was painted as being Mexican-American, but the culture shown was very typical and shallow with basic Google-translated Spanish phrases and terms sprinkled throughout the text. This story would have remained exactly the same if it were written with a white family experiencing this (the author’s race).
And yet…the dislikes somehow align themselves with the reasons why I liked this book.
What I liked: Yes, the terminology is very dated, and yes it’s pretty obvious a Boomer wrote them. However, apart from overusing some terms, the author somehow makes it work enough to still convince the reader that the story really IS being told by a seventeen-year-old boy.
What Ms. Reynolds lacked in the natural use of social terms she made up for with the strong knowledge and awareness she had of her characters. Their personalities still shone through so powerfully that even in the moments when I was rolling my eyes, I found myself rolling my eyes at what the male MC was saying and not what an old lady was writing. Does that make sense?
It was cringy because teenagers are cringy.
The voice of the characters SAVED the story. It’s honestly an impressive talent that needs to be highlighted here. Another area that I appreciated was the straightforward facts about the trauma that happened. This book is VERY GRAPHIC in the act that the big brother witnesses between his little brother and the aunt’s boyfriend. Nothing is censored here because a situation like this is shown in its true nature: horrifying, unjust, and abusive. This is a sensitive topic not sprinkled with “but they still found their strength and all lived happily ever after” or some Live Laugh Love mentality. Its approach is very real and the repercussions for the abused and the family of the abused are shown in the most authentic way possible. My heart broke for this child and the abused children he represented.
YA novels are not my thing (my Twilight era broke me of that, thank goodness), and let it be known that this is no Catcher In The Rye type of book hailed as the next great teen-angst novel of this generation. But sometimes a rare book comes along that impacts even the atypical reader of said books and lingers in the mind. Ms. Reynolds, even in the flawed aspects of her writing, did just that.
This will stay with me for a long time and I believe myself to be a better reader for letting it stay.
***BOOK 31 OF MY 2024 READING CHALLENGE***
Memorable Quotes:
- Had I experienced a loss of interest in things I once enjoyed? Well… If not a loss of interest, certainly a loss of opportunity.
- Just take care of the now, she says. Maybe she’s right, but I want more than “now”. So I keep trying to figure out what’s next, knowing that even if everything’s turning out a lot different than I expected, other possibilities keep showing up.
January 29, 2026
I read Shut Up in high school as part of a class assignment, and more than a decade later, it still lives in my head and my chest. I remember throwing this book across the room, crying, yelling, and feeling overwhelming anger while reading it — and that reaction alone tells you how powerful it is.
I’m writing this review 12–13 years later because very few books have ever impacted me the way this one did.
This is not an easy read. It is emotionally exhausting, deeply upsetting, and at times painful to get through — but it is also incredibly important. The story handles heavy, real-world issues with honesty and gravity, and it does so in a way that centers protection, love, and the reality that children and teenagers are often forced to face “adult” situations when the adults around them fail.
I understand why this book has been challenged or removed in some schools, but I don’t believe it should be erased. I do believe it should be read with guidance, support, and age-appropriate boundaries — ideally for older teens, or with parental or teacher involvement. This is not a casual or light book, and readers deserve to be prepared for its weight.
That said, this book matters. Especially for readers who have not personally experienced abuse, it offers an unflinching look at realities many people would rather not acknowledge — but must. I hated this book and loved it at the same time, and that tension is exactly why it stayed with me for so long.
Few books devastate you and educate you at once. Shut Up does both.
I’m writing this review 12–13 years later because very few books have ever impacted me the way this one did.
This is not an easy read. It is emotionally exhausting, deeply upsetting, and at times painful to get through — but it is also incredibly important. The story handles heavy, real-world issues with honesty and gravity, and it does so in a way that centers protection, love, and the reality that children and teenagers are often forced to face “adult” situations when the adults around them fail.
I understand why this book has been challenged or removed in some schools, but I don’t believe it should be erased. I do believe it should be read with guidance, support, and age-appropriate boundaries — ideally for older teens, or with parental or teacher involvement. This is not a casual or light book, and readers deserve to be prepared for its weight.
That said, this book matters. Especially for readers who have not personally experienced abuse, it offers an unflinching look at realities many people would rather not acknowledge — but must. I hated this book and loved it at the same time, and that tension is exactly why it stayed with me for so long.
Few books devastate you and educate you at once. Shut Up does both.
November 2, 2017
Mario and Eddie are brothers their mom works for the national guard unit. When their mom leaves the go to stay with there aunt Carman and her boyfriend. The boys do not have a father to love them so eddies desperate for deletion to treat him like his son. Mario hates deletion for no particular reason he just does. Mario's first love and his job take up most of his time. Mario starts realizing his brother is not as happy but just passes it off as he misses his mom. Until he comes home early and finds the ugly truth.
I made a connection with both Mario and Eddie because I don't have a mom to that I can live with. I also made a connection with Mario because Carman was really strict and my dad is. This book's main topic is sexual abuse it is really sad this happens all the time.
I really liked how realistic the book was it really seemed like it actually happened to someone. I liked how the Writer didn't hold back made his point how bad it is to have something think that happen to you. I didn't like how long it took Mario to know what to do and to get help. Would recommend this book to anyone that responsible and can take it seriously.
October 20, 2017
I happened to see this in the library and sat there and read it 80% of it immediately right there. It was real and disturbing and heroic and maddening, reading almost like Mario's diary. I think the author did a great job showing the complexity of dealing with abuse and trying to save the victim without revealing what has happened. The bond between the brothers seemed very realistic and not sugar-coated. Mario, as a teenage boy, was not romanticized and was very flawed but handled the situation as best as he knew how. I think it was a very good read and it kept me from leaving the library on time!
August 2, 2018
I did enjoy following this story and really felt for the characters and what they were going through. I did remove one star from my rating though because there were 2 instances in the book which were basically fat shaming for no reason. It served no purpose in the story and was just rude and ridiculous.
November 16, 2021
this novel so far is very good but for people who may have had past experiences of perhaps rape or similar crimes this book may be hard to read. but i do still recommend this book since so far it is very good and engaging.
March 4, 2018
This is a tragic story, about what happens when a young boy is abused by his guardians boyfriend. This novel is available on book share.
January 5, 2022
Great story about a couple & school problems
July 12, 2024
goodish
poor kid
the brother annoyed me erghhhh
vroom vroom
poor kid
the brother annoyed me erghhhh
vroom vroom
April 8, 2012
This book is about 2 brothers who's mom went off to Iraq. During this time, they stayed with their aunt Carmen. After a while Mario, the older brother, finds out that in addition to his already complicated life, his younger brother, Eddie, has been taken advantage of by their aunt's boyfriend, Denton. So to get rid of this problem, he took Eddie and went off to their uncle's house. From there, Mario tried to regain the trust of Eddie, because he broke his promise of not to tell anyone Eddie’s secret.
The main themes in this book is survival and responsibility. Responsibility is seen when Mario isolates himself and loses his girlfriend to stay with his brother, miles away from his home. Mario takes responsibility of himself, and his brother while their mother is in Iraq. Mario had to deal with all the issues with family, and his own life. Between taking care of his brother, and dealing with losing his girlfriend. He was not able to graduate with his class and was dealing with depression. I honestly don't know how he did it. If it were me, I would have suffered from anxiety because there's a lot of pressure riding on him. If he would have made the wrong decisions, everything could go up in flames. Mario practically sacrificed his life for Eddie.
There are some things that made me upset in this book. One was the fact that their aunt was completely oblivious to everything that was going on around her. She really couldn't see that her idiotic boyfriend was the root of all the trouble in their house. She had blamed Mario for everything, and she didn't notice that the person to blame, was the person laying next to her in bed every night. Laying all the accusations. Another thing is those friends that Mario wanted to keep so badly. Especially that girlfriend of his - he specifically told her not to tell anyone about what was going on with his brother, and she told anyway - and that wasn't right. Also, his girlfriend couldn't except the fact that Mario's brother needed him and he had to be there for him, she was just so clingy, she needed to just sit down and relax because the world doesn’t revolve around her. There really are people being hurt by this and all she could think about is her dumb parties that she wanted Mario to take her to.
There really are people being sexually abused and physically abused. So, if you know someone that is being abused, you should speak up. Mario’s girlfriend was very selfish, and blinded by it. I mean she couldn’t see that her boyfriend’s brother was in trouble. At the moment she was told, she cared, but then, it seemed to fade away. As if she didn’t care. So, again, if you know someone that is being abused in anyway, you should tell someone... Before it’s too late.
The main themes in this book is survival and responsibility. Responsibility is seen when Mario isolates himself and loses his girlfriend to stay with his brother, miles away from his home. Mario takes responsibility of himself, and his brother while their mother is in Iraq. Mario had to deal with all the issues with family, and his own life. Between taking care of his brother, and dealing with losing his girlfriend. He was not able to graduate with his class and was dealing with depression. I honestly don't know how he did it. If it were me, I would have suffered from anxiety because there's a lot of pressure riding on him. If he would have made the wrong decisions, everything could go up in flames. Mario practically sacrificed his life for Eddie.
There are some things that made me upset in this book. One was the fact that their aunt was completely oblivious to everything that was going on around her. She really couldn't see that her idiotic boyfriend was the root of all the trouble in their house. She had blamed Mario for everything, and she didn't notice that the person to blame, was the person laying next to her in bed every night. Laying all the accusations. Another thing is those friends that Mario wanted to keep so badly. Especially that girlfriend of his - he specifically told her not to tell anyone about what was going on with his brother, and she told anyway - and that wasn't right. Also, his girlfriend couldn't except the fact that Mario's brother needed him and he had to be there for him, she was just so clingy, she needed to just sit down and relax because the world doesn’t revolve around her. There really are people being hurt by this and all she could think about is her dumb parties that she wanted Mario to take her to.
There really are people being sexually abused and physically abused. So, if you know someone that is being abused, you should speak up. Mario’s girlfriend was very selfish, and blinded by it. I mean she couldn’t see that her boyfriend’s brother was in trouble. At the moment she was told, she cared, but then, it seemed to fade away. As if she didn’t care. So, again, if you know someone that is being abused in anyway, you should tell someone... Before it’s too late.
July 25, 2012
A brutally tough story that made me sick to my stomach.
Eddie and Mario’s single mom is shipped off to Iraq, leaving them to stay with her sister. The day before Max ships out, Mario, 17 years old, promises her he’ll take care of Eddie, his nine-year-old brother. But there’s his girlfriend, his coffee shop job, school, training for soccer, daily email messages to his mom, and the tensions of living with his demanding aunt. It’s no wonder Mario barely notices that Eddie’s not laughing much anymore, or telling corny jokes, or drawing happy cartoon characters. Then, in one shocking moment, Mario realizes how desperately Eddie needs his help. His girlfriend, his job, school, soccer, all fade into the background as Mario struggles to protect his little brother. Shut Up! is a story of the sexual abuse of a child by a trusted adult. It is also the story of the love of two brothers and their fight to survive an extremely difficult situation.
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Eddie and Mario’s single mom is shipped off to Iraq, leaving them to stay with her sister. The day before Max ships out, Mario, 17 years old, promises her he’ll take care of Eddie, his nine-year-old brother. But there’s his girlfriend, his coffee shop job, school, training for soccer, daily email messages to his mom, and the tensions of living with his demanding aunt. It’s no wonder Mario barely notices that Eddie’s not laughing much anymore, or telling corny jokes, or drawing happy cartoon characters. Then, in one shocking moment, Mario realizes how desperately Eddie needs his help. His girlfriend, his job, school, soccer, all fade into the background as Mario struggles to protect his little brother. Shut Up! is a story of the sexual abuse of a child by a trusted adult. It is also the story of the love of two brothers and their fight to survive an extremely difficult situation.
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May 22, 2013
This book was fantastic, I was literally unable to put it down. It is about a common story of sexual abuse. Once Max, the mother of Eddie and Mario, gets shipped off to fight in iraq they have to live with their aunt Carmen. Carmen's boyfriend Denton is a suspicious and sketchy man that ends up taking advantage of the younger brother, eddie.Throughout this story sexual abuse is taken into detail and depth and gives you a certain perspective of what it truly is. "shut up" might have been slow in the beginning, but it picks up right away and it left me speechless. The ending is even more marvelous and leaves you at peace with the story and how things eventually turn out.
April 10, 2012
This book really touched me in some parts i cryed,not because they were sad but because this happened to me a few years ago.Mario i can understand where he was coming from by not telling anyone what eddie and denton had been doing i feel terrible for the kid but pround he stayed strong and proud mario helped i got several of my friends to read this and it amazes me exactly how many i got to read the boook because not many of my friends read anymore and i still have at leats twenty people waiting to borrow one of my three copies.i love this book and am waiting to read detour for annie.
June 30, 2009
While their mom is in Iraq, Mario and Eddie will be staying with their Aunt Carmen. During their stay there Eddie is sexually abused by a trusted person. The story follows Mario's attempt of protecting his little brother, the effects of the abuse on Eddie and on Mario.
I thought it was a interesting story about a topic that should be discussed. I think the way the characters responded was portrayed just like some real life children would. Mario is a champion in my book.
I thought it was a interesting story about a topic that should be discussed. I think the way the characters responded was portrayed just like some real life children would. Mario is a champion in my book.
June 10, 2011
Hard to read, as per the subject, but a story well told. I sometimes struggled to see what was happening from a seventeen year old's perspective. I reacted as a mother would. Mario and Eddie are staying with their aunt while their mother fulfills her duty with the National Guard in Iraq. The boys' aunt has a boyfriend that abuses Eddie, the younger of the two boys. Mario struggles to leave his regular high school life as he tries to help keep his brother safe.
July 9, 2009
A story of two brothers who are living with an aunt while Mom is serving in Iraq. The younger brother is sexually abused by the aunt's boyfriend, and the older brother has to save him. It's not a neat and simple story, but feels more realistic than that. Really a good story for both awareness and bibliotherapy.
Read
September 2, 2010Shut Up is an all too common story of the sexual exploitation of a child by a trusted adult, and the risks children and teens must sometimes face when deprived of the watchful care of a dedicated and loving parent. It is also the love of two brothers, and their fight to survive an extremely difficult situation. FIC Reynolds 332036
February 8, 2011
I can't remember the last time I read a book that made my adreneline pump and my heart pound as much as this one did. This book about sexual abuse will keep you on the edge of your seat and make you emotionally involved with the characters.
July 29, 2012
I was disturbed and disgusted by Denton and impressed with Mario's devotion to Eddie. What a heart-wrenching nightmare to go through. As a mother, I can't imagine the helplessness Maria must have felt.
August 23, 2009
this is the best book you will ever ask for. its about the trust two brothers have together and the love that they keeps them together.
October 11, 2009
Excellent and very real.
May 20, 2010
Disturbing, as all books about sexual abuse are.
Read
September 29, 2010That things can happen when people least expect it to.....
March 1, 2012
I thought that this book was one of the best books i have ever read. It has things that actually happen to people in real life.
August 10, 2012
Even though some parts made me want to cey, it was still a really good book
September 25, 2012
i love this book so much.It tells the struggles of two boys and their life.You people need to read this book.You will love it trust me!
September 28, 2012
This Was a good book to me. I think anyone ages 13 and up should read this book because they might could connect it to someone they know or even themselves.
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