The Absolute Value of -1

( 3 )

Overview

Noah, Lily, and Simon have been a trio forever. But as they enter high school, their relationships shift and their world starts to fall apart. Privately, each is dealing with a family crisis—divorce, abuse, and a parent's illness. Yet, as they try to escape the pain and reach out for the connections they once counted on, they slip—like soap in a shower. Noah's got it bad for Lily, but he knows too well that Lily sees only Simon. Simon is indifferent, suddenly inscrutable to friends. All stand alone in their ...

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More About This Book

Overview

Noah, Lily, and Simon have been a trio forever. But as they enter high school, their relationships shift and their world starts to fall apart. Privately, each is dealing with a family crisis—divorce, abuse, and a parent's illness. Yet, as they try to escape the pain and reach out for the connections they once counted on, they slip—like soap in a shower. Noah's got it bad for Lily, but he knows too well that Lily sees only Simon. Simon is indifferent, suddenly inscrutable to friends. All stand alone in their heartache and grief.

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Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
Brezenoff (the Field Trip Mysteries) packs his first book for teenagers with emotion. Sophomores Lily, Noah, and Simon are friends living on Long Island, who are drifting apart. Lily is a math whiz, but is more focused on smoking, drinking, and pining over aloof Simon. Noah deals pot, endures an abusive relationship with his father, and begrudgingly accepts the fact that Lily barely notices him. Simon writes poetry to manage his unusually strong feelings for his sister, Suzanne, and his father's recent cancer diagnosis. When Simon quits smoking and cautiously begins hanging out with another track team member, he alienates Lily and Noah, and continues to struggle with human connections. "I couldn't handle that pity. I really wanted to take it all, absorb it into my skin, bask in it, huddle up against it and sleep, but it seemed too hard." Each of the three teenagers has a turn at first-person narration, revisiting the same scenario from different perspectives. Brezenoff nicely differentiates their voices and personalities, even while their narratives are bound together by the frustrations, self-doubt (and hatred), and pain they share. Ages 12–18. (Sept.)
Kevin Sawyer
Lily, Noah, and Simon are teenagers attending classes (when they aren't skipping to smoke cigarettes) at a Long Island high school. When family issues and the pressures of becoming an adult complicate their once-simple friendships, each deals with the changes differently. Lily worries that her love of math will betray her slacker reputation, Noah retreats to his basement to avoid an abusive father, and Simon joins the track team to get healthy and pursue a "normal" girl. The characters narrate the same events but from their own unique perspectives. As the story unfolds and the plotlines interweave, the profound and poignant realization comes to light: how deeply can you know another person—even a best friend? A series of misunderstandings, unspoken truths, and angry outbursts claw away at the trio. As they drift apart, they struggle to balance emotional wounds with the need to create their own identities. Reviewer: Kevin Sawyer
Children's Literature - Denise Daley
This book begins with a chilling chapter that foreshadows a sudden and tragic death. The next section, told from Lily's perspective, is equally as intriguing, yet it seems unrelated. Although extremely bright, Lily is a disenchanted high school sophomore who likes to ditch school and smoke weed. She also has a major crush on Simon, a fellow slacker who is gloomy and unpredictable. The next section is told by Noah. Noah supplies Lily and Simon with their cigarettes and weed. He has a crush on Lily, but is obviously a third wheel in their twisted relationship. The final section is told by Simon and it is in his story that the other characters, as well as the opening chapter, come together. The tension builds as we learn about Simon's dad battling cancer. We also discover that Simon has a desire to be healthy and he struggles to quit smoking and fend off the negative influence of Lily by joining the track team and forming new friendships. Unfortunately, life does not always work as planned, and as much as we root for Simon, the tragic beginning makes sense in the end. Each character's story is compelling, and readers will find this well-written novel difficult to put down. Reviewer: Denise Daley
VOYA - Nicole Drago
Told from three different perspectives, this is a story of three kids who try to find their ways as adults. The story is fast paced and interesting but is still able to touch on hard-hitting subjects such as drugs, child abuse, and drinking. For Lily, Noah, and Simon, getting through high school is hard, but finally becoming an adult is even harder. Brezenoff creates quirky characters that start off on the wrong path but eventually find their way home. This book is good for teenagers who enjoy coming-of-age stories. Reviewer: Nicole Drago, Teen Reviewer
VOYA - Ed Goldberg
The Absolute Value of —1 begins with Suzanne Fisher viewing the audience at her father's memorial service. In front is her high school sophomore brother, Simon; his girlfriend, Lily, to whom he is indifferent; and best friend for lack of any other, Noah. In three chapters narrated respectively by Lily, Noah, and Simon, these friends talk about how they met, who crushes on whom, how they began smoking cigarettes and weed, and their unrequited love. Underlying each teen's external story is the story that must remain hidden. Noah hates his father so much that he picks fights, most of which Noah loses. Lily's mother is uncaring and absent. Simon's father is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, a condition Simon will not accept. Noah, aka Noah Smoka, is the druggie, Lily the goth, and Simon the strange, emotional poet. Inexplicably, Brezenoff's book kept this reviewer reading. There is no major action. The characters are sad but do not elicit sympathy. Many events are told from at least two points of view, not necessarily adding any new dimensions. While Simon's father ultimately dies, the reader knows this from page one, so there is no denouement. Unrequited love among the three teens is a recurring theme, yet it generates no emotion. Noah, Lily, and Simon are merely three teenage smokers, confused about life. Even Simon's ultimate metamorphosis into a "normal" teen is anticlimactic. Having said that, The Absolute Value of —1 still kept this reviewer's attention, so it might be a sleeper. Reviewer: Ed Goldberg
School Library Journal
Gr 9 Up—This novel covers seventh grade to sophomore year from the points of view of four characters: Lily, a math whiz who is obsessed with Simon; Noah, who is in love with Lily, even though he knows she is not interested in him except for the cigarettes and marijuana he supplies; Simon, a writer who drifts through most of his days; and, briefly, Suzanne, Simon's sister. All four are dealing with problems at home and surviving as best they can. To the outside world they seem an inseparable unit, but they know little to nothing about each other's lives. In spite of a few interesting aspects, the book is unlikely to capture readers' attention. None of the characters is particularly likable or sympathetic, or exhibits any emotional growth. The narration from different points of view is confusing, especially Lily's section, which goes back and forth in time. Few teens will have the patience to see the story to its unsatisfying conclusion.—Suanne Roush, Osceola High School, Seminole, FL
Kirkus Reviews
Abandonment, cruelty, disease: three issues driving wedges into the lifelong friendship of a trio of teens. Lily's never forgiven her mother for going on vacation right before her elementary-school graduation and later marrying a man from that same cruise. Verbally abused by his father for years, Noah's pining after Lily but lacks the confidence to ask her out, especially since she's in love with Simon. Unfortunately for Lily, Simon's both dealing with his father's terminal illness and eyeing a track teammate. Brezenoff does an excellent job wrapping the characters in layers of drama and emotional turmoil, but he forgets to leave room for the readers as well. It's difficult to forge connections with such self-involved personalities, and the bleak narrative feels more apathetic than desperate. Simon's relationship with his sister Suzanne offers a taste of true connection, but those brief pages can't carry the tale. Attempting to illustrate the distance among friends, the author shoves characters, empathy and readers aside. (Fiction. YA)
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780761354178
  • Publisher: Lerner Publishing Group
  • Publication date: 8/1/2010
  • Series: Carolrhoda YA Series
  • Format: Library Binding
  • Edition description: Library Edition
  • Pages: 296
  • Sales rank: 1,276,870
  • Age range: 14 - 17 Years
  • Product dimensions: 5.60 (w) x 7.60 (h) x 1.30 (d)

Meet the Author

Steve Brezenoff has written several chapter books for young readers, and The Absolute Value of -1 is his first novel for teens. Though Steve grew up in a suburb on Long Island, he now lives with his wife, their son, and their terrier, in St. Paul, Minnesota.

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Customer Reviews

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Sort by: Showing all of 3 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted May 9, 2013

    Read this book. It automatically stood out from the rest of the

    Read this book. It automatically stood out from the rest of the books on the shelf to me. I begged my mom for it, and she got it from me. 
    It is totally worth it. A story with twist and turns. The ending fit perfectly. It told a story of drugs and dysfunction. 
    A good read for sure.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted September 17, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    The Absolute Value of -1 by Steven Brezenoff Review

    We all know that no two people are the same. Everyone deals with different situations, everyone has an image they want to project to others, and everyone deals with problems (be they big or small) at some point in their lives. Steve Brezenoff introduces us to Noah, Lily and Simon and gives us a taste of his take on relationships and what brings us together and the distance that is inevitably between us.

    I've really become a fan of author's giving us multiple narrators and points of views. This book is broken into sections, each featuring one of the characters and giving us their story. Each section may seem like you'll be given the same version of the same story, but by hearing and seeing it through each respective character you really start to understand how there is more than one side to every story. It also becomes obvious that every little detail affects every individual differently.

    Brezenoff doesn't give his readers fairy tales or sugar coated story lines. The issues he brought to the table are real and they're not all pleasant. Drug use, abuse, heart break and the like. Unfortunately these are also not subjects people are unfamiliar with. Readers will be able to relate in some way shape, or form and will be able to appreciate how Brezenoff wove his creation together.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted July 13, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

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