The Schwa Was Here

Rating:
Summary: great book
Review:
Schwa: The faint vowel sound in many unstressed syllables in the English language.

Neil Shusterman says he got the idea for "The Schwa Was Here" when he did a Q&A session at a library and kept overlooking a boy who had his hand raised. The boy evolved into the title character, the Schwa.

This book is as biting as its chapter titles ("Maybe They Had It Right In France Because Getting My Head Lopped Off By A Guillotine Would Have Been Easier"). Its main character, Anthony "Antsy" Bonano, is an Italian living in Brooklyn ("Jews and Italians seem to get along just fine. I think it has something to do with the way both cultures have a high regard for food and guilt"), a city known for simultaneously accepting, ignoring, and trampling over all its residents. The Schwa is especially a victim of being overlooked: He uncannily blends into his surroundings and can't be seen even when he is right in front of someone's face.

Neil Shusterman's book is fantastically entertaining. He has taken an everyday problem (who hasn't felt neglected and ignored?), raised it to an almost paranormal status, but kept it at such a level where the Schwa almost a realistic character(the Schwa isn't actually invisible, but is mysterious enough to have a disturbing presence).

The plot could have turned into a sniveling melodrama of deathbed confessions, persistant love triangles and tearful reunions, but Neil Shusterman cleverly avoided literary pitfalls. Instead, "The Schwa Was Here" is an offbeat novel, an urban myth of quirky, fascinating characters.