Tough Boy Sonatas by Curtis Crisler

This book is a collection of poems written by Curtis Crisler. These poems are from the eyes of a young boy growing up in the town of Gary, Indiana. There are many vivid images in the poems as the characters and personalities of the local boys is described with each poem. There are people from daydreamers in class to tomboy girls who have a nice right cross to the chops. One boy tells of his grandmother's drug addiction and the effects it has on her. The poem I enjoyed was the poem that talked about the boy's addictions, which ended up being candy bars and fast food. The illustrations throughout the book drawn in black, browns, and darker tans and blues, add to the dingy and sooty look of an industrial town like Gary.
There were a lot of very graphic words and "images" through the writing. The "n-word" was even used sparingly throughout the poems, as long as imagery of sex, violence, and innocence of the boys in the community in which they were raised.
Will high school kids enjoy this book? Some may. If you can get past the way each poem is written in chopped up pieces down the page and read it like a prose instead of trying to get a rhythm of poetry in your head, it may be interesting to some. I'm betting most teens will just read and re-read the poems that talk about the sex or have questionable language.
Now as far as my wet nosed opinion of the book, I would give it 3 1/2 bones out of five.


Until next time, LICK!