Because I Am Furniture

Author:Thalia Chaltas
Recommended Age: Young Adult
Publisher: Penguin Group
ISBN: 978-0-14-241510-8 
Year Published: 2010
No. Pages: 352
Genre: Realistic Fiction/ Free Verse
Main Character Gender: Female
Read & Reviewed by: Lisa

I don't get hit

I don't get fondled

I don't get love

because I am furniture.

Suits me fine.

  

Anke is a young girl who lives with her older siblings, and their abusive father. Her bother and sister have each suffered as a result of their father's abuse, while Anke remains untouched by him. In a strange way, she feels as though her siblings get a certain kind of attention that she will never receive. She feels unnoticed and invisible, like she is furniture. Her family doesn't like to talk about what is happening behind bedroom doors; her mother pretends nothing happens while her brother and sister never say a word. Anke copes with a newfound sport, volleyball. Volleyball gives her the opportunity to learn to use her voice. Will Anke's voice lead her to assert herself and possibly change her family's fate?

Because I Am Furniture is written in free verse. The use of the poetic form gives the novel a way to keep the story flowing in a much different way than regular prose books out there; it gets to the most interesting parts of the story more quickly. Thalia Chaltas, the author, also wrote this in first person narrative, which gives the reader a window into the character's thoughts. With that, I was able to understand more clearly how Anke felt about her life at home, specifically her relationship with her father.

Chaltas wrote this story realistically with an honest down to earth voice. Her main character was relatable for some readers and some readers will likely find that Anke's truth reflects their own. The way Anke was described didn't make her seem fictional because Chaltas made her emotions so clear in the book that I could empathize with her. All teenagers will likely connect with Anke journey in discovering who she is and finding her voice. Chaltas' description and choice of storyline was intriguing, and kept me reading.

 

The dark side of this book was the abuse. The story gave a very realistic portrayal of this emotional and hard-hitting issue; I felt like I was there while it was happening. The volleyball team really helped Anke overcome her problems and difficulties in her life at home. Altogether, Chaltas' writing style made this story. Not only did she use figurative language and suspense but she used a variety of poetic forms, enabling the white space to help communicate the message.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel from cover to cover, and would rate it a 10 out of 10. It's worth taking a night to read every page. I loved every single page from first to last, and loved everything in this entire novel.