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What Happened
An unnamed sixteen-year-old is the narrator of this impressionistic and fragmented story of two brothers who learn that the disappearance of their father is only the tip of his mystery and only a sliver of what really happened. HONORS and AWARDS Best New Books for the Classroom —Book Links Books for the Teen Age —NYPL Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, Grades 7-12 — Passaic County Community College Poetry Center Book of the Year for Rhode Island High Schools —The Alliance for the Study and Teaching of Adolescent Literature (ASTAL) A Highly Recommended Book —Boston Authors Club Missouri State Teachers Association, Reading Circle Program
- GenresYoung Adult
132 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2007
4 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Peter Johnson
19 books8 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
In 1951, Peter Johnson was born in Buffalo, New York. He received his BA from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and his MA and PhD in English from the University of New Hampshire. He is the winner of the 2001 James Laughlin Award for his second collection of prose poems, Miracles & Mortifications (2001).
His other books include Eduardo & "I" (White Pine, 2006), Pretty Happy! (1997), and the chapbook Love Poems for the Millennium (1998). He is also the author of a novel, What Happened (Front Street Books, 2007), as well as a collection of short stories, I'm a Man (2003).
Johnson is the founder and editor of The Prose Poem: An International Journal and the editor of The Best of The Prose Poem: An International Journal (White Pine Press, 2000).
About his work, the poet Bruce Smith has said, "Because Peter Johnson does not guide himself either by the turns and counterturns of verse or the horizontal urge of prose, he must continually reinvent the wheel and its destination. He writes with a lover's lavish extravagance and a yogi's self-discipline. His funny poems are heartbreaking and his serious ones are hilarious."
He received a creative writing award in 2002 from Rhode Council on the Arts and a fellowship in 1999 from the National Endowment for the Arts. A contributing editor to American Poetry Review, Web del Sol, and Slope, Peter Johnson teaches creative writing and children's literature at Providence College in Rhode Island, where he lives with his wife, Genevieve, and two sons, Kurt and Lucas.
In 1951, Peter Johnson was born in Buffalo, New York. He received his BA from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and his MA and PhD in English from the University of New Hampshire. He is the winner of the 2001 James Laughlin Award for his second collection of prose poems, Miracles & Mortifications (2001).
His other books include Eduardo & "I" (White Pine, 2006), Pretty Happy! (1997), and the chapbook Love Poems for the Millennium (1998). He is also the author of a novel, What Happened (Front Street Books, 2007), as well as a collection of short stories, I'm a Man (2003).
Johnson is the founder and editor of The Prose Poem: An International Journal and the editor of The Best of The Prose Poem: An International Journal (White Pine Press, 2000).
About his work, the poet Bruce Smith has said, "Because Peter Johnson does not guide himself either by the turns and counterturns of verse or the horizontal urge of prose, he must continually reinvent the wheel and its destination. He writes with a lover's lavish extravagance and a yogi's self-discipline. His funny poems are heartbreaking and his serious ones are hilarious."
He received a creative writing award in 2002 from Rhode Council on the Arts and a fellowship in 1999 from the National Endowment for the Arts. A contributing editor to American Poetry Review, Web del Sol, and Slope, Peter Johnson teaches creative writing and children's literature at Providence College in Rhode Island, where he lives with his wife, Genevieve, and two sons, Kurt and Lucas.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 15, 2017
Plot: This book is about a few kids getting high and drunk at a party and decided to drive and accidentally hit a drunk man. Throughout the book the boys argued about what would happen to them because of their actions. Duane and Pork-chop drove off and stranded the narrator, Kyle and the man they hit. Duane's Father fights for all the boys involved considering he did not like Kyle or the narrator.
Characterization: Duane is one of the main characters, he is quite selfish and mean. Duane's father helped the two brothers and Pork-chop since all four of them were involved. Another main character is Kyle. Kyle and the narrator were brothers. Duane's father hates Kyle because he is dating his daughter Emily.
Personal Response: I personally thought this book was boring. There were parts that could have used more detail to set a image of what is happening in their mind. The book could have had more details about Kyle's dad. I felt that was an important part, but the story line didn't show it.
Recommendation: I recommend this book for Freshman and Sophomores in high school. They should also be interested in a little mystery. I recommend this book because it is age appropriate and it tell the risks of drugs and alcohol. I think girls and boys would benefit from reading it. I gave it a two out of five stars.
Characterization: Duane is one of the main characters, he is quite selfish and mean. Duane's father helped the two brothers and Pork-chop since all four of them were involved. Another main character is Kyle. Kyle and the narrator were brothers. Duane's father hates Kyle because he is dating his daughter Emily.
Personal Response: I personally thought this book was boring. There were parts that could have used more detail to set a image of what is happening in their mind. The book could have had more details about Kyle's dad. I felt that was an important part, but the story line didn't show it.
Recommendation: I recommend this book for Freshman and Sophomores in high school. They should also be interested in a little mystery. I recommend this book because it is age appropriate and it tell the risks of drugs and alcohol. I think girls and boys would benefit from reading it. I gave it a two out of five stars.
September 10, 2008
I have to be honest and say that by the time I was half way through this one, I really didn't care to get the answer to the questions in the title (What Happened).
Our narrator, who is unnamed, shares the story of what happened late one wintery evning after a party as he and his friends were driving around drunk. In the process, they end up hitting a man and running away on foot.
The telling is quite episodic as the narrator repeatedly looks back on his life to share stories about the various characters in the book such as his brother Kyle, Kyle's girlfriend Emily, and Emily's arrogant brother and the driver.
When Kyle decided to make sure that the truth comes out about the hit-and-run accident, the families are driven apart in quite the predictable manner. It is no surprise when their is a showdown later in the story.
While the writing is rich and almost feels like a series of poems, the presentation is very disturbing, making it difficult for the reader to fully engage the tale since he or she is jumping back and forth in time about every other page. For me, it almost felt like this started as a pretty good short story, but someone thought it needed to be long so they injected a lot of backstory and sprinkled it in throughout the narrative.
I had trouble finishing this one, which is not a good thing since I am like "Mikey" in the old Chex commercials. I generally like everything. The fact that the book is just under 140 pages and should have been a quick and easy read for me.
Our narrator, who is unnamed, shares the story of what happened late one wintery evning after a party as he and his friends were driving around drunk. In the process, they end up hitting a man and running away on foot.
The telling is quite episodic as the narrator repeatedly looks back on his life to share stories about the various characters in the book such as his brother Kyle, Kyle's girlfriend Emily, and Emily's arrogant brother and the driver.
When Kyle decided to make sure that the truth comes out about the hit-and-run accident, the families are driven apart in quite the predictable manner. It is no surprise when their is a showdown later in the story.
While the writing is rich and almost feels like a series of poems, the presentation is very disturbing, making it difficult for the reader to fully engage the tale since he or she is jumping back and forth in time about every other page. For me, it almost felt like this started as a pretty good short story, but someone thought it needed to be long so they injected a lot of backstory and sprinkled it in throughout the narrative.
I had trouble finishing this one, which is not a good thing since I am like "Mikey" in the old Chex commercials. I generally like everything. The fact that the book is just under 140 pages and should have been a quick and easy read for me.
August 2, 2011
I appreciated the author's style and the story and delivery were unique; not going down as a favorite. Kind of funny that the day after I finished reading it... I couldn't remember what HAD happened. I went back to look and see how it ended. What can I say? This book is about the journey, not the destination. It has a very unique presentation style and the narrator stays consistent to form. This isn't your fairytale book where the faults and flaws in the characters are overcome suddenly and that is your conclusion, but I suppose you're warned of that right away.
May 21, 2014
The style of writing is the only reason why I'm giving this book 2 stars. It jumped all over the place with flashbacks and the present and it was unclear as to which was which. It could have been a much better story had it made more sense.
November 13, 2012
Reviewed by Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com
WHAT HAPPENED begins with an apology. The narrator admits that what he is about to tell may seem "erratic" because that's the way his mind works. Readers will find the tale that follows does wind and weave through past and present, but as a whole it represents the troubled path of the narrator's life.
First, their mother dies, then their father disappears, and now the sixteen-year-old narrator and his brother, Kyle, live with their Aunt Lucy. Life hasn't been easy, and it's about to get even more complicated. There is a hit and run accident that involves the teens, some friends, and a man on a bicycle. Should they call the police or attempt to cover-up their crime?
Facts of the story become twisted and more complex as the brothers discover secrets about their mother's past relationship with the father of a friend. Aunt Lucy admits her knowledge of the past as she tries to help the two answer questions about their mother's death and why their father left. Although some questions are answered, the story mimics real life with its loose ends and untidy conclusions.
Peter Johnson takes his readers into the mind of the narrator for a glimpse into the life of a troubled teen. Life is definitely not a chronological series of events neatly catalogued by date and time. Johnson's story illustrates the crazy, jumbled order that makes up our daily lives.
WHAT HAPPENED begins with an apology. The narrator admits that what he is about to tell may seem "erratic" because that's the way his mind works. Readers will find the tale that follows does wind and weave through past and present, but as a whole it represents the troubled path of the narrator's life.
First, their mother dies, then their father disappears, and now the sixteen-year-old narrator and his brother, Kyle, live with their Aunt Lucy. Life hasn't been easy, and it's about to get even more complicated. There is a hit and run accident that involves the teens, some friends, and a man on a bicycle. Should they call the police or attempt to cover-up their crime?
Facts of the story become twisted and more complex as the brothers discover secrets about their mother's past relationship with the father of a friend. Aunt Lucy admits her knowledge of the past as she tries to help the two answer questions about their mother's death and why their father left. Although some questions are answered, the story mimics real life with its loose ends and untidy conclusions.
Peter Johnson takes his readers into the mind of the narrator for a glimpse into the life of a troubled teen. Life is definitely not a chronological series of events neatly catalogued by date and time. Johnson's story illustrates the crazy, jumbled order that makes up our daily lives.
February 15, 2017
This book was very artistic. Reminded me a lot of the Perks of Being a Wallflower. It was a quick but charming read, I really enjoyed the story.
June 3, 2012
"What Happened" seems to jump all over the place and never really ties itself neatly up. More of a high school title, this is the story of two brothers whose mother has died and whose father has left. the brothers are passengers in a hit and run accident. The driver (another teen with an attitude) leaves the scene where an alcoholic on a bicycle has been struck. The brothers contact the police, but then hide from them, and they feel increasing pressure from the driver's father to not confess, while they know it's the right thing to do.
The problem with this novel, is that they transitioning back and forth in reality is not smooth enough, when it's done right it's an effective means of telling a story, but here it's just confusing and alienating to the reader. I had to put it down and go back to it. The narrator brother is on various medications for what seems to be anxiety and the other brother is deeply in love with the sister of the hit and run driver. I would not particularly recommend it to anyone, as it's not well-written enough to hold interest or even bond well with main characters.
The problem with this novel, is that they transitioning back and forth in reality is not smooth enough, when it's done right it's an effective means of telling a story, but here it's just confusing and alienating to the reader. I had to put it down and go back to it. The narrator brother is on various medications for what seems to be anxiety and the other brother is deeply in love with the sister of the hit and run driver. I would not particularly recommend it to anyone, as it's not well-written enough to hold interest or even bond well with main characters.
December 3, 2009
Rhode Island poet Peter Johnson's first novel is a short, intriguing tale about two brothers and the aftermath of a hit-and-run car accident that left a local homeless drunk dead. It's also about the lasting effects of a mother's death and a father's disappearance on two sensitive young boys in serious trouble, but without much support at home.
As cold as a midwinter's night in Buffalo, NY, where the book is set, the somber, searching tone of the prose, and its jarring images and rhythms, evoke the depressed, anxious, almost dissociated state of the book's young narrator. The book does this while keeping up an engaging plot involving the driver of the car and his rich, psychopathic father who wants the two brothers to "forget it ever happened." There are some touching moments, reflections on loss and the chaos of living, that had the poet's touch, and the setting was really effective. Recommended for anyone looking for a story that's realistic on its surface, but has emotional flights of language that take story and character to a deeper realm.
As cold as a midwinter's night in Buffalo, NY, where the book is set, the somber, searching tone of the prose, and its jarring images and rhythms, evoke the depressed, anxious, almost dissociated state of the book's young narrator. The book does this while keeping up an engaging plot involving the driver of the car and his rich, psychopathic father who wants the two brothers to "forget it ever happened." There are some touching moments, reflections on loss and the chaos of living, that had the poet's touch, and the setting was really effective. Recommended for anyone looking for a story that's realistic on its surface, but has emotional flights of language that take story and character to a deeper realm.
September 13, 2016
The book What Happened by Peter Johnson, I thought was really well written.
The main character is not properly named in the book, and I feel that makes it easier for you to relate and try to put yourself in this sixteen year old’s shoes.
The book itself is an adventure full of conflict and back story.
In the book you will feel the stress of the characters, while they are typical teenagers experimenting with drugs and alcohol. First the narrator explains to the reader how his mother died and his dad could not cope with the depression and he took off. Leaving the narrator and his older brother, Kyle with their Aunt Lucy. Life has never been easy for these boys and the conflict keeps adding up. When they are involved with a drunk hit-and-run, should the police be involved? Should they just leave and pretend it never happened? I really enjoyed the suspense and mystery. I think anyone who enjoys being on the edge would enjoy this read.
The main character is not properly named in the book, and I feel that makes it easier for you to relate and try to put yourself in this sixteen year old’s shoes.
The book itself is an adventure full of conflict and back story.
In the book you will feel the stress of the characters, while they are typical teenagers experimenting with drugs and alcohol. First the narrator explains to the reader how his mother died and his dad could not cope with the depression and he took off. Leaving the narrator and his older brother, Kyle with their Aunt Lucy. Life has never been easy for these boys and the conflict keeps adding up. When they are involved with a drunk hit-and-run, should the police be involved? Should they just leave and pretend it never happened? I really enjoyed the suspense and mystery. I think anyone who enjoys being on the edge would enjoy this read.
June 20, 2009
Not as bad as I had expected it to be. But still not particularly good. The writing's decent, and creates a nice portrait of who the whiny young man is, but definitely doesn't allow for any one character to seem real or likable. The multiple endings were interesting and the little quotes and whatnot before each part were nifty, but the title made it seem like "what happened" would be some sort of mystery that didn't get unveiled until the end, and the whole novel would be about the aftermath or something. But the car smashes into the homeless man pretty early on, and "what happened" is therefore a kind of misleading title, I think.
It's not a *bad* book, but it's not what I wanted it to be. And it's not particularly good.
It's not a *bad* book, but it's not what I wanted it to be. And it's not particularly good.
November 10, 2008
Part I of What Happened by Peter Johnson, begins with the inscription “There are no facts, only interpretations.” That sentiment sums up the “accident.” According to our fairly reliable narrator, Duane was drunk, it was snowing and he did hit the bicyclist that night. But farther along in the narrative, our narrator starts to offer alternate realities. Realities that don’t have much to do with that night, and everything to do with the relationship between two families who have nothing and everything in common.
October 3, 2008
I disliked this so much, I'm not even sure where to start. I felt like there wasn't enough character development in the beginning, I spent a fair amount of time trying to remember who the narrator even was (first person pov), which of the other boys was his brother and who were the friends (I'm still not completely sure). When you pair that with the random flashback descriptions....Somewhere underneath it all was the makings of an interesting plot.
November 6, 2011
The narrator tells a story of a hit and run accident intertwined with his own fantasy versions of happy endings, possibilities and alternative worlds to his life. His mother died, his father left, and he's on meds. The unnamed narrator is emerging into himself as the story ends. A good story, but a nay for TU. (kdl)
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February 25, 2011
This is one the YA books I'm reading for the RI teen book award committee. I liked it a lot. Definitely a dark story. It jumps around, so it might not be the best choice for all teens. As a fairly intelligent adult, I thought it was good.
July 20, 2010
Too American and high-schooly. It was ok.
May 16, 2013
Beautifully written and tragically true.... I really loved the way Peter Johnson used metaphors and descriptions.
It was not my normal read, but something I'd like to make my new normal. Stunning.
It was not my normal read, but something I'd like to make my new normal. Stunning.
June 4, 2013
Jumps around a lot. A little confusing.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews