Fifteen and Change

by Max Howard

Zeke would love to be invisible. His mother is struggling to make ends meet and stuck with a no-good boyfriend. Zeke knows he and his mom will be stuck forever if he doesn't find some money fast. When Zeke starts working at a local pizza place, he meets labor activists who want to give him a voice--and the living wage he deserves for his work. Zeke has to decide between living the quiet life he's carved for himself and raising his voice for justice.

Genres: Young Adult, Poetry, Teen, Contemporary

200 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2018

Reviews

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fifteen and Change
Max Howard
(West 44 Books)
4 stars
Zeke, Zekers, Z would much prefer himself as invisible. His mother is in a relationship with a horrible man and Zeke just wants to go back home to Blue Way. The only way to help his mom get away from her abusive boyfriend is to get a job and save the money to leave. Things don’t go as planned and he must be visible to do what he feels is right.
The story was written in poem form and was a very quick read. I really liked the format because the author was able to paint a pull picture with very little words. My heart broke for Zeke and was healed again by his generous spirit. A very good read indeed.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be honest, I really don't want to ever eat a pizza that's been ordered out again. YUCK! I do think my kids who like books in verse will enjoy it. It's an easy read with a good message for kids, especially those in bad situations. Just don't expect to eat pizza again unless you make it.

[Ariana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Originally posted on: The Quirky Book Nerd

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

This is what is considered “hi-lo” fiction—short books that are designed to encourage young, reluctant readers to read more. This one seems like it is aimed for a late middle school to early high school audience, so basically late middle grade and early young adult. In this novel, we follow a teenage boy named Zeke who is struggling quite badly in life. He lives with his mother, who is trapped in an abusive relationship, and they are all barely making ends meet.

So Zeke wants to make some money so he and his mother can escape this situation and he finds a job at a local pizza place. While there, he meets a group of labor activists who are fighting their unfair pay and offer Zeke a chance to stand up and have a voice. Because of this, he is left with the decision of whether to remain in his quiet life, focusing on work and an escape or to stand up for an important cause.

Of all the hi-lo fiction I have read recently, this was not one of my favorites. The idea for the plot is great and definitely deals with some extremely important and timely topics. I think it is something that would teach readers quite a lot about the unfairness in the workforce and how it is good to raise one’s voice for a just cause. However, I have to say I didn’t really get into this story. The writing made it feel jumbled and all over the place. It felt sort of disjointed and I never felt a sense of completion at the end. The characters also fell a bit flat. There is not enough time in a story this short to build these characters and fully develop the storyline given the deep topics it deals with. Overall, it wasn’t my thing, but I do think some reluctant readers may really enjoy it.

[Kimberley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for this Advanced eGalley of “Fifteen and Change” by Max Howard.

Zeke wants a way out of the miserable life he lives with his mother and her jerk of a boyfriend. He hopes a new job will help him earn enough money to go back to Wisconsin where everything was seemingly better for them both. However, he quickly realizes money won’t solve all their problems.

Written entirely in verse, this is a book that strives to address several issues: poverty, labor unions, love, social activism, domestic abuse, and homelessness.

However, in trying to do so much, it manages to barely break the surface of any one of those topics. Leaving you with the shell of a story.

Zeke likable but it was difficult to connect with him in any meaningful way because he was so poorly developed. He felt alien to me. And while a few of his actions did humanize him somewhat, he was mostly a bystander and didn’t seem very important to the story—even though he was its central character!

The same could be said of his supporting cast. They were empty vessels. Ghostly in their lack of development.

Perhaps the decision to write use verse made depth difficult but I’ve read other stories, which used that format, with more success than Howard does here.

Honestly, it was as if Howard threw introduced the basic makeup of a particular person (the single mom, the devoted dad, the horrible boss, the well-meaning rebel, etc.) and left the reader to fill-in the blanks of what they were like based on the situation in which they were placed.

He expected empathy and sympathy without having to establish a connection.

It didn’t work.

It could’ve been a good story, if Howard had centered on one particular aspect—especially given the decision to utilize verse—but as-is it falls flat.

[Shreya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and West 44 Books for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm on the fence about this one. On one hand, I liked the story about the fight for higher wages, and how Max Howard showed that low minimum wages affect many people, and many families. On the other hand, I don't think all of the characters were as developed as they could have been, because of the verse format.

I enjoyed the side characters, and I sympathize with their struggles as they try to change their workplace environment. The only problem was that I wanted more of everything. I wanted to hear why Olivia decided to take a job at the pizza place. I wanted to see Hannah opening up and making friends, and I wanted Mary to be able to find a good place to live with her kids.

Zeke obviously had a hard time with his family, and has a rocky relationship with his mother. He always mentioned going back to Blue Way, the town he used to live in, but I had a hard time finding depth in this because I don’t think there were enough comparisons between his life in Blue Way and his life now.

I’m giving Fifteen and Change 3 stars, because the bones of a great story are clearly here, they just need some extra detail.

[Hollowspine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A novel in verse, Fifteen and Change is about a young person facing struggles at home, wanting to help his mom escape an abusive boyfriend, and move back to Blue Way, where he felt safe. Zeke decides to get a job and save money for bus tickets for him and his mother to go back, and ends up working at a pizza joint.

While there he meets various people, most using the job to make ends meet, but there is one girl, who is trying to get everyone to join a union to demand better wages, and other benefits for their work. Zeke agrees with what she says, but also needs the money from this job to help him and his mom escape. He feels trapped between what he sees as the right thing, and fear of losing his way out.

This is a great novel to read poetry as well, pointing out the importance of reading the chapter titles, which are the first lines of each poem. It's also a fast read, so would be good for those last minute book reports, it's short, but has a lot to discuss.

[Angel Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could really relate to Zeke, the main character of this book. At first, he starts off wanting to be invisible, lacks confidence in himself, and overall just has no path to follow. He decides to become a teen worker to save up money to go back to the town where his biological dad is, so his mom and his biological dad can reunite and return to one happy family. Little did he know that this job would allow him to become more involved in his community and find something that's he passionate about, while also spending more time outside home away from home to avoid seeing his mother's new boyfriend. This verse-form book is perfect for someone who wants to read a book that's not too long, but still with a complete plot that comes together.

[Jana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a novel written in verse that follows a fifteen-year-old boy whose mother is caught in an abusive relationship, but for financial (and let's be real, emotional) reasons doesn't want to leave the man. So the boy takes a job trying to save up money to move back to where they used to live.
I enjoyed the book, but honestly, I didn't connect with the main character at all. I wasn't emotionally invested in the book, even though my reading experience was pleasant. However, I did think that the topics seemed to be approached well.

[Destiny Bridwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. A book completely written in verse. I have never read anything like this before. It took a little getting used to but it was a very effective way to write this. There is a lot going on in this novel that is only really touched the surface of these issues like domestic abuse, activism, homelessness and more. Zeke is trying to survive and help out his mother who is in an abusive relationship so he gets a job and soon comes to the conclusion that money is not going to solve their problems or issues. I kind of wish there was more to this novel. It has left me with a lot to think about now that it is done. 

[Maribel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The idea of a novel told in verse is a great one. Howard combines not only two worlds of writing that are often firmly separated but were combined seamlessly in Fifteen and Change. Furthermore, Howard was able to write about the typical teenage love and heartbreak that one finds in a YA novel while also bringing in much more serious issues such as homelessness and domestic abuse. The everyday (and sometimes petty) becomes interwoven into the socially impactful.

Fifteen and Change is a great book with great content and composition.

[Amanda Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the topic of this book. "Fifteen and Change" does a great job of helping readers understand what it's like working for $7.25/hour. (The Fog of War p. 165 is my favorite poem.)
The author uses verse to tell the story of 14 year-old Zeke who decides to get a job so he and his mother can move back to their hometown. He doesn't bother asking her if she wants to move. The struggles of Zeke and his co-workers show readers how tough life can be working for minimum wage and how the battle for a better wage is even tougher.

[Veronica Zaleha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Want to see how Zeke overcomes real problems (his mom has moved him away from his home to live with her not-so-nice boyfriend and they have no money, the person he's attracted to does not reciprocate his feelings and he has no friends), not just by getting a job, but by getting involved in a social justice movement to get fast food workers a higher minimum wage? The story is told in easy to read, short, poetic lines. Zeke's transformation is realistic and inspiring.

[Sage Thoughts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Content Rating and Review

http://sagethoughtsonbooks.blogspot.c...

[Llyr Heller-Humphreys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good novel in verse about a teen figuring out his life when no one in his life has him as a priority.

[Sam N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book in verse about the cycle of poverty, the feeling of being "stuck", and the hope for a better life. Such perspective.

[Trent Mikesell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great novel in verse about equal pay and dealing with being a teenager.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely not what I thought it was going to be. But great story.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Vivian Gates · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is too heavy-handed to be effective at achieving its purpose.

[Simi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A YA told in verse, we follow Zeke (or Zekers as he is affectionately known) as he navigates home life with his mother’s abusive boyfriend and the job he took as a means of escape, which turns out to be difficult in its own ways. The prose was both refreshingly different and also very readable and the book was rather insightful. It doesn’t dumb down the harsh realities of those working at the pizza shop and says a lot with very few words. Although heavy, I encourage readers to give it go.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Tori Glass · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although Zeke would like nothing more than to be invisible, he gets a job at a pizza shop. His only goal is to earn enough money to move him and his mother back home to Blue Way & away from his mother’s current boyfriend.

I enjoyed this book and Zeke’s journey but was left wanting more from his overall story. The elements of social justice were relevant and relatable for young adults, but I would’ve liked to see the story of Zeke’s family be more developed.