Angry Management

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Chapter Book: Yes     Genre: Realistic Fiction - Short Stories 

Crutcher, C. (2009). Angry management. New York: HarperCollins.

     For most of my adult life I have worked with the general public predominantly adults, and what I have discovered is that each one of us could write a book about our lives; and depending upon certain circumstances it would probably be a best seller. More recently I have the pleasure of working with young children and young adults who are facing challenges that would make the average adult throw in the towel and give up on life altogether. Which leads to the book entitled Angry Management. It is a book of three short stories about a sixty two year old high school counselor/therapist, his sixteen clients, and the situations that caused their lives to intertwine. Each client is either on the edge of a cliff about to fall off or have fallen off to the point of no return.

     I really enjoyed the way Crutcher portrayed the characters in this book. The book Angry Management begins with Mr. Nakatani (aka) Mr. Nak dictating taped notes to himself about his clients. It is as if everyone is in a frozen position until he makes mention of their names and then the characters come to life. First up are Sarah Byrnes and Angus Bethune. Together they will discover that it is not how you look on the outside that determines the real you but what is on the inside is what will ultimately shine through good, bad, or indifferent. Then there’s Montana West, rejected by her adopted parents, learns the true meaning of love from perfect strangers. Finally there is Matt Miller and Marcus James tragically together they will learn that racism and hatred is alive and well in Sundown Towns (aka) Cutter, even after the 2008 Presidential election of Barack Obama. There are no illustrations in this book however; Crutcher paints a very vivid picture of each story so much so that you actually feel as if you have stepped into Sundown Towns. I higher recommend this book for young adult readers ages fourteen and above because of adult content in some chapters.

     Oh by the way, if you like this book then I think you will enjoy Dear Author letters of  hope by Joan F. Kaywell as well.

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 Dear Author letters of hope is a compilation of letters to young adult literature authors from their readers expressing gratitude for the books they wrote. All of the letters were about challenges young adults face such as suicide, drug abuse, sexual abuse and self-mutilation. That’s not to say that these are the only types of books these authors write however; those topics just happened to be the focus of this particular book. Some of the authors were, Cherie Bennet, Lois Duncan, Rodman Philbrick, Laurie Halse Anderson, Chris Crutcher and Christopher Paul Curtis.

Below is a short biography about the author Chris Crutucher. 

 Chris Crutcher grew up in Cascade, Idaho, and now lives in Spokane, Washington. He is the critically acclaimed author of six novels and a collection of short stories for teenagers, all chosen as ALA Best Books. In 2000, he was awarded the American Library Association's Margaret A. Edwards Award, honoring his lifetime contribution in writing for teens. Drawing on his experience as an athlete, teacher, family therapist, and child protection specialist, he unflinchingly writes about real and often-ignored issues that face teenagers today.

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