For Brewster (the Bruiser), being a loner isn't a phase or a social statement - it's necessary for his very survival. For when Brewster starts to care about someone - anyone - he begins to absorb all of their injuries and pain, both external and internal. For those who know of his power, they are torn between their care and concern for his well-being and the addiction to the sweet peace of mind and body that being around him can bring. But even Brewster has a limit. Will those closest to him realize it before it's too late, or will Brewster become the ultimate sacrificial lamb?
In "Bruiser," Shusterman hasn't just written a good book - he's written a great one. I read it in one sitting, and was breathless when it ended. The book switches between characters - a few chapters from Brewster's point of view, a few from his little brother, a few from his girlfriend, etc - providing a kaleidoscopic view of the events of the novel, and the horrible choices those closest to him must make.
"Bruiser" is compelling, thought-provoking, scary, sad, funny, and even the tiniest bit romantic. Shusterman raises some interesting points about behavior in the presence of no pain and no sadness. If you knew you could do anything and never get hurt - that your injuries would automatically transfer to another person who would simply endure them in stoic silence - what would you do? Shusterman draws the best and the worst from his characters as they wrestle with this very question, and the result is a masterpiece of YA literature.
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