Praise for I Felt a Funeral, In My Brain"I FELT A FUNERAL, IN MY BRAIN is a work of stunning, heart-wrenching brilliance. This novel reached inside me, pulled out my heart, and punched it square in its stomach. It is like nothing I've ever read, and I mean that in the best imaginable way." — Andrew Smith, author of Grasshopper Jungle"This novel is a work of art. I haven't read anything remotely like it in my life.There are little holes in my heart from reading this book—truth shot through. Will Walton has written a singular story about loss, pain, love, and poetry that will stay with me for a long time. Will Walton walks us through a minefield of addiction and coming of age like no one has before. Your phone is ringing. It's me, A.S. King. I'm calling to tell you to read this book right now. If you don't pick up, it's okay because I'll plaster your entire house with bumper stickers that say I FELT A FUNERAL, IN MY BRAIN." — A.S. King, author of I Crawl Through It"An extarordinary feat of poetry and storytellingthat cuts straight to the heartof grief, loss, and writingyour way through. You have never, truly, read anything like this before." —David Levithan, PUSH editor and author of Every Day"Walton's devastating new book offers a visually striking, emotionally accessible portrait of grief." — Entertainment WeeklyPraise for Will Walton's Anything Could Happen:"Will Walton makes magic in his funny-sad-lovely heartache of a debut novel, Anything Could Happen. Main character Tretch Farm says it best: ‘There’s sickness, and there’s sadness. But the thing is, there’s love, too.’ So much love. This book is good. It really is. It really, really is." — Jennifer Niven, New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places"PUSH is proud to introduce a phenomenal debut about the unpredictable, unbearable, and ultimately amazing trajectory of falling in love and falling into the right place." — David Levithan"This coming-of-age contemporary reveals an emotionally poignant story that perfectly captures the trials and tribulations of adolescence. It's the perfect follow-up read to any John Green novel." — Buzzfeed
Praise for I Felt a Funeral, In My Brain
"I FELT A FUNERAL, IN MY BRAIN is a work of stunning, heart-wrenching brilliance. This novel reached inside me, pulled out my heart, and punched it square in its stomach. It is like nothing I've ever read, and I mean that in the best imaginable way." — Andrew Smith, author of Grasshopper Jungle
"This novel is a work of art.
I haven't read anything remotely like it in my life.
There are little holes in my heart from reading this book—truth shot through.
Will Walton has written a singular story about loss, pain, love, and poetry that will stay with me for a long time.
Will Walton walks us through a minefield of addiction and coming of age like no one has before.
Your phone is ringing. It's me, A.S. King. I'm calling to tell you to read this book right now. If you don't pick up, it's okay because I'll plaster your entire house with bumper stickers that say I FELT A FUNERAL, IN MY BRAIN." — A.S. King, author of I Crawl Through It
"An extarordinary feat of poetry and storytelling that cuts straight to the heart of grief, loss, and writing your way through.
You have never, truly, read anything like this before." —David Levithan, PUSH editor and author of Every Day
Praise for Will Walton's Anything Could Happen:
"Will Walton makes magic in his funny-sad-lovely heartache of a debut novel, Anything Could Happen. Main character Tretch Farm says it best: ‘There’s sickness, and there’s sadness. But the thing is, there’s love, too.’ So much love. This book is good. It really is. It really, really is." — Jennifer Niven, New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places
"PUSH is proud to introduce a phenomenal debut about the unpredictable, unbearable, and ultimately amazing trajectory of falling in love and falling into the right place." — David Levithan
"This coming-of-age contemporary reveals an emotionally poignant story that perfectly captures the trials and tribulations of adolescence. It's the perfect follow-up read to any John Green novel." — Buzzfeed
★ 05/01/2018
Gr 9 Up—What is the appropriate response to the death of a grandparent? What about when the grandparent was your best friend? When you're aspiring poet Avery, you write down your grief. You have dreams where Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath become talking plants. You seek solace in the words of queer poets. Avery's nonlinear narration weaves the story of his deep and complex relationship with his grandfather, his mother's struggle with alcoholism, and his budding relationship with Luca, the son of his mother's best friend. Readers who are ready for a challenge will be pleasantly surprised with Walton's storytelling. The narrative's seamless mix of prose and poetry will draw teens in and wrap its fingers around their hearts. The almost stream-of-consciousness style shows adeptly how complicated love and grief can be. Readers will appreciate the realistic intricacies and heartache. Fans of Andrew Smith and Francesca Lia Block will be floored by this emotional roller coaster peppered with heartrending text. VERDICT A powerful voice who will speak to fans of poetry ready for a good cry.—Carrie Finberg, South Park High School, PA
2018-04-03
A damaged patella lays up Avery Fowell and gives him time to contemplate the most eventful summer of his life.Best friends Avery and Luca, two white boys, made a pact: If they passed biology, they'd lose their virginity with each other. They've been friends forever because their alcoholic mothers used to get drunk together—and are now in recovery together (although Luca's mom is much more successful). When a car crash lands Avery in a cast and his mother in rehab, Avery stays with his beloved grandfather Pal and Pal's girlfriend, Babs. However, Pal has his own problems with alcohol, complicated by his diabetes, and Luca has asked to cool things down. Avery does his best to cope with everyone's issues while exploring who he is, wants to be, and will be. As he deals with history, betrayal, and grief, he finds the best tool is poetry, that of the masters and his own. Walton's (Anything Could Happen, 2015) sophomore effort eloquently explores a lot of territory in prosey-verse…or maybe versey-prose. The pop references won't weather well, and the poetical references will only spark the poets in the crowd. However, those willing to invest a little time and brain power in figuring out (or feeling out) what the text communicates will be rewarded with a heartfelt and ultimately uplifting experience peopled with real humans.Portrait of the artist as a young queer. (Prose-verse hybrid. 14-adult)
