On "The Round House"

The first thing I thought of when considering the question “Would I teach this book in the classroom?” was: good luck with that! I can’t see how this book would be able to slip past administrators without some pushback. It’s definitely not a book meant for young adults to read, as it feature mature and graphic language, violence, sexual conversations, and heavy psychological implications. I think all of these things, however, are what the novel so strong and profound to read. If I were given the opportunity to teach this to a class, I would definitely be up for the challenge. But I can imagine a lot of parent outrage and some student discomfort. But when I think about whether a young student should read this book, I begin to think back at whether I would enjoy or learn something from this book at that age.

I think, without a doubt, this is a book I would have greatly enjoyed at thirteen. Even today, I found Joe a powerfully identifiable and relatable character. When I was twelve/thirteen I was also placed in a very adult and uncomfortable period of my life. The struggle of having to adapt psychologically to an adult mentality is something that was difficult, and Joe’s similar hardship became emotional for me in that regard. What I found most compelling about the book was how, though the political implications and themes are there, it was really a look at adolescence, the morality of justice/revenge, and how the two things can interact with each other. We’ve seen and read similar stories of revenge and “taking justice into their own hands”, so to speak, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything done solely from the perspective of an adolescent boy (except for a great movie called “The Book of Henry”). That unique perspective and wholly realized narrator is what makes the book so effective and useful for young students, in my opinion.