Check out Scott Reads It for reviews, giveaways & more! 
 I was initially allured to Brutal Youth by the incredible, eye-catching cover and Stephen King's blurb; a book about high school students in which students under go a year-long hazing sounded completely original and entertaining. I'm so glad that I was impulsive and requested this book because Anthony Brenzican's debut novel is one hell of a book and it gives the word 'brutal' a whole another meaning. Brutal doesn't seem to cover it and some of the characters in this are cruel, heartless creatures; few authors have captured the viciousness of humanity like Breznican did in Brutal Youth. 
 Saint Michael's is a decrepit school that's on it's last legs and the staff is struggling to keep the school open despite pressure from the parish. The students are constantly being pressured by the staff members and so, the seniors are taking their frustrations out on the freshman. This is a book about a pair of boys who rebel against society and their names are Noah Stein and Peter Davidek. This novel tells of Noah and Stein's struggle as they try to maintain their humanity when it seems like the entire student body and faculty are against them. 
 This is a character-driven novel and much of the novel is spent helping build the reader's relationship with the main characters; Brutal Youth is richly developed and each character has endless depth. It feels as if each character has a life beyond this book because Breznican has given each character an extremely realistic backstory and distinct personality. The characters' actions aren't meaningless because the readers understand what they went through prior to the events of the novel and I was even able to empathize with the wicked of the characters. 
 The hazing events in this book are not your typical high school bullying, it isn't the pushing students into lockers or giving them "swirlies" like you see on TV. These are kids who clearly have no bounds and these are adults who don't know how to deal with insolent youth. Though Breznican is writing about high school, he avoids all cliches that we normally associate with this time, instead he deals with classical themes and struggles. This is a coming-of-age novel, but not in the traditional sense; this is a novel about growing up, but it lacks the angst that we normally associate with this type of story. Growing up has never been as perilous and as excruciating as it is in Brutal Youth. 
 Brutal Youth is a modern classic in the making and it's The Chocolate War for a new generation of readers. This is a novel that has cross-over appeal and will be enjoyed by both adults and young adults alike, but readers should be warned that this book is harsh and realistic. Breznican definitely demonstrates considerable writing ability and it came to no surprise to me that he is a Senior Writer at Entertainment Weekly. Brutal Youth is a shocking, clever debut that will bring readers back to their high school years, only at Saint Michael's things are a bit more brutal.