The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith (2010)

On one of the first nights on summer break, Jack gets drunk as his best friends, Conner’s, house. Everything is going alright, until Jack decides to walk home. Halfway there, he get’s stopped by Freddie Horvath, who says he’s can give Jack a ride home. Freddie is not a nice man, and instead kidnaps Jack and ties him to a bedframe. Narrowly, Jack escapes just in time for his and Conner’s trip to Europe. In his first night in Europe, Jack is given a pair of glass by a stranger in a bar, who insists that the glasses are meant for Jack. Thinking nothing of it, Jack goes home, but feels compelled to try on the glasses. Instantly, he is transported to Marbury, a human wasteland. In front of him, there’s a body pinned to the wall, and two boys, Griffin and Ben, are screaming at him to leave. Somehow, he knows Griffin and Ben, and knows he has to protect them, as well as the ghost Seth, who’s following him around. Quickly, his new reality becomes weaving in and out of Marbury, and with that proposes the question: Is Marbury real, or did Freddie Horvath ruin his brain.

Originally, I read The Marbury Lense on New Year’s Eve of 2014, and I really liked it. It was crazy weird, and honestly, I didn’t fully get it. I was still fairly unfamiliar with Andrew Smith, and wasn’t really used to his writing style. Now, it’s been almost two years since I first read it, my appreciation for this book has grown incredibly. Every time I thought about this book, it got better and better. And, after meeting Andrew Smith last week, I knew I had to read it again. So I did, and it was fantastic. I know I say this everytime I reread an Andrew Smith book, but this one might be my new favorite.

I think I liked this book a lot better this time for a couple of reasons. The first is how openly and truthfully it discussed PTSD. Over the years, I have become a lot more socially aware of problems in this world, as well as through my own experiences, and have noticed the PTSD has sort of become a trend in YA novels. However, I find some of these novels simply write about PTSD to “get reads”. However, I think Andrew Smith honestly wrote about PTSD to communicate how horrible it really is. Sometimes, it was hard reading about what Jack was going through because it was so heartbreaking. At one point, the only way he can come to terms with what’s happened to him is to inflict pain on himself, to make everything real. I also thought it was important that Jack went through a journey to accept that he needed help and support, and that there was nothing wrong with that. I feel that there’s definitely a stigma surrounding mental health treatment, and this book, if even just a little bit, could communicate to a reader that seeking help is okay, and sometime necessary.

With this time reading, I was also the same age as Jack, which was strange. I think for a long time I thought sixteen year olds were so adult and mature, but now that I’m that age, I realize that sixteen year olds are still pretty young. I found myself relating to Jack on so many levels, and thinking what I would do in the same situation. Of course, there were some things that Jack and I didn’t have in common, but things I got to experience through him. For instance, I loved the friendship that Jack and Conner had. In fact, I’ve observed a lot of really great friendships in Andrew Smith books, and I’ve always felt a part of them. I especially loved Jack and Conner’s friendship. The level of trust and  understanding in the relationship was unbelievable, and obviously, most people don’t have the kind of friendship, but it gave me hope that it was possible.

Lastly, let’s quickly talk about the writing. It’s no secret that I love Andrew Smith’s writing, and this book was no different. I thought that it read extremely well, and had a lot of flow. The storytelling was also really interesting. Within Jack’s story, there was Seth’s story, and they were written in a way that I never confused the two, but was also able to connect the dots between the two,

You guys, this might be my new favorite Andrew Smith book. At least, until I read his next one.

5 Stars