The Poetry of Car Mechanics by Heidi E Y Stemple - ADVISABLE

The Poetry of Car Mechanics by Heidi E Y Stemple, 256 pages. NOVEL IN VERSE Astra, 2025. $20. 

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f')); Mature Content: G; Violence: G (bully, nature violence (a hawk)); 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SOME 

15yo Dylan lives with his grandfather in a room near the autoshop. Dylan's world is poetry, birds, and cars. His mother struggles with her mental health and is in and out of Dylan's life, and it's been years since he's seen her. So he spends a lot of time watching birds and writing poetry. He doesn't fit in at school - it's complicated. But when he finds an injured hawk, his quest to help the hawk might be helpful for Dylan, too. 

Dylan's grandfather is full of hate and places signs at his auto shop and a flag on his truck that make Dylan uncomfortable. He doesn't like that Dylan likes "girl things" like poetry and birds. This causes some uncomfortable interactions, as there's no other person there to mediate for Dylan. The Poetry of Car Mechanics is a Novel in Verse. I enjoyed the poetry; the short pieces of the story worked well in this book. Dylan is named for Dylan Thomas, the poet, and this novel, told from Dylan's point of view, feels like we are reading his journal. I really enjoyed the Poetry of Car Mechanics. It's a novel you keep thinking about after you've finished reading. Includes resources for readers struggling with their own or love one's mental health. Dylan is white. 

Lisa Librarian