Dispatches from Parts Unknown

Author: Bryan Bliss

Hardcover

"Ever since her father died three years ago, Julie has had a professional wrestler run a constant commentary on her life that only she can hear"--

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PRODUCT INFORMATION

Summary

"Ever since her father died three years ago, Julie has had a professional wrestler run a constant commentary on her life that only she can hear"--

Description

An Odyssey Award Honor Audiobook

"The feel-good novel of the year." --ALA Booklist (starred review)

Julie knows it's unusual that a professional wrestler runs a constant commentary on her life that only she can hear. But grief can be awfully funny sometimes. National Book Award nominee Bryan Bliss delivers a thought-provoking, one-of-a-kind novel about how to tread the line between moving on and holding on. Dispatches from Parts Unknown is for fans of David Arnold, Nina LaCour, and You've Reached Sam.

Ever since her dad died three years ago, Julie has been surviving more than thriving. And surviving is sneaking into her parents' closet when her mom is out, since it's the only place that still sometimes smells like her dad. It's roaming around the Mall of America. It's pulling out the box of her dad's VHS tapes, recordings of his favorite vintage professional wrestling matches.

And it's hearing the voice of the Masked Man in her head, running a commentary of her life.

It's embarrassing, really. Sure, he was her dad's favorite wrestler, but that doesn't mean she wants him in her head.

As Julie finally starts to come out of the haze of grief, maybe she'll finally figure out why that voice is there, and how to let it go.

Critic Reviews

"Since her dad died three years ago, 18-year-old Julie has been having ongoing conversations with an imagined professional wrestler, the Masked Man, who lives in her head. . . . One of the joys of this terrific, character-driven novel is watching these lives intersect. . . . Julie's grief for her dead father gives a poignancy that adds depth to her character and is never maudlin. . . . The engaging tone of this terrific novel is spot on, while Bliss demonstrates a welcome gift for dialogue. . . . The feel-good novel of the year." -- Booklist (starred review)

"Julie's wryly funny, self-deprecating, and authentic narrative voice, the wide cast of eccentric but realistically drawn characters . . . and the beautiful, unshowy writing will keep readers going all the way to the auspicious end. A smart, poignant meditation on losing someone you love and living with the loss." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Bliss writes incisively about grief, approaching a weighty topic with empathy, grace, and genial humor. Sweet, caring relationships--parental, platonic, and romantic--add to the uplifting tone." -- Publishers Weekly

"Bliss ably balances humor, poignancy, and raw grief, emphasizing that mourning looks like all sorts of things." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Julie is a well-imagined, strong female lead, and the portrayal of her humor and strength is balanced with the way she navigates grief, loss, and love. Complex and thoughtfully constructed. . . . This book reminds readers that grief is not a one-size-fits-all process, and it opens a window into the world of professional wrestling and its fandom. A unique and moving portrait of grief and love." -- School Library Journal

About the Author

Bryan Bliss is the author of the National Book Award longlist title We'll Fly Away as well as Thoughts & Prayers, Meet Me Here, and No Parking at the End Times. He is an Episcopal priest and a creative writing teacher, and he holds master's degrees in theology and fiction. His nonfiction has been published in Image Journal along with various other newspapers, magazines, and blogs. He lives with his family in St. Paul, Minnesota.