Character Interview: Noah from The Absolute Value of -1

Today I'm joined by Noah from Steve Brezenoff's THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF -1. I found Noah to be one of the most interesting and, in ways, elusive of the three main characters in the novel. I think readers will get a good sense of Noah's attitude in his answers below... actually, I'm a bit surprised he didn't just decide to blow off the last few questions. I'm impressed.

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The Interview

Describe yourself in 5 words or less.

Um, high? Horny? Handsome? How many is that?


Name 3 of your favorite things and, for good measure, 3 of your least favorite too.
Number one is getting a good buzz on. I also like playing Madden and listening to Biohazard in the basement, especially if dear old Dad is out and I can pump it up. Least favorites? How about watching Lily fall all over herself to get Simon’s attention for half a second.


School doesn’t seem to be your scene… If you could be anywhere or go anywhere, where would you be?
Back in the OC, definitely—Orange County, CA. I’d like to be on Laguna Beach right now, actually, with a nice buzz, laying out and watching the girls.


You, Simon, and Lily are in a bit of a predicament. You’ve got a thing for Lily, but she only has eyes for Simon, while Simon’s head is somewhere else entirely. Why do you suppose Lily’s so blinded by Simon… what draws her to him?
Who the hell knows what goes her mind. Same as Mom, I guess. Same as most of the girls in school: they love the guys who treat them like garbage or ignore them completely. Hey, maybe I’m wrong, but if I am, how else can you explain it?


From the outside looking in, Simon doesn’t seem like the greatest friend… why do you stick around?
I don’t have a lot of options, first of all. The guy was my only friend when I moved out to Long Island. But hey, he’s also my number-one customer. Besides, I’ve got feelers out, looking into new social situations, you know?

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I was extremely impressed by this novel! Be sure to check out my review of THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF -1 here.

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Review: The Absolute Value of -1 by Steve Brezenoff

Title: The Absolute Value of -1
Author: Steve Brezenoff
Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab
Pub. Date: 9.1.2010
Genre: Contemporary YA
Keywords: Love, Friendship, Multiple POV
Pages: 264
Description (from GoodReads):
The absolute value of any number, positive or negative, is its distance from zero: I-1I = 1.

Noah, Lily, and Simon have been a trio forever. But as they enter high school, their relationships shift and their world starts to fall apart. Privately, each is dealing with a family crisis—divorce, abuse, and a parent's illness. Yet as they try to escape the pain and reach out for the connections they once counted on, they slip—like soap in a shower. Noah’s got it bad for Lily, but he knows too well Lily sees only Simon. Simon is indifferent, suddenly inscrutable to his friends. All stand alone in their heartache and grief.

In his luminous YA novel, Steve Brezenoff explores the changing value of relationships as the characters realize that the distances between them are far greater than they knew.

Having never heard of THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF -1, I had no expectations as I cracked the cover. Not one. Which is why I was shocked to discover that this novel, Steve Brezenoff's YA debut, has landed squarely on my Best of 2010 list.

The novel is divided into three main sections - one for each character - but the first and last pages are told by Suzanne. I'll admit to being a bit confused when I saw her name printed largely on the first page... there's no mention of a Suzanne in the description. It doesn't take long to figure out who this mysterious narrator is, but it takes the majority of the novel to make sense of her role and meaning to each of the main characters.

I ended up preferring Lily and Noah over Simon. I appreciated seeing the events unfold from each POV, but Simon set me on edge. Even at the end of the novel, I wasn't completely sure I understood his motivations, which made is actions difficult to reconcile. In the end, I resigned myself to disliking his character, which was difficult for me because I can't help but try to connect with each character, even in a small way.

I found it easy to identify with Lily. She's the typically high school girl, in love with a boy who is oblivious to her. Or worse, is completely aware and chooses to act oblivious. I feel confident saying that every girl feels like a Lily at some point, whether it occurs in high school or later.

Noah was my favorite character, though it's hard to say exactly why. Part of me wonders if it's due to the fact that he had the smallest section. It's almost like when you meet someone for the first time and you think they're pretty cool, but then, the more you get to know them, the more you're aware of their flaws. And then they just don't seem so cool anymore. Simon and Lily's flaws were painfully clear, while Noah was just a stoner boy with an unrequited crush. He was much easier to like. Maybe I would have ended up liking him less if he was more of a focus, but I still can't help wanting to hear more of his story.

THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF -1 is unflinchingly honest and beautifully written. I'm very curious to see what Steve Brezenoff offers next, but, in the meantime, I'll be pondering this novel's final pages...

Grade: A

Part of the reason I decided to read THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF -1 was the book trailer... I always thought book trailers were more fun than functional, but, more and more, I've found that book trailers have caused me to give a book a second look!