Finny
Justin Kramon

Random House
July 2010/ ISBN 9780812980233
Young Adult Fiction-Literature
Amazon

Reviewed by Jen Oliver

Finny is the debut novel of Justin Kramon. Finny Short is introduced at the age of fourteen and has a sense of humor that shows that she doesn't fit in with her family or at school. That is until she meets Earl Henckel, a neighbor whose own family life is odd to say the least. Her family sends her to a boarding school, thinking that Finny would straighten out, however, this only adds to Finny's uniqueness and sense of humor.

Finny is a well-developed literary character that you just don't see in most novels that come out. The way that she is described throughout the book shows the length of reading great literary artists that Justin Kramon had to do in order to create such a character. Finny well documents a life of an awkward teenager to an outstanding woman who faces love, travel, and friendship.

The environment in Finny is not very relevant to the novel and it does not take over like in some other literary novels from years past. The characters all have their place and are established in such a way that the story is not taken away from Finny's character.