Felix Yz

Starred review from May 8, 2017
Felix Yz, the 13-year-old narrator of Bunker’s captivating debut, is just like everyone else. Well, mostly. At age three, Felix was fused with Zyx, “a hyperintelligent being from the fourth dimension,” during an accident involving one of his father’s inventions, which also killed his father. A dangerous procedure to separate Felix from Zyx is scheduled to take place in 29 days, and Felix is determined to make the most of the intervening time. Felix tells his story via his blog, using Zyx’s perfect recall to recount conversations verbatim as he contends with bullies and works up the courage to talk to his crush, a boy named Hector. Felix’s humor, vulnerability, and strength give this story its big heart, which is rounded out by a loving family that includes Felix’s mother, piano prodigy older sister, and genderfluid grandparent who goes by Vera or Vern on different days. Set against a countdown to the unknown, Felix’s story is a love letter to anyone who feels out of place and a testament to the beauty of being “different.” Ages 10–up. Agent: Brianne Johnson, Writers House.

March 15, 2017
A freak scientific accident leaves an ordinary Maine boy atomically bonded to a fourth-dimensional being in this debut middle-grade novel.-If it wasn't for the fused-with-Zyx-thing, I suppose I would just be normal--whatever that means,- writes Felix Yz in his -secret blog,- first published by Bunker as online interactive fiction. Counting down the days until an experimental Procedure might free him (possibly fatally) from the alien bond that has made movement and speech painfully difficult for 10 years, the white eighth-grader chronicles the quirks of his loving family, his passion for drawing and writing, his run-ins with bullies, and his awkward crush on another boy at school. Meanwhile Zyx (typing through Felix's fingers) provides running commentary as something of a -wise fool- archetype, dispensing gnomic truths and mystical insight with the eager charm of a hyperintelligent puppy. But the outre premise is only the setup for this unique, whimsical tale; it's also about webcomics and chess and geometry and jazz and the astonishing -threeness of things.- It's about the suffocating terror of death and the sweet agony of first love. It's about transcending binaries, both the obvious--Felix's mother is bisexual, his grandparent gender-fluid, the boy of his dreams both biracial (black/white) and bilingual--and those more subtle and profound, all in the most gloriously matter-of-fact way. Above all, it's about Felix's voice: acutely perceptive, disarmingly witty, devastatingly honest, and utterly captivating. Joyful, heartbreaking, completely bonkers, and exuberantly alive. (Science fiction. 10-adult)

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May 1, 2017

Gr 6-9-A one-of-a-kind story in a familiar diary format. When 12-year-old Felix was a child, his father died in the same lab mishap that fused a fourth-dimensional being known as Zyx to Felix's body. Now that Felix is on the precipice of adolescence, his body is having more trouble containing Zyx, and both must prepare for a risky separation procedure. This novel takes the format of Felix's blog, with asides from Zyx, who communicates by typing. The creature is endlessly supportive of Felix, providing an equal amount of positive reinforcement and earnest confusion at human social mores. As both move toward what may be their deaths, Felix uncovers long-hidden family secrets, discovers his own gift for writing, and develops a connection with his crush, Hector. While Felix's situation is certainly unusual, readers will respond to his self-doubt, the funny asides, and the suspense of how the procedure will turn out. Most notable among the supporting cast is his gender-fluid grandparent Grandy, who alternates among male, female, and no presentation depending on the day of the week. Grandy's presence allows for an explanation of choosing one's own pronouns (here: vo, ven, veir, veirs, veirself) and offers, along with the biracial Hector, more ways for Felix to better understand how all people contain multitudes. VERDICT Like the sweet older brother of middle grade series such as "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" and "Dork Diaries," this title, with its combination of light sci-fi and relatable stakes, should appeal to younger teens.-Ann Foster, Saskatoon Public Library, Sask.

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2017
Grades 5-8 Eighth grade, like every other year of Felix Yz's life, isn't easy, but right now, it's increasingly intense. Why? He is inhabited by a fourth-dimensional creature, Zyx, whose presence forces Felix's body into a hunched stance he calls the Pose. One month before undergoing a procedure designed to separate the boy from his alien, Felix starts a detailed blog of his life, challenges, and thoughts. Told as a daily countdown, Felix records when he's bullied, when he finally talks with Hector (on whom he has a crush), how the Yz family copes with his situation, and when his fears about the procedure bubble up. Felix is likable and funny, and his relationship with Zyx is fresh and genuine. Containing eye-opening diversity, including Felix's relationship with his gender-fluid grandparent ( Vern or Vera depending on the day), the story provides an original take on classic themes of family acceptance and middle-grade love. There are plenty of laughs to be had in this lovable debut. Bunker is an author to watch.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2017
Thirteen-year-olds may sometimes seem like alien creatures, but how often do you meet one with an actual alien inside? Meet Felix Yz (pronounced like is ). When Felix was three, his scientist father was vaporized in a lab accident and Felix himself got fused at the atomic level with a hyperintelligent being from the fourth dimension named Zyx (rhymes with six, and is short for Zyxilef, Felix Yz spelled backward). As a result, Felix has trouble talking, his limbs jerk, and his body is contorted into a hunched-over position (the cover story for outsiders is that he suffered a traumatic brain injury as a child). As the novel opens, there are twenty-nine days to go until ZeroDay, when scientists will attempt to separate Felix and Zyx in a procedure that may either help Felix or kill him. For as long as Felix can remember, he and Zyx have literally been inseparable. How will he be different without Zyx? In the novel, Zyx is real, but readers may see in him a metaphor for anything that makes people feel different, and may start to question what is and isn't normal. When Felix asks whether Zyx is a girl fourth-dimensional alien or a boy fourth-dimensional alien, Zyx's reply is question mark. Felix has a crush on cute classmate Hector; he doesn't know if Grandy is his grandmother or grandfather because vo (Grandy's invented nongendered pronoun) alternates between Vern and Vera during the week. The novel's premise allows for fascinating reflections on these and many other ways of feeling different, and debut author Bunker pulls it off with little heavy-handedness. dean Schneider

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2017
Three-year-old Felix was accidentally fused "at the atomic level" with alien Zyx. As a result, Felix has trouble talking and his limbs jerk. Now thirteen, Felix has twenty-nine days to go until scientists attempt to separate him and Zyx in a procedure that may help Felix or kill him. Without heavy-handedness, the premise allows for fascinating reflections on many ways of feeling different.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)