* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

The Multiplication of Elmer Whit was something akin to an attempted mixture of Wonder by R.J. Palacio and The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. It had promise, but unfortunately failed in execution for my liking.

Elmer Whit is a neglected child from an abusive home, further burdened by a developmental disability and a facial birthmark that makes him a target of bullying. He is a likable character and he is well-constructed. He is looking for a friend and trying to find...something...perhaps a path for himself in life.

His compatriot in adventures, Elena, was similarly well-developed, a shy girl with developmental issues of her own, but who came from a family ripe with love and affection. Her circumstances could not have been more opposite those foisted upon poor Elmer. Together, they made a perfectly awkward pair and one that could have proven even more fabulous with a more cohesive storyline.

I liked the premise and I enjoyed the characters of Elmer and Elena, but I just could not get on board with the book. There were several moments where I felt dragged down by the narrative and lost in its purpose. In all honesty, if this had not been an ARC, I would have likely placed this one in my DNF pile. It has great bones, but seems to have potentially sent to publication too soon. It could have benefited from further critical revision.

The writing overall is okay, with clear potential present. There did seem to be an inconsistency in voice, with the narrative sometimes feeling age appropriate and sometimes feeling too mature for both the storyline and the intended audience. The occasional footnotes were a bit too kitschy and tended only to distract from the narrative, oftentimes seeming to push some sort of outside political agenda. Regardless, these were not helpful to the book as a whole...though I typically enjoy this kind of random interjection.

For me, the narrative was where the problems were concentrated. There were a few chapters that could have simply been left out and the book would have likely been better off without them. Indeed, there was too much of the plot that felt forced, trying to angle things in order to deliver a particular message and moral. With a few basic changes, I think this could have been more smoothly delivered and resulted in a far more successful product.

I wanted very much to like this one. It had a good central message and likable characters. The writing was good and could have been made great with a bit more editing. The narrative just needed some assistance and reworking. I am sad to say that I was only able to give The Multiplication of Elmer Whit two stars.