Neal Shusterman has written over 30 middle grade and young adult novels. His novels are often dystopian or fantasy novels, such as his best-selling series Arc of a Scythe, which follows two children who train to become Scythes—those who must take human lives in order to keep the world from becoming overpopulated. Scythe examines themes of death, empathy, and corruption, adding a layer of complexity with a dystopian setting where people are immortal and only die at the hands of Scythes. Similarly, his novel Full Tilt (2003) tells the story of a young boy who must ride a merry-go-round and face each of his deepest fears, exploring themes of change, trauma, and finding balance in life despite everything one must face. These novels—and many more by Shusterman—allow young adult readers to explore the complexities of their emotions, often blurring the lines between good and bad.

Bruiser follows a similar pattern, as Shusterman examines empathy through a supernatural lens, exploring what it means to feel compassion to such a degree that it overwhelms. While compassion and empathy are typically viewed as positive traits which young adults are encouraged to show, Brewster’s ability to take others’ pain complicates this idea.