The Great Jeff by Tony Abbott

How I Heard About It:   Tony and his publisher were kind enough to send me an ARC of this March, 2019 release.  I have read, reviewed, and enjoyed several of Tony's novels so I was excited to read his upcoming novel.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  

1.  *This is a companion novel to Tony Abbott's story Firegirl.  

2.  *Jeff is the main character in this novel.  His eighth grade year is not going well for him both at home and at school.  


3.  *After some unfortunate circumstances, Jeff is forced to leave his Catholic school and begin attending the local public school.  He isn't happy about this.  

4.  *Jeff has been living with his mother, but she has lost her job which intensifies her struggle with alcohol.  Jeff and his mother visit his father hoping to receive some monetary help, but are disappointed to learn he won't be helping them in any way, shape, or form.  

5.  *Life gets even more difficult for Jeff, when he and his mom lose their home because they can't afford the rent.  The struggles that follow are real, authentic, and portray what can happen to any family down on their luck.  


What I Thought Of It:  I always enjoy going into a novel by an author I know and love.  Tony Abbott always writes a powerful and intense story for the middle-grade reader.  I remembering reading Firegirl back in the day.  I almost reread it to "re-freshen" my memory of the story, but decided to just jump in and read Jeff's story.  I enjoyed getting to know Jeff on a deeper level.  His circumstances were not ideal, but he sure fought to make things right and take care of his mother.  I know many of our young people deal with similar situations to what Jeff was dealing with.  This would be the perfect novel to put into their hands.  I appreciate how Tony presents a story that is true to life and doesn't sugar coat things.  As hard as it was to read about certain situations in Jeff and his mother's life, there was always an underlying ray of hope.  


Who Should Read It:   Amazon states the book is geared toward children ages 10-14 and grades 3-7. After completing the novel, I personally would recommend it for readers older than this.  There are some heavy themes, alcoholism, homelessness, affairs, that I think are more appropriate for a reader in grades five and above.  Just to be safe, I would even say sixth grade and above.  I can totally see a student in grades six, seven, and/or eight taking this novel and entering the world of Jeff and his story.  Happy Reading!  



Rating:   4 STARS out of 5 Stars!