What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:
1. *JL is fifteen years old and has a lot on her plate.
2. *She and Aubrey use to be BEST friends. They spent all their time together and shared everything. All that came to an with a secret between JL and Aubrey's older brother.
3. *JL feels very alone as her father is always away on business and her mother is retreating further and further into her own mind. Plus, she has to watch Aubrey and her "new" friends.
4. *She decides to take things into her own hands, and finds comfort in her butterfly collection and a new older boyfriend named Max.
5. *Even though everyone around her tells her Max is "bad news", JL can't seem to shake him and finds herself not making the best choices, which will affect everyone around her.
What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
1. *Getting Gae's newest novel in the mail was quite exciting and I couldn't wait to dig in and see what she had come up this time around.
2. *The format of the story switches back and forth between time periods. I enjoyed getting to know JL and Aubrey when they were younger. The reading about them as they grew up, and apart, was fascinating and engaging.
3. *Even though I'm a fifty-one year old male, I was drawn into JL's world and could feel her pain, torment, and struggle.
4. *Another aspect of the story that I completely enjoyed were the sections about JL's mother, grandmother, and author Jack Kerouac. I cant say too much about this because I don't want to give anything away.
5. *The conclusion of the story was raw, heart-breaking, while still leaving me with a sense of hope for JL and her future. Well done Gae Polisner, well done!
Who Should Read It: This young-adult novel is definitely a story for the high-school, college, and adult reader. There is adult language, adult "scenes", and more a mature feeling to the entire story. I know these readers will love Gae's newest work just as much as I did. Happy Reading!
Rating: 4+ STARS out of 5 Stars
No comments:
Post a Comment