Jo Knowles
Författare till See You at Harry's
Verk av Jo Knowles
Associerade verk
Taggad
Allmänna fakta
- Namn enligt folkbokföringen
- Knowles, Johanna
- Födelsedag
- 1970
- Kön
- female
- Nationalitet
- USA
- Bostadsorter
- Vermont, USA
- Utbildning
- Simmons College (MA|Center for the Study of Children's Literature)
- Yrken
- author
Freelance writer - Organisationer
- SCBWI
Assembly on Literature for Adolescents - Priser och utmärkelser
- PEN New England Children's Book Caucus Discovery Award, 2005
SCBWI Work-In-Progress Grant, 2002 - Agent
- Barry Goldblatt
Medlemmar
Diskussioner
June 2016: What did you win? i Early Reviewers (juli 2016)
Recensioner
Something NEW and fresh!! I love a book that takes a chance... this book is narrated by 10 different people and it SO works
Nate, Claire, Dewey, Jack, Stephen, Keith, Dylan, Lacy, Grace, and Ms. Lindsay. Ten people, one day. This is the story of ten people who are all connected to Irving High in some way and all want to see themselves as something different and/or wonder if anyone ever sees the real them. It's a normal day in a suburban town, but it's on this most ordinary day that these ten people show us what it's like to walk in their shoes. Heartbreak, bullying, family problems, and high school.... that pretty much sums up this book.
My Thoughts:
This is by far my favorite Jo Knowles book!! She really got it right this time! I've read 2 other books by this author and always felt like something was missing from them. At the same time, something about her writing and the way she draws me in, always makes me want to read more by her. This book made me so happy I stuck it out.
The setting takes place over the same 24-hour period, but you get to see it from 10 different, semi-connected perspectives. I loved the idea of showing how on any given ordinary day, teens are going through tough things. It made me think about what it was like to be in high school and have things happen. Have your heart broken, have your parents split up, have your same shitty social life, and have it just be another day. It's like these things happen, and the world does not stop to acknowledge it like you think it should. The world just keeps on going and you have to too. That's what I took from this.
My favorite characters were Nate, Claire, and Lacy. Nate led the book off by breaking his middle finger (something that proved to be a recurring theme in the book). He lived with his dad, who was an asshole. There's really no other way to put it, the guy was an asshole to the highest degree. I felt so bad for Nate. Claire was in a popular clique, but wondered if there wasn't more to life than talking about the same gossip over and over again. She wondered if anyone ever saw the true her... or if she even knew who her true self was. Lacy was a girl who had body issues. She always lived outside of the popularity bubble, until Grace came and encouraged her to tryout for cheerleading. She was needed on the squad to lift up the smaller girls, and Grace also had a slight ulterior motive: she wanted to date Lacy's hot jock, basketball captain brother.
What I loved about those 3 characters (and several others) was that they wanted to find out who they really were. They all believed there was so much more, just didn't know how to go about finding it.
I loved the way the characters were so different, but all connected in multiple little ways. Some of them were connected by knowing the others, being friends with them, being neighbors, siblings, classmates. Other times they were connected by having similar experiences and feelings about those experiences. They were connected by the places they went, and of course, that single crude gesture.
I have a mild love/hate thing going on with the ending. So many of the characters didn't get a clear ending. So many things hanging in the balance. I liked that in a way, but OMG what happens to these people!?!?!!!! Also, I just wanted it to go on and on. I could have read full-length books about several of these characters.
OVERALL: LOVED!!! I'm so happy I stuck it out with this author because this book hit the nail on the head for me. I loved it and could not put it down. I was thinking about these characters and what it all meant every second that I could not read it. I'm still thinking about what it all means. Highly recommend!
My Blog:
… (mer)
Nate, Claire, Dewey, Jack, Stephen, Keith, Dylan, Lacy, Grace, and Ms. Lindsay. Ten people, one day. This is the story of ten people who are all connected to Irving High in some way and all want to see themselves as something different and/or wonder if anyone ever sees the real them. It's a normal day in a suburban town, but it's on this most ordinary day that these ten people show us what it's like to walk in their shoes. Heartbreak, bullying, family problems, and high school.... that pretty much sums up this book.
My Thoughts:
This is by far my favorite Jo Knowles book!! She really got it right this time! I've read 2 other books by this author and always felt like something was missing from them. At the same time, something about her writing and the way she draws me in, always makes me want to read more by her. This book made me so happy I stuck it out.
The setting takes place over the same 24-hour period, but you get to see it from 10 different, semi-connected perspectives. I loved the idea of showing how on any given ordinary day, teens are going through tough things. It made me think about what it was like to be in high school and have things happen. Have your heart broken, have your parents split up, have your same shitty social life, and have it just be another day. It's like these things happen, and the world does not stop to acknowledge it like you think it should. The world just keeps on going and you have to too. That's what I took from this.
My favorite characters were Nate, Claire, and Lacy. Nate led the book off by breaking his middle finger (something that proved to be a recurring theme in the book). He lived with his dad, who was an asshole. There's really no other way to put it, the guy was an asshole to the highest degree. I felt so bad for Nate. Claire was in a popular clique, but wondered if there wasn't more to life than talking about the same gossip over and over again. She wondered if anyone ever saw the true her... or if she even knew who her true self was. Lacy was a girl who had body issues. She always lived outside of the popularity bubble, until Grace came and encouraged her to tryout for cheerleading. She was needed on the squad to lift up the smaller girls, and Grace also had a slight ulterior motive: she wanted to date Lacy's hot jock, basketball captain brother.
What I loved about those 3 characters (and several others) was that they wanted to find out who they really were. They all believed there was so much more, just didn't know how to go about finding it.
I loved the way the characters were so different, but all connected in multiple little ways. Some of them were connected by knowing the others, being friends with them, being neighbors, siblings, classmates. Other times they were connected by having similar experiences and feelings about those experiences. They were connected by the places they went, and of course, that single crude gesture.
I have a mild love/hate thing going on with the ending. So many of the characters didn't get a clear ending. So many things hanging in the balance. I liked that in a way, but OMG what happens to these people!?!?!!!! Also, I just wanted it to go on and on. I could have read full-length books about several of these characters.
OVERALL: LOVED!!! I'm so happy I stuck it out with this author because this book hit the nail on the head for me. I loved it and could not put it down. I was thinking about these characters and what it all meant every second that I could not read it. I'm still thinking about what it all means. Highly recommend!
My Blog:
… (mer)
Unable to deal with his past mistakes, Josh decides to leave the town where he grew up and move in with his uncle to finish his senior year. Uncle Larry is obsessed with karate and all things Jackie Chan and wants to help Josh deal with his demons. Josh thought that starting a new school in a new place would cure him of the pain that he's been feeling since Ellie gave birth to his baby and gave him up for adoption. Running away hasn't changed anything. It doesn't help that there is a baby living in the apartment above theirs that wakes Josh up with his cries, reminding him over and over again of all the pain. He begins taking karate classes from his uncle, which neighbor-girl Stella just happens to be taking the class too. They become friends and Josh even starts feeling something more for her, but there are 2 problems: 1. Stella has a boyfriend (a jealous one at that), and 2. Josh is so ashamed at what happened to him last year, he doesn't possibly feel he deserves love.
My Thoughts:
I read [b:Jumping Off Swings|6378239|Jumping Off Swings|Jo Knowles|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1320401740s/6378239.jpg|6236364] in 2012 and didn't love it. I did really enjoy the writing though, so I wanted to give this book a try. Plus I had always wondered WHY Josh never discussed what had happened with Ellie. It really really bothered me in that first book. He finds out he got a girl pregnant and then proceeds to get his friends to ask her if she wants his help.... ummm???? MAN UP! Anyway, when I found out that this was about his journey post-baby, I decided to give it a shot. Plus that title weirdly made me curious.
So Josh decides to leave town and move in with his uncle Larry. And Larry is something-else. He's this super corny annoying over-the-top dude that probably needed put down. (Did I go too far there??) Ok but he was like this big, happy lap-dog, slobbering all over Josh and super rah-rah about life. But the thing is he freaking GREW on me. How can you NOT like a guy who tries as hard as Larry? I found it impossible to keep up my annoyance with him and honestly now I'm thinking about trying to be more positive. (If you haven't noticed I'm not the most rah-rah person you'll ever meet).
Beyond that, this book had a lot of the same problems as the first book for me. It still seemed to send the message that sex=death. Okay maybe not death, but that bad things happen to teens who have sex. Also I had a hard time believing that someone would beat themselves up so much over a mistake like that. Maybe Josh was just more sensitive than the average guy... but clearly what happened with Ellie was just as much her fault as his.
There was a lot of internal reflection but with nothing new happening. Just Josh going over and over how he didn't want to deal with his problems or ever go home and how great Larry was being. At some point I was like okkaaayyyy what's next, move along. The first book was super short, but this one went too long for the amount of nonhappenings that there were.
I really liked the what is a true karate man stuff. I can see how doing karate could be extremely cathartic to someone with a lot of things going on in their head. I really enjoyed reading about how karate was more than just physical activity. It became more or less an example of the kind of person Josh wanted to be.
OVERALL: An okay book that looks at looks at the guys' perspective in an accidental pregnancy/adoption scenario post-adoption. I enjoyed it more than Jumping Off Swings, but still felt like it was too internal and judgey.
My Blog:
… (mer)
My Thoughts:
I read [b:Jumping Off Swings|6378239|Jumping Off Swings|Jo Knowles|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1320401740s/6378239.jpg|6236364] in 2012 and didn't love it. I did really enjoy the writing though, so I wanted to give this book a try. Plus I had always wondered WHY Josh never discussed what had happened with Ellie. It really really bothered me in that first book. He finds out he got a girl pregnant and then proceeds to get his friends to ask her if she wants his help.... ummm???? MAN UP! Anyway, when I found out that this was about his journey post-baby, I decided to give it a shot. Plus that title weirdly made me curious.
So Josh decides to leave town and move in with his uncle Larry. And Larry is something-else. He's this super corny annoying over-the-top dude that probably needed put down. (Did I go too far there??) Ok but he was like this big, happy lap-dog, slobbering all over Josh and super rah-rah about life. But the thing is he freaking GREW on me. How can you NOT like a guy who tries as hard as Larry? I found it impossible to keep up my annoyance with him and honestly now I'm thinking about trying to be more positive. (If you haven't noticed I'm not the most rah-rah person you'll ever meet).
Beyond that, this book had a lot of the same problems as the first book for me. It still seemed to send the message that sex=death. Okay maybe not death, but that bad things happen to teens who have sex. Also I had a hard time believing that someone would beat themselves up so much over a mistake like that. Maybe Josh was just more sensitive than the average guy... but clearly what happened with Ellie was just as much her fault as his.
There was a lot of internal reflection but with nothing new happening. Just Josh going over and over how he didn't want to deal with his problems or ever go home and how great Larry was being. At some point I was like okkaaayyyy what's next, move along. The first book was super short, but this one went too long for the amount of nonhappenings that there were.
I really liked the what is a true karate man stuff. I can see how doing karate could be extremely cathartic to someone with a lot of things going on in their head. I really enjoyed reading about how karate was more than just physical activity. It became more or less an example of the kind of person Josh wanted to be.
OVERALL: An okay book that looks at looks at the guys' perspective in an accidental pregnancy/adoption scenario post-adoption. I enjoyed it more than Jumping Off Swings, but still felt like it was too internal and judgey.
My Blog:
… (mer)
Ellie just wants someone to hold her and make her feel loved and complete. For some odd reason she thinks sleeping around with anyone who approaches her is going accomplish this.... umm did someone NOT tell her that when you sleep with a guy on the first night, they don't tend to stick around?? So she winds up pregnant, now what's she going to do?
I liked this book a lot in some ways, but then...
Ok, I loved the story of how Ellie had low self-esteem and wanted to be loved, and slept around because she was hoping that this would be the guy to stick around and hold her... but it never was. I loved that because I think a lot of girls don't understand this when they first become sexually active. They don't get that guys don't respect a girl who gives it up too quick.... which is totally backwards imo because all they are trying to do is get in your pants, but that's a mans mind for ya.
I loved the Caleb character, he really was a sweetheart! And Corrinne really was an awesome friend... but maybe a little too awesome, are there really high school girls out there that are that selfless??
I didn't like that the book was SO short... It was only 230 pages with large type and margins. I seriously read it in less than a day. I didn't think the Ellie character ever got any closure. She never dealt with any of her loneliness feelings and everyone was terrified to death to talk to her about ANYTHING. I think Corrine and Liz should have been a little more pushy with Ellie. I get that they wanted to keep life normal for Ellie, but the girl needed to talk to someone!!!... and what's the deal with Josh and Ellie never even speaking about the baby?? Yes they are extremely immature H.S. kids, but come on, you're having someone's baby can they get the heads up??
So overall I liked the theme of the book, but I think if it was longer more of the issues could've been worked out.
Read all my reviews & more @ http://pinkpolkadotbookblog.blogspot.com/… (mer)
I liked this book a lot in some ways, but then...
Ok, I loved the story of how Ellie had low self-esteem and wanted to be loved, and slept around because she was hoping that this would be the guy to stick around and hold her... but it never was. I loved that because I think a lot of girls don't understand this when they first become sexually active. They don't get that guys don't respect a girl who gives it up too quick.... which is totally backwards imo because all they are trying to do is get in your pants, but that's a mans mind for ya.
I loved the Caleb character, he really was a sweetheart! And Corrinne really was an awesome friend... but maybe a little too awesome, are there really high school girls out there that are that selfless??
I didn't like that the book was SO short... It was only 230 pages with large type and margins. I seriously read it in less than a day. I didn't think the Ellie character ever got any closure. She never dealt with any of her loneliness feelings and everyone was terrified to death to talk to her about ANYTHING. I think Corrine and Liz should have been a little more pushy with Ellie. I get that they wanted to keep life normal for Ellie, but the girl needed to talk to someone!!!... and what's the deal with Josh and Ellie never even speaking about the baby?? Yes they are extremely immature H.S. kids, but come on, you're having someone's baby can they get the heads up??
So overall I liked the theme of the book, but I think if it was longer more of the issues could've been worked out.
Read all my reviews & more @ http://pinkpolkadotbookblog.blogspot.com/… (mer)
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Statistik
- Verk
- 10
- Även av
- 2
- Medlemmar
- 1,900
- Popularitet
- #13,551
- Betyg
- 3.8
- Recensioner
- 156
- ISBN
- 62
- Språk
- 1
- Favoritmärkt
- 2
I don't really read older MG, but when I saw that Jo Knowles had a new book I really wanted to read it no matter what age group it involved. What I learned was, I LOVE reading about MG boys!! If they're all like Noah, Ryan, and Sam, I could read about them non-stop. They're so funny and self-conscious, and just how I would picture boys going through that awkward age range would be.
My Fave Parts: The friendship between the boys. It wasn't 3 Musketeers-- they got on each other's nerves, they fought, they ignored each other.... but when it really came down to it, they had each other's backs. And there were a few moments between Noah and Ryan that warmed my heart because I think they fell out of the typical boy friendship "rules" (you know-- where you can't hug each other, sleep in the same bed at sleepovers, do nice things like buy presents for each other-- and other stupid stuff males do to act like they aren't emotional beings). I also LOVED the school they went to. It was quirky and non-traditional, and I kind of wish I went to a school like that. Also they had a cat at the school!! And it was allowed to just wander and do it's own thing!! Okay, I'm not really a fan of hairless cats, but how could I not love Curly and her outfits that changed everyday?? I spent most of the book terrified that for some reason Curly would have to leave the school... I just loved her so much, I wanted her to stay!!
I thought this book was adorably cute while also being serious when it needed to be. And I would put this up there with my favorite YA Contemporary books. Only thing is.... I felt the ending was kind of forced. I mean there's this big ISSUE that happens, and Noah and his family kind of go through some major breakdowns, and then it seemed like nothing really changed except Noah decided "Okay, I'm done with it". I didn't really care for that especially since his parents (you know, the ones who should be setting the example) were not coping well and NOT fixing it. But other than that bit of glossing over, I really found this unputdownable.
PS-- I totally have my kid saying "Who's to say?" whenever someone asks him about something (it's what Ryan says to his teachers when he doesn't want to answer a question).
OVERALL: LOVED reading Middle Grade from Jo Knowles. I knew if I stuck it out with this author it would pay off. I love this one and [b:Read Between the Lines|22747804|Read Between the Lines|Jo Knowles|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1415065698s/22747804.jpg|42292740]. It's so readable, adorable, cute, funny, but also about some heavier issues. I would recommend this to anyone for pretty much any reason.
My Blog:
… (mer)