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3.33 AVERAGE
3.33 AVERAGE
Newbery Challenge 121/412. A story of domestic abuse told from the perspective of the 9 year old protagonist, Jamie. This book packs an emotional punch without being too frightening. Jamie, his baby sister, and mother leave the abusive situation in the first chapter. The book is about their finding a safe place, learning to live without fear, and learning to trust people. The main character also seems like he might possibly be autistic but that isn’t named outright in the book. This book is well done for being about such a difficult topic.
For the end of this year I've been focusing on re-reading some of my childhood favorites as an adult. (mostly because my reading challenge goal was a bit ambitious, and YA books are a lot faster to read. Full disclosure.) Some haven't held up, but some really have. This is one of the latter. A beautifully written account of a child living through domestic violence told from his perspective. Still completely impactful and handles such a brutal topic so well.
What Jamie Saw by Carolyn Coman was a bit of a disappointment. On the one hand, I read this when I was 8 or 9 and really liked it, but when I read it this time, I just wanted to be like c'mon Jamie. Like I feel bad for him because I think he's suffering from some sort of PTSD, but I also want to be like you aren't young enough to be pulling the shit you pull. Maybe it appeals more to younger readers, but I just didn't feel it this time around.
A young boy, his mom, and his baby sister flee from the abusive Van, after Jamie (the boy) sees Van throw his baby sister across the room. They move into a tiny trailer out in the middle of nowhere and both Jamie and his mother struggle to sort out their emotions and fears, while Jamie's mother also struggles to make ends meet.
A powerful subject and a fair-to-middling treatment. Still, possibly a good introduction to breaching the subject with young minds.
A powerful subject and a fair-to-middling treatment. Still, possibly a good introduction to breaching the subject with young minds.
3.5 stars with the extra half star because it mentioned Groveton, NH (where my parents now live). Good conversation starter about fear, domestic abuse, etc.