Scan barcode
lastpaige111's review against another edition
5.0
At first, I thought, unreliable narrator, not too likable, some of the same old YA issues, why am I reading this again? But as soon as I got into the second chapter, I knew this book was different, and by the third chapter, I read compulsively through to the end, which blew the top of my head off in terms of how it made me rethink even that first narrator.
Knowles doesn't so much attack tough issues as weave them into meaningful stories such that we recognize them in our own lives, and rethink how we judge others'.
Top quality--I've found a new favorite YA writer, and one who inspires me to continue on my writing journey, being true to myself.
Knowles doesn't so much attack tough issues as weave them into meaningful stories such that we recognize them in our own lives, and rethink how we judge others'.
Top quality--I've found a new favorite YA writer, and one who inspires me to continue on my writing journey, being true to myself.
djshire's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent book, although I felt it ended a bit abruptly. I would love to read a sequel to be able to see how these characters are doing!
christiana's review against another edition
2.0
I honestly don't know why I finished this. I think it might be because it was closest to me on the couch and I didn't want to get up (yes, I hear how sad that sounds). I don't even have anything super negative to say about it except it didn't DO anything for me. I'll probably forget it pretty quickly.
allie_schick's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
janewhitehurst's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this one. It reads like a series of short stories, but the stories all inter-connect in a small way, telling a day in the life of several high school students and their teacher. I zipped through it and found each little chapter to be interesting and engaging. It was hard at times because I wanted more from a couple characters. I wondered how his/her story ended, but the book was consistent in providing a small slice of each character's life, and not much more. It was well written, though, and held my interest.
debbiebarr's review against another edition
4.0
I may have judged this book by the cover initially, but once I started reading I was surprised at how complex it was and how much I liked it. Read Between the Lines will make you think, and the format is refreshingly different, since the novel is composed of 10 shorter stories about 10 different people, each one weaving together to create something greater than the sum of its parts. Definitely worth the read.
kelleemoye's review against another edition
5.0
Another brilliant text by Jo Knowles. Her ability to find the truth in so many different types of teens is just incredible. This book has a whole other aspect that I am so impressed with: the way the stories intertwine and all revolve around the middle finger but all in different ways. I definitely recommend this and all of Knowles's books.
mfumarolo's review against another edition
3.0
*ARC provided by the publisher at ALA Midwinter 2015 - thank you! This in no way impacted my opinions of this book.*
There are some books that I will always be a sucker for, that will always peak my interest, and when I first read about Read Between the Lines, the newest novel by Jo Knowles, two of my favorite things made the list: multiple points of view and an entire book that takes place in one day. Over the course of nine chapters, readers temporarily enter the lives of nine different people. Many of them are students at the same high school, one is an alumni, and one is a current teacher. It's one ordinary day, at least on the surface, but readers can see that people often have much bigger impacts on the lives of others than we realize.
Knowles' prose is particularly strong in that each chapter could probably stand on its own as a short story, however the stories are intricately overlapped and weaved together in a realistic fabric. The villain of one chapter may be the hero in another. Point of view is powerful, and enforces the idea that truth may not be as black and white as we'd like it to be because perspective - literally and metaphorically - can change everything.
I know that this review is not terribly specific, but I don't want to give away specifics that could spoil this book for potential readers. With each chapter focusing on someone else, this was a very quick read. On the flip side of this, I didn't feel like I necessarily got to know some characters particularly well or make connections with them because I wasn't with them for a prolonged period of time. This is a good buy for libraries, and a thought provoking look at how people impact the lives of others, especially when we're not looking.
There are some books that I will always be a sucker for, that will always peak my interest, and when I first read about Read Between the Lines, the newest novel by Jo Knowles, two of my favorite things made the list: multiple points of view and an entire book that takes place in one day. Over the course of nine chapters, readers temporarily enter the lives of nine different people. Many of them are students at the same high school, one is an alumni, and one is a current teacher. It's one ordinary day, at least on the surface, but readers can see that people often have much bigger impacts on the lives of others than we realize.
Knowles' prose is particularly strong in that each chapter could probably stand on its own as a short story, however the stories are intricately overlapped and weaved together in a realistic fabric. The villain of one chapter may be the hero in another. Point of view is powerful, and enforces the idea that truth may not be as black and white as we'd like it to be because perspective - literally and metaphorically - can change everything.
I know that this review is not terribly specific, but I don't want to give away specifics that could spoil this book for potential readers. With each chapter focusing on someone else, this was a very quick read. On the flip side of this, I didn't feel like I necessarily got to know some characters particularly well or make connections with them because I wasn't with them for a prolonged period of time. This is a good buy for libraries, and a thought provoking look at how people impact the lives of others, especially when we're not looking.
amibunk's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of those books that makes you think hard about how we all interconnect and influence one another. Told in a series of short (but very full) stories set in a local high school, Jo Knowles writes an impactful novel that ends hopefully, despite not glossing over the grim realities of many students (and teachers.)
The writing was masterful, the character building was simply stellar, and the carefully crafted plot was a gorgeous web of cause and effect.
I absolutely loved reading this.
kbrownreads's review against another edition
3.0
I got this book as a goodreads giveaway which is pretty awesme...
As far as the plots.. most of them were great. My overall feeling about this book is that it was 75% fantastic. There were a lot of important social isssues Jo Knowles adresses in this book, and I agree with the way she handled them. My main problem with this book is that the characters weren't all that iteresting. I loved Claire and "Finger Boy", but the teacher was really boring and I didn't care for her. I think each of these stories cpuld bhave been a book. I felt like these were a bunch of separate ideas that were forced together by way of the middle finger. This book is a good read if you're busy ad don't have a lot of time to read. YOu can tread one story per day and make it thorugh the book within a decent time.
All in all, this book was eh.
As far as the plots.. most of them were great. My overall feeling about this book is that it was 75% fantastic. There were a lot of important social isssues Jo Knowles adresses in this book, and I agree with the way she handled them. My main problem with this book is that the characters weren't all that iteresting. I loved Claire and "Finger Boy", but the teacher was really boring and I didn't care for her. I think each of these stories cpuld bhave been a book. I felt like these were a bunch of separate ideas that were forced together by way of the middle finger. This book is a good read if you're busy ad don't have a lot of time to read. YOu can tread one story per day and make it thorugh the book within a decent time.
All in all, this book was eh.