Reviews

The Death of Jayson Porter by Jaime Adoff

heathercottledillon's review against another edition

4.0

I really liked this book. I feel like it provides a realistic portrayal of what someone in Jayson's situation might feel, and it ultimately has a good message without being too cheesy or preachy. The ending is sort of predictable but I had no idea how it was going to get there, so I stayed interested. I think this is a great book to recommend to teens, especially boys, who are struggling with their life circumstances.

goodem9199's review

4.0

Super dark, super sad, super good.

liketheday's review

3.0

Jayson writes in a stream-of-consciousness style, which would normally annoy me, but I got used to his rhythm pretty quickly and was very intrigued by his thought processes. I was rooting for Jayson throughout the novel, even when I knew it wouldn't help. The ending is a little too convenient for my liking, but I guess a completely depressing novel wouldn't sell as well. :)
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lazygal's review

5.0

Painful/painfilled read, about a boy (half-black, half-white) living with an abusive mother in Florida. The big question: will he jump or won't he?

I can't imagine having that kind of life... but I can imagine making that choice.

ainiali's review

4.0

Trigger warning for suicidal thoughts & physical abuse.

Being half black, half white, doesn't make life any better for Jayson. He's a victim of an abusive mother, a drug addicted father & the world of poverty. Having a brilliant mind, he's able to attend a school for privilege kid but it's a school for mostly white kids & he doesn't fit in. This is a story about a 16 years old teenager who saw 'the pit of hell' & survived.

I love the story telling. For a slow reader, this kind of books; fictions told in prose & verses are a great help sometimes when we feel overwhelmed and in a slump.

thenymphsvoice's review

2.0

The ending made it readable but just barely, it was murder getting thru it

private_reader's review

4.0

Took me a few pages but then I got very caught up in this bleak and sad story. Jayson felt very real as did his friends and family. Maybe the villains are a bit stereotyped but we are seeing them through Jayson's eyes so it makes sense.

nerfherder86's review

3.0

Winner of the Teen Buckeye Book Award, this gritty novel starts out in the middle of the action: a boy in mid-leap from a balcony, attempting suicide. Then it jumps back to "before," as he tells of his troubled life with an abusive mother, his absent druggie father, and what leads him to the suicide attempt. My high school book club read this and most of them found it a really gripping read. The format put a few off, though: it's in free verse, sort of, with boldface "headlines" that are some of Jayson's thoughts, interrupting the flow of the story and breaking it up almost into separate poems. Once you get used to that, it flows really well, and I thought it really added to the emotional impact of the story.

welfycat's review

3.0

http://welfycatreads.blogspot.com/2007/10/death-of-jayson-porter.html

lorhart's review

5.0

I don't even know what to think about this book. It was a TRIP, that's for sure.

What I can say is that all of the emotions Jayson has are spot-on to how a real teenager with depression would feel. All of the characters felt real. It kept me on the edge of my seat; the plot twists make sense when you consider the hints littered throughout the book, but you'd just never see them coming. Jayson's voice was incredible to read, from his unique humor about his life to the heart-wrenching verses detailing his pain. Some lines were a little cheesy, but it completely worked with the story/Jayson's voice. And that ending man... I was in tears.

I loved this book. At least, I think I do. I'll probably re-read this book (which is saying a lot, because I never re-read) and be just as excited the second/third/fourth time around. But who knows. Maybe in a couple years, I'll look back and discover that I actually hate it. I don't know. That's the biggest mood I have coming out of this: I just don't know.