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protoman21's review against another edition
3.0
This story was pretty disjointed for me. The style was supposed to be fluid and it may have even been intentional by the author to have the narrator flit from one thought to another and from one scene to another without any transition or purpose, but it didn't really work for me. I understand that that is what life is like, but it just made it hard for me to connect with the characters.
gertrudy's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lattelibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
When a train accident occurs involving Scotty, her younger autistic brother, and a new friend, she's the only one left unscathed. There's funerals to attend, hospital rooms to visit, and the knowledge that it was ultimately her decision to ride the train that day was all hers. For Scotty, a high schooler, all of this is almost too much to bear. She mourns, she hopes, she hurts, and it seems like nothing will ever be the same again. And she's right in that it won't be.
Angela Johnson does a fantastic job of cycling Scotty through shock and grief and worry and hope. There's no good cycle, no rhythm, no steps to follow with her emotions, and they pop up at inopportune times. How can something that wasn't her fault also be her fault at the same time? It's hard to hold these two truths in her mind, especially as she's blaming herself for this accident. With beautiful writing and a hint of hope and humor (she never gets around to writing her Anna Karenina essay), Johnson takes a horrid experience and turns it into something that everyone can feel for.
Also, I have to say that this is probably one of the first books I've read that doesn't center solely around race as the main focal point. It focuses on the accident and her emotions, of her family struggling to strive in this time. It was so refreshing, and definitely something we need to see more represented in our reading choices and selections.
Review cross-listed here!
Angela Johnson does a fantastic job of cycling Scotty through shock and grief and worry and hope. There's no good cycle, no rhythm, no steps to follow with her emotions, and they pop up at inopportune times. How can something that wasn't her fault also be her fault at the same time? It's hard to hold these two truths in her mind, especially as she's blaming herself for this accident. With beautiful writing and a hint of hope and humor (she never gets around to writing her Anna Karenina essay), Johnson takes a horrid experience and turns it into something that everyone can feel for.
Also, I have to say that this is probably one of the first books I've read that doesn't center solely around race as the main focal point. It focuses on the accident and her emotions, of her family struggling to strive in this time. It was so refreshing, and definitely something we need to see more represented in our reading choices and selections.
Review cross-listed here!
typesetjez's review against another edition
3.0
Johnson does it again! Her exact prose provides a wide variety of problems (and solutions) in a very short amount of pages. This doesn't quite live up to [b:The First Part Last|148769|The First Part Last (Heaven, #2)|Angela Johnson|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1388305354s/148769.jpg|143581] because even though there is a tragic event in this one as well, there's not as much of an emotional punch. Additionally, having recently read [b:See You at Harry's|12384984|See You at Harry's|Jo Knowles|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1333579098s/12384984.jpg|17365805], which tackles a very similar situation (a younger brother being involved in an accident), this book fell a little flat for me compared to the far more emotional Knowles novel. That said, there's a positive to this: it's a very optimistic novel, which may be a comfort to families who are in this situation who do not need to grieve or to teens who simply are tired of dark, depressing books (of which there are many in YA). There's a certain lightness to Scotty's world which feels almost reminiscent of books like [b:Weetzie Bat|44353|Weetzie Bat (Weetzie Bat, #1)|Francesca Lia Block|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1392416825s/44353.jpg|946181] (though I'm not sure any book can match that kind of enthusiasm and optimism). The storytelling can be a little disjointed and moves back and forth in time, which may frustrate or confuse some readers. However, this uncertainty is also taken advantage of in order to pack a big punch in the middle of the book that completely took me off guard (I reread the whole chapter just to be sure I understood it right).
I give this 3 stars, but it could very well be 4 if I had read it at a different time in my life (even a week beforehand) and did not have as many external issues to distract me.
I give this 3 stars, but it could very well be 4 if I had read it at a different time in my life (even a week beforehand) and did not have as many external issues to distract me.
greenvillemelissa's review against another edition
4.0
Book #15 Read in 2014
A Certain October by Angela Johnson (YA)
I have enjoyed Johnson's books The First Part Last and Heaven and A Certain October kept that streak going....Scotty is in a train crash with her friend Kris and her younger autistic brother Keone. Scotty feels responsible for all that happens after the crash and tries to heal--inside and out. This is a good, quick read that has elements of teenage romance, humor and characters that one will care about.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
A Certain October by Angela Johnson (YA)
I have enjoyed Johnson's books The First Part Last and Heaven and A Certain October kept that streak going....Scotty is in a train crash with her friend Kris and her younger autistic brother Keone. Scotty feels responsible for all that happens after the crash and tries to heal--inside and out. This is a good, quick read that has elements of teenage romance, humor and characters that one will care about.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
grifmk01's review against another edition
3.0
3.5/5
I didn't find this story as strong as the last book I read, but still got all the feels. Please check out this author if you haven't already.
I didn't find this story as strong as the last book I read, but still got all the feels. Please check out this author if you haven't already.
melissapalmer404's review against another edition
4.0
Book #15 Read in 2014
A Certain October by Angela Johnson (YA)
I have enjoyed Johnson's books The First Part Last and Heaven and A Certain October kept that streak going....Scotty is in a train crash with her friend Kris and her younger autistic brother Keone. Scotty feels responsible for all that happens after the crash and tries to heal--inside and out. This is a good, quick read that has elements of teenage romance, humor and characters that one will care about.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
A Certain October by Angela Johnson (YA)
I have enjoyed Johnson's books The First Part Last and Heaven and A Certain October kept that streak going....Scotty is in a train crash with her friend Kris and her younger autistic brother Keone. Scotty feels responsible for all that happens after the crash and tries to heal--inside and out. This is a good, quick read that has elements of teenage romance, humor and characters that one will care about.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
shighley's review against another edition
3.0
A lot happens in this short book (which I think makes it accessible to many students). It's yet another case where I think the book jacket gives away too much of the plot. At times, it felt rather disjointed, but maybe that's to reflect the way a teen would think. It starts to jump a bit out of order. You will care about Scotty and her well-being, as many of her hopes, fears and doubts are articulated beautifully. Part of the ending is a bit implausible.
alexblackreads's review against another edition
3.0
I don't have much to say about this one. It's under 200 pages, but took me two months to read because I couldn't get into it. As such, I don't think any review coming from me is super reliable since I didn't experience it the way I'd prefer.
I kept waiting for something about this to grab me and it never did. I don't mind short books. Honestly, I kind of prefer them to longer books because I'd rather a story be told as succinctly as possible. But it felt like Johnson was cramming a 300 page story into a book half its length. It felt like so many events were skimmed over and only touched on briefly.
I never got a feel for any of the characters either. It wasn't like they were poorly crafted or annoying, it's just that I couldn't tell you a single characteristic of any of them. I finished this book two weeks back and it left no impact. At one point there's a train crash that kills people and I felt nothing.
I dunno. It's rare that I read a book that makes me feel literally nothing like this one did, but I was also in a bit of a reading slump and going through a rough time at work and reading it over the course of several months was definitely not the way to go. So I can't really put the blame on the book when it might have been hugely impacted by my mood. I'd be down to give Angela Johnson a second chance, though, because I don't have any negative thoughts on this book.
I kept waiting for something about this to grab me and it never did. I don't mind short books. Honestly, I kind of prefer them to longer books because I'd rather a story be told as succinctly as possible. But it felt like Johnson was cramming a 300 page story into a book half its length. It felt like so many events were skimmed over and only touched on briefly.
I never got a feel for any of the characters either. It wasn't like they were poorly crafted or annoying, it's just that I couldn't tell you a single characteristic of any of them. I finished this book two weeks back and it left no impact. At one point there's a train crash that kills people and I felt nothing.
I dunno. It's rare that I read a book that makes me feel literally nothing like this one did, but I was also in a bit of a reading slump and going through a rough time at work and reading it over the course of several months was definitely not the way to go. So I can't really put the blame on the book when it might have been hugely impacted by my mood. I'd be down to give Angela Johnson a second chance, though, because I don't have any negative thoughts on this book.
asherlock99's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5