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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a thoroughly enjoyable book. I read it with some friends as a book club book and would definitely read it again.
The number one thing I was impressed by was how the author did such an amazing job showing how Janie was living life but not really experiencing it, as if she was in a daze the whole time. You hear about this romance, and you want to experience it because the boy is just SO amazing, but Jamie's not really there to experience it herself. Beautifully written in that regard.
It had some things that bugged me, such as the way Janie reacted to things and how long it took her to talk about stuff, but that was meant to be frustrating because she was frustrated with herself over it all as well. Someone who would have reacted differently may want to scream at this book at times, but I found it wonderful how the author showed just how stuck in her situation Janie was.
There was one little thing that irked me, however. There was this whole thing about her mom and diets and stuff, and Janie got praised whenever she made the "healthy" decision to avoid certain foods. Her mom seemed a little obsessed over the way she ate, and Janie make a comment in her mind about someone who needed to go on a weight loss plan. It really bothered me because it served no purpose other than to normalize an unhealthy way of talking about and thinking about food and people's bodies. While it took up only a very small portion of the book, the fact that it was there and so normalized what what I found problematic.
The number one thing I was impressed by was how the author did such an amazing job showing how Janie was living life but not really experiencing it, as if she was in a daze the whole time. You hear about this romance, and you want to experience it because the boy is just SO amazing, but Jamie's not really there to experience it herself. Beautifully written in that regard.
It had some things that bugged me, such as the way Janie reacted to things and how long it took her to talk about stuff, but that was meant to be frustrating because she was frustrated with herself over it all as well. Someone who would have reacted differently may want to scream at this book at times, but I found it wonderful how the author showed just how stuck in her situation Janie was.
There was one little thing that irked me, however. There was this whole thing about her mom and diets and stuff, and Janie got praised whenever she made the "healthy" decision to avoid certain foods. Her mom seemed a little obsessed over the way she ate, and Janie make a comment in her mind about someone who needed to go on a weight loss plan. It really bothered me because it served no purpose other than to normalize an unhealthy way of talking about and thinking about food and people's bodies. While it took up only a very small portion of the book, the fact that it was there and so normalized what what I found problematic.
I had to read this book for school and at first I liked it, but after I got about half way through the book, I got really tired of listening to Janie obsesses over the whole kidnapping, milk carton, Spring family thing. By the time I finished the book I was very glad it was done. I did like Reeve's character, though he was the only good part I could find in the book.
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I loved this book as a kid and revisited it! It mostly held up. One thing that was really clear was the rampant diet culture Janie's Mom exhibits through the book, which I didn't appreciate. Other than that, it mostly was pleasant to revisit.
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Picked it up thinking it would be a mysterious thriller, it was not.
My mistake for not checking the tags/categories. This is more middle grade than even YA.
My mistake for not checking the tags/categories. This is more middle grade than even YA.
It was a good book, I read it a while ago and it wasn't super amazing, but I was able to read it. ^_^
I absolutely loved this book when I was in 6th grade. I did enjoy the reread and understand why I loved it so much. The idea of finding out you were kidnapped is crazy! As an adult it was a solid 3 star.
Maybe I would have enjoyed this book in middle school. However, reading it now was an experience I never wish to relive. Janie spent the first half of the book complaining about being lactose intolerant and the second half beating herself for being kidnapped because she thought it was her fault. And she was in love with a guy who she had no chemistry with who only wanted to have sex with her and didn’t care about her at all. If you’re older than 13, I would not recommend this book.