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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
I read the second book in the series first because this was one banned at my (Catholic) middle school. For sexual content. Even though there was no real sexual content. I felt like such a rebel when I got it from the public library and read it on school property.
Four stars for fond memories. Caroline B. Cooney was one of my favorite authors during my middle school years and I still own all the books in this series.
Four stars for fond memories. Caroline B. Cooney was one of my favorite authors during my middle school years and I still own all the books in this series.
The premise was so promising! I'd never considered an overarching plot like this and have never heard of it being done before. Alas, the book was a bit of a flop for me. It wasn't edited closely enough for my liking. I found several awkward phrases or grammatical errors throughout. I also wasn't a fan of Cooney's writing style. She used great figurative language, but the flow of the text was completely off. It stumbled at every new plot point and included too many quick or convenient connectors. The love story part of it wasn't needed and wasn't even cheesy. It was distasteful and I was actually put off by this whenever it came up. I so wanted to love it, but didn't. I was left disappointed. Lucky it was a library book!
I give this a 3.5. The plot of the book is a 5; the reason I wanted to read it at all was because the idea of seeing oneself on a milk carton being advertised as a kidnapped child is a gripping, terrifying subject. However, the execution of the storytelling and the writing itself was very elementary. I think the pacing was a bit odd sometimes, with certain parts being dragged out, others being rushed more than they should have, and with characters talking in rather unrealistic ways. I don't know, maybe I'm just not used to 1990 talk. I doubt that's it; it's not like we're talking about Old English here, but I'm just trying to give Cooney some sort of excuse as to why she has to use unnecessary cliches. There are also times where I was confused as to whether Janie was thinking or speaking, such as the time that she was thinking about the kidnapping situation while sitting with her best friend in his Jeep, and all of a sudden he asked a question that he only would have been able to ask if he had been reading her thoughts. I looked back to see if the narrator remarked that she had told the situation to him, or if she had voiced her thoughts to him, but it seemed as though the whole thing had still taken place in her head. The book as a whole could have been really fleshed out to make the idea even more terrifying and to really make the reader experience the trauma, and I think if that were the case, it could have become a bestseller. But, as it stands, it's still a pretty good read for anyone looking for a quick, interesting plot.
challenging
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Kidnapping
Really amazing story line, away to start the next one right now.
Spoiler Review
I was expecting a bigger twist at the end I hope that the next one really surprises me.
Spoiler Review
I was expecting a bigger twist at the end I hope that the next one really surprises me.
emotional
slow-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I loved this series as a kid, but now it just seems to drag on and on. Nothing that happens is particularly interesting. There are four books in the series, but it could probably be condensed to two without losing anything.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Fatphobia
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was such a fun and quick, easy read! The premise of finding yourself on the back of a milk carton as a missing child is fascinating. Lots of fun twists and turns in this one! I highly recommend.
I was really into the tv-movie of this book when I was a kid, but I wasn't really impressed with the books.
I loved this book when I first read it at maybe 11 or 12. Reading it now, it doesn't quite hold up. It has such an interesting premise but the writing just doesn't live up to the interesting premise. I am going to put it at 3 stars mostly for the nostalgia.
Read it as a kid, has a lot more to it than I remember and like, damn, I understand why I turned out the way I did