Friday Spines Fresh Review:
New Feature: Fresh Reviews, of books I've just finished. These may or may not be updated and expanded in a few months, once I've had time to get over the traumatic ending/horrid plot/main character's cute boyfriend and can be literarily objective. I just read this book yesterday on the plane (coming home from Seattle--see blog here!).
Jumping Off Swings is a book about teen pregnancy. It's also a book about alcohol abuse; relationships with peers, parents, and non-parental adults; how sexism relates to sexuality, as well as teen sexuality; bullying; abortion; and coming-of age. Combined with the narrative, which switches between four friends, the read is a little choppy.
I certainly don't think that plots should be developed in a vacuum: Stories can't be untangled from all other aspects of life without also removing the life from the story itself. Protagonists need antagonists, goals need setbacks, epic journeys to destroy rings in fiery mountains need Golems, orc raids, and giant spiders. Once authors have mastered aspects of writing such as creating a distinct voice, suspense, or conflict between characters, having one or more subplots can make the read all the more enjoyable. However, tackling (even subconsciously) the amount of issues addressed in the 230 pages of Jumping Off Swings leaves less callous readers overwhelmed and in turmoil.
Caleb and Corrine fall in love. Josh remains distant from Ellie and Corinne through the whole story but is still given a point of view--I don't really see why. His narration doesn't give us that much insight into his character and doesn't impact the story that much, as he has limited contact with Caleb and doesn't speak to Corrine or Ellie at all. This doesn't change at all, through the whole book--Josh doesn't develop enough as a character to have a voice in the story; he's more of a prop to start the story of Ellie's pregnancy than a character in his own right. It bothers me that he and Ellie have no emotional relationship through the whole book: They
That said, please read this book. It follows the story of Ellie, a fairly average high school girl with a reputation as a slut. Although in a way this is accurate (she often hooks up with boys at parties) we're given a deeper view into her rationale for her behavior near the beginning of the book. It challenges the conflicting sexual expectations of teen boys and girls and explores teen pregnancy. The complicated themes make it great for a discussion book--you should pick a book with a theme similar to one of those in Jumping Off Swings, to help focus the discussion.
I recommend the book for ages 16 and up--I was on the plane when I finished it, and I started crying at the ending--not only is it rather traumatic, but can be absolutely overwhelming for younger readers. Alcoholism is another thing present but not addressed directly in the book; many of the characters' home lives are impacted by alcoholic parents, and the parties Ellie and her friends attend are adult-less and rather drunken.
Themes (yes, a new feature! I was having a conversation with my mom about books, and decided on a few basic categories for YA fiction. Overview post of this feature coming soon!):
New Feature: Fresh Reviews, of books I've just finished. These may or may not be updated and expanded in a few months, once I've had time to get over the traumatic ending/horrid plot/main character's cute boyfriend and can be literarily objective. I just read this book yesterday on the plane (coming home from Seattle--see blog here!).
Jumping Off Swings is a book about teen pregnancy. It's also a book about alcohol abuse; relationships with peers, parents, and non-parental adults; how sexism relates to sexuality, as well as teen sexuality; bullying; abortion; and coming-of age. Combined with the narrative, which switches between four friends, the read is a little choppy.
I certainly don't think that plots should be developed in a vacuum: Stories can't be untangled from all other aspects of life without also removing the life from the story itself. Protagonists need antagonists, goals need setbacks, epic journeys to destroy rings in fiery mountains need Golems, orc raids, and giant spiders. Once authors have mastered aspects of writing such as creating a distinct voice, suspense, or conflict between characters, having one or more subplots can make the read all the more enjoyable. However, tackling (even subconsciously) the amount of issues addressed in the 230 pages of Jumping Off Swings leaves less callous readers overwhelmed and in turmoil.
SPOILERS
Ellie gets pregnant by virgin Josh at a party. She decides not to have an abortion, breaks the news of her pregnancy to her strict, conservative parents, and becomes friends with Caleb (a shy boy who's been crushing on her for a while). Corrine, Ellie's best friend, is her main source of support through the story, until Caleb (Josh's best friend, at the beginning of the book) becomes better friends with Corrine and then Ellie. Caleb's mom stands in as a mother figure for Ellie, whose mother is unwilling to accept her daughter's decision.Caleb and Corrine fall in love. Josh remains distant from Ellie and Corinne through the whole story but is still given a point of view--I don't really see why. His narration doesn't give us that much insight into his character and doesn't impact the story that much, as he has limited contact with Caleb and doesn't speak to Corrine or Ellie at all. This doesn't change at all, through the whole book--Josh doesn't develop enough as a character to have a voice in the story; he's more of a prop to start the story of Ellie's pregnancy than a character in his own right. It bothers me that he and Ellie have no emotional relationship through the whole book: They
END OF SPOILER
That said, please read this book. It follows the story of Ellie, a fairly average high school girl with a reputation as a slut. Although in a way this is accurate (she often hooks up with boys at parties) we're given a deeper view into her rationale for her behavior near the beginning of the book. It challenges the conflicting sexual expectations of teen boys and girls and explores teen pregnancy. The complicated themes make it great for a discussion book--you should pick a book with a theme similar to one of those in Jumping Off Swings, to help focus the discussion.
I recommend the book for ages 16 and up--I was on the plane when I finished it, and I started crying at the ending--not only is it rather traumatic, but can be absolutely overwhelming for younger readers. Alcoholism is another thing present but not addressed directly in the book; many of the characters' home lives are impacted by alcoholic parents, and the parties Ellie and her friends attend are adult-less and rather drunken.
Themes (yes, a new feature! I was having a conversation with my mom about books, and decided on a few basic categories for YA fiction. Overview post of this feature coming soon!):
- Teen pregnancy
- Present/supportive adults
- Drinking/drugs
- Tangled friendships
- Communication
You might also like: After, by Amy Efaw; How It Ends, by Lauren Weiss; and Looking for Alaska, by John Green.
Happy reading--check back on Monday for the next Friday Spines book!
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