labraden's review against another edition
3.0
Jake has lived with his mother and her abusive boyfriend for most of his life. As the abuse gets worse, Jake starts to imagine a special tower where he, his mother, and his real father would live. One night, when the abuse gets out of hand, Jake's mother packs their bags and takes them to a most unexpected place.
Jake's Tower shows a family in crisis and the desperation that causes people to make difficult choices. The characters of Jake and his mother are fairly well developed as we feel the pain and anxiety they both go through in order to change the pattern of abuse in their lives. Other characters in the story are less well developed, leaving a bit of a whole in the story, but overall, Jake's Tower is a realistic rendition of living life in the midst of abuse.
Jake's Tower shows a family in crisis and the desperation that causes people to make difficult choices. The characters of Jake and his mother are fairly well developed as we feel the pain and anxiety they both go through in order to change the pattern of abuse in their lives. Other characters in the story are less well developed, leaving a bit of a whole in the story, but overall, Jake's Tower is a realistic rendition of living life in the midst of abuse.
wild_night_in's review against another edition
5.0
The juxtaposition of the terror of Jake's reality with the escapism of his imaginary world was painful and in some ways saddening.
Even after a 'happy' ending, Jake realises that, '[t]he fear stays in your head. It comes back to you even when things are fine, in the middle of the day, when you least expect it... I'm afraid he'll be in my head forever'.
Really well written.
Even after a 'happy' ending, Jake realises that, '[t]he fear stays in your head. It comes back to you even when things are fine, in the middle of the day, when you least expect it... I'm afraid he'll be in my head forever'.
Really well written.
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