jazzyjan94's review
4.0
This was a good, but also difficult, book to read. It deals with some really hard topics such as suicide and sexual abuse.
tattedlibrarian's review
5.0
Chris Crutcher's Chinese Handcuffs is written in both narrative and letters written to Dillon's dead brother Preston.
Dillon's brother Preston was a troubled teen (well, it never states his age that I recall but he is 2 years older than Dillon). After a motorcycle accident left him paralyzed, Dillon turned more to drugs and a motorcycle gang. Unable to fight his demons, he killed himself in front of Dillon. The book deals with Dillon trying to figure out his life. Everything has changed for him. His mother left and took his younger sister Christy. It is now just Dillon and his dad.
Preston's death left behind feelings of anger, depression, sadness and one other thing, a baby. Dillon has had a crush on Stacy for years. Stacy only had eyes for Preston though. After Preston's death, Stacy goes away to North Dakota to "heal". The story when she comes back is that a cousin of hers had a baby out of wedlock and was going to put it up for adoption. Stacy convinced her parents to adopt the baby. You find out (although it is no real surprise) that the baby is really Stacy's and Preston's.
Then there is Jennifer. Dillon's friend and major basketball superstar at the high school, Jennifer is battling her own demons. Jennifer has been sexually abused by her biological father and is now being sexually abused by her step-father.
Dillon works through his grief over Preston, anger over Jennifer's abuse and love of Preston and Stacy's baby throughout the course of the year. Jennifer tries to work through her fear on the basketball court and Stacy comes clean over the intercom at school about the parentage of the baby.
While there is no pat "happy ending" there is some resolution. Dillon finally puts to rest his anger with his brother; helps Jennifer; loves Stacy's baby; and gets his dad to talk to him about life.
Dillon's brother Preston was a troubled teen (well, it never states his age that I recall but he is 2 years older than Dillon). After a motorcycle accident left him paralyzed, Dillon turned more to drugs and a motorcycle gang. Unable to fight his demons, he killed himself in front of Dillon. The book deals with Dillon trying to figure out his life. Everything has changed for him. His mother left and took his younger sister Christy. It is now just Dillon and his dad.
Preston's death left behind feelings of anger, depression, sadness and one other thing, a baby. Dillon has had a crush on Stacy for years. Stacy only had eyes for Preston though. After Preston's death, Stacy goes away to North Dakota to "heal". The story when she comes back is that a cousin of hers had a baby out of wedlock and was going to put it up for adoption. Stacy convinced her parents to adopt the baby. You find out (although it is no real surprise) that the baby is really Stacy's and Preston's.
Then there is Jennifer. Dillon's friend and major basketball superstar at the high school, Jennifer is battling her own demons. Jennifer has been sexually abused by her biological father and is now being sexually abused by her step-father.
Dillon works through his grief over Preston, anger over Jennifer's abuse and love of Preston and Stacy's baby throughout the course of the year. Jennifer tries to work through her fear on the basketball court and Stacy comes clean over the intercom at school about the parentage of the baby.
While there is no pat "happy ending" there is some resolution. Dillon finally puts to rest his anger with his brother; helps Jennifer; loves Stacy's baby; and gets his dad to talk to him about life.
briface's review
4.0
Read for a YA lit class. I missed so much YA lit when I was a young adult, I barely read any! I enjoyed this one, it's pretty dark realistic fiction. It does feel dated now.
tiamatq's review
5.0
Dillon is in training - one day he hopes to run, swim, bike, and win the Ironman triathlon. But before he can do that, he must deal with his brother Preston’s recent suicide and the role he played in it. Dillon runs to lose himself, to forget about his family falling apart; to sort out his feelings for Stacy, Preston’s girlfriend; and to stop thinking about the secret that his friend Jennifer has just entrusted to him. Jennifer has been sexually abused most of her life, first by her father and then by her stepfather, T.B. He is a dangerous man and willing to go to any length to keep his reputation spotless. Dillon can’t keep running from these problems and he knows it. With the help of Jennifer’s basketball coach and his father, Dillon learns to accept his problems and take responsibility for the only thing he can control - himself.
icefireski's review
3.0
An interesting story about overcoming some of lifes most horrific events with a little athletics mixed in. Good story, but I personally think it is best for a mature young adult.
sionna's review
3.0
Issues: Suicide, forced to watch suicide, incest-rape, statutory rape, gang rape, teen pregnancy, motorcycle accident->paraplegic, drug abuse
This book is very issue-driven, yet at the same time is not because the author does mention how doing the right thing is not always possible. So, calling this book an issue-book may not be correct. Either way, this is not one I would recommend to adults, or even often to teens, but their may be some teens out there who will find comfort from this text.
This is a character-driven book. Dillon is the one this book mainly revolves around, even though Jen is the one currently in crisis. Dillon and Jen are both characters that have needed to grow up fast, Jen more so than Dillon, and try to run their own lives, but their emotions and answers to problems are still very teen. It was a good blend. We are told, in detail, about the characters, especially Dillon in his long letters to his dead brother, Preston. There is no confusing the main characters, nor the significant side-characters. They are written well.
Because this book is character focused, there is not quite a plot here, unless is it Dillon fixing a problem, being the hero, and in turn fixing his own problem. All in all, I thought it was quite dry. This book is over 20 years old though, so at the time, this may have been a good book, but now with many other books on the subject and on teen life written out, it has lost its appeal.
This book is very issue-driven, yet at the same time is not because the author does mention how doing the right thing is not always possible. So, calling this book an issue-book may not be correct. Either way, this is not one I would recommend to adults, or even often to teens, but their may be some teens out there who will find comfort from this text.
This is a character-driven book. Dillon is the one this book mainly revolves around, even though Jen is the one currently in crisis. Dillon and Jen are both characters that have needed to grow up fast, Jen more so than Dillon, and try to run their own lives, but their emotions and answers to problems are still very teen. It was a good blend. We are told, in detail, about the characters, especially Dillon in his long letters to his dead brother, Preston. There is no confusing the main characters, nor the significant side-characters. They are written well.
Because this book is character focused, there is not quite a plot here, unless is it Dillon fixing a problem, being the hero, and in turn fixing his own problem. All in all, I thought it was quite dry. This book is over 20 years old though, so at the time, this may have been a good book, but now with many other books on the subject and on teen life written out, it has lost its appeal.
morporum's review
4.0
Chinese Handcuffs is admirable for the way it unflinchingly deals with very dark themes, including suicide, drugs, sexual abuse, and the evil and good we all do. The motivations are believable, the message is on target, the writing crisp and clear. For me, this is Crutcher's best and most important work.
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