melissapalmer404's review against another edition
4.0
Book #15 Read in 2014
A Certain October by Angela Johnson (YA)
I have enjoyed Johnson's books The First Part Last and Heaven and A Certain October kept that streak going....Scotty is in a train crash with her friend Kris and her younger autistic brother Keone. Scotty feels responsible for all that happens after the crash and tries to heal--inside and out. This is a good, quick read that has elements of teenage romance, humor and characters that one will care about.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
A Certain October by Angela Johnson (YA)
I have enjoyed Johnson's books The First Part Last and Heaven and A Certain October kept that streak going....Scotty is in a train crash with her friend Kris and her younger autistic brother Keone. Scotty feels responsible for all that happens after the crash and tries to heal--inside and out. This is a good, quick read that has elements of teenage romance, humor and characters that one will care about.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
shighley's review against another edition
3.0
A lot happens in this short book (which I think makes it accessible to many students). It's yet another case where I think the book jacket gives away too much of the plot. At times, it felt rather disjointed, but maybe that's to reflect the way a teen would think. It starts to jump a bit out of order. You will care about Scotty and her well-being, as many of her hopes, fears and doubts are articulated beautifully. Part of the ending is a bit implausible.
alexblackreads's review against another edition
3.0
I don't have much to say about this one. It's under 200 pages, but took me two months to read because I couldn't get into it. As such, I don't think any review coming from me is super reliable since I didn't experience it the way I'd prefer.
I kept waiting for something about this to grab me and it never did. I don't mind short books. Honestly, I kind of prefer them to longer books because I'd rather a story be told as succinctly as possible. But it felt like Johnson was cramming a 300 page story into a book half its length. It felt like so many events were skimmed over and only touched on briefly.
I never got a feel for any of the characters either. It wasn't like they were poorly crafted or annoying, it's just that I couldn't tell you a single characteristic of any of them. I finished this book two weeks back and it left no impact. At one point there's a train crash that kills people and I felt nothing.
I dunno. It's rare that I read a book that makes me feel literally nothing like this one did, but I was also in a bit of a reading slump and going through a rough time at work and reading it over the course of several months was definitely not the way to go. So I can't really put the blame on the book when it might have been hugely impacted by my mood. I'd be down to give Angela Johnson a second chance, though, because I don't have any negative thoughts on this book.
I kept waiting for something about this to grab me and it never did. I don't mind short books. Honestly, I kind of prefer them to longer books because I'd rather a story be told as succinctly as possible. But it felt like Johnson was cramming a 300 page story into a book half its length. It felt like so many events were skimmed over and only touched on briefly.
I never got a feel for any of the characters either. It wasn't like they were poorly crafted or annoying, it's just that I couldn't tell you a single characteristic of any of them. I finished this book two weeks back and it left no impact. At one point there's a train crash that kills people and I felt nothing.
I dunno. It's rare that I read a book that makes me feel literally nothing like this one did, but I was also in a bit of a reading slump and going through a rough time at work and reading it over the course of several months was definitely not the way to go. So I can't really put the blame on the book when it might have been hugely impacted by my mood. I'd be down to give Angela Johnson a second chance, though, because I don't have any negative thoughts on this book.
asherlock99's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
nerfherder86's review against another edition
4.0
A sweet, quiet book about healing, both mentally and physically. Scotty, a junior in high school, lives in East Cleveland with her dad, stepmother (who is a good friend to her), and seven-year-old autistic brother Keone. She has a great life, hanging out with friend Misha and trying to help gay friend Falcone get back together with his ex-boyfriend. But suddenly in October everything changes, in a tragic event that is foreshadowed in the beginning, as Scotty recalls that month as a turning point that shaped her future. I really liked the characters, especially Keone, and the way Johnson writes, so lyrical and smooth, poetic. She is adept at respecting the reader, not simply spelling everything out, so that you have to read between the lines sometimes. And there are a few surprises, too, where you think something has happened but in reality something else has occurred. I don't want to give too much away here. Great book, for fans of realistic fiction with emotional impact.
heykellyjensen's review against another edition
2.0
This tightly written and subtle novel explores grief and loss. It's a quieter story that follows Scotty as she deals with losing a guy who was once her friend due to a small choice she believes she forced him into. Likewise, Scotty deals with her autistic brother's long-term hospital stay as a result of the same accident.
It's a sad story, but the way Scotty deals with death is through appreciating the little things going on in her life. She takes steps forward, but once in a while is knocked back into the grief.
While I think this is a realistic and accomplished story, I never connected with Scotty nor any of her friends. I found
Johnson's books aren't for reluctant readers, even though they're short. It's more for those readers who want a slower, more nuanced novel.
It's a sad story, but the way Scotty deals with death is through appreciating the little things going on in her life. She takes steps forward, but once in a while is knocked back into the grief.
While I think this is a realistic and accomplished story, I never connected with Scotty nor any of her friends. I found
Spoiler
her self-blame to be a little over the top. It was a tiny choice made on the part of Kris and not herself that caused his death -- it was all a matter of circumstance. She couldn't have predicted he'd skip his train storm nor that the train would have an accident afterward. It's realistic she'd carry guilt, but it didn't carry the whole story for me.Johnson's books aren't for reluctant readers, even though they're short. It's more for those readers who want a slower, more nuanced novel.
bookbabe16's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
atschakfoert's review against another edition
2.0
Not Johnson's strongest work. She really glossed over a lot of the tough stuff and placed her focus on trivial matters instead. For example, Scotty's brother is in a coma but she spends most of her time planning for homecoming? It just felt unbelievable to me.
mangofandango's review against another edition
4.0
A brief, subtle but simple story that ends satisfyingly. Lovely, solid writing.