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linzer712's review against another edition
4.0
I've been trying to figure out how to describe this book. Coming of age in a small town? Sort of. Reflective and gently philosophical? More like it. Quietly unassuming with a tad of humor, astute descriptions, references to modern art and great (and not so great, but endearing)works of lit? Yep.
This book, about two 14 year olds in a small town, is about nothing and everything. It's about nothing in the way that nothing monumental happens (meaning death, rape, mass destruction, violence, pick-your-life-changing-trauma that often litter books about teenagers...although there is a small fire, a few kisses, a wee bit of graffiti, and an alcoholic dad who is sad and made me sad). But the "nothing" feels monumental to the narrator in the way that things that would seem like no big deal to an outsider are life changingly enormous to a ninth grader.
This novel reminded me of that.
It is langorous (the way teenage summers were) and at times a bit tedious ( like Advanced Algebra class was), but smartly observant and hard to pin down.
This book, about two 14 year olds in a small town, is about nothing and everything. It's about nothing in the way that nothing monumental happens (meaning death, rape, mass destruction, violence, pick-your-life-changing-trauma that often litter books about teenagers...although there is a small fire, a few kisses, a wee bit of graffiti, and an alcoholic dad who is sad and made me sad). But the "nothing" feels monumental to the narrator in the way that things that would seem like no big deal to an outsider are life changingly enormous to a ninth grader.
This novel reminded me of that.
It is langorous (the way teenage summers were) and at times a bit tedious ( like Advanced Algebra class was), but smartly observant and hard to pin down.
callieisreading's review against another edition
3.0
Reading the books that have been on my GR TBR the longest made me finally grab this story of a 14 year old growing up in 1970s Illinois. I feel like this would be a very nostalgic read for those who grew up in the 70s, but for me I found it a kind of routine teenage story told by an adult. If you're looking for something like this in TV format, I highly recommend PEN15, which is more 90s based and is also about awkward teenagers.
brooke_review's review against another edition
5.0
Very funny, sarcastic, and ironic. I loved the main character, and her relationship with her best friend was one of the most believable I have encountered. An entertaining, little trip into the daily life of teens decades ago ...
samanders13's review against another edition
2.0
Well, to be honest, two stars is a bit nice. Coming from this exact background, this book was a bit boring to me, though others might enjoy it. It was fairly simple and didn't have much of a plot to it. I had to read it for book club and let's just say this; we had to memorize titles to authors and my hint for this particular one was, "By the time I've finished this book, I'll have "Jrown Ann" Beard.
minty's review against another edition
2.0
Some nice observations about life from the main character. Just an okay book, didn't wow me.
mamalemma's review
5.0
Hauntingly beautiful evocation of what it is like to be a 14 year old girl. I have long wanted to write a book about an character's internal transformation without some major event that changes her, and had nearly come to the conclusion that it would be an impossible book to write. JoAnn Beard has proven me wrong. Nothing of importance happens in this book, but everything important in growing up does. It was a lovely read.
smrankin5's review against another edition
2.0
I guess I felt that this book was going nowhere.
The chapters individually where good, but lacked a cohesive direction.
And not much redemptive about the story, perhaps that was the point.
The chapters individually where good, but lacked a cohesive direction.
And not much redemptive about the story, perhaps that was the point.
sonia_reppe's review against another edition
5.0
A really good read about a 14 yr-old girl and her friendships, babysitting adventures, boys, and other rites of passage that a 9th grader in a small midwestern middle-class town would encounter in the late 1970's. Beard captures this age perfectly with good observations and subtle humor. (I find that I repeat myself a lot as I write about these quality coming-of-age stories but that's because they all have some aspects in common, like the ones I just mentioned). The story starts with a house on fire; the house is where the protagonist and her best friend are babysitting. Yeah...maybe these two are not mature enough to babysit a brood of kids. This opening scene is a good introduction to these girls, as we continue to see how these two friends switch between childish moments and entering adult-hood moments. The momentum to the end didn't build, and I was dissatisfied with the ending because it was kind of abrupt, although I like that the falling-out between the two girls was realistic in that it was small, awkward moments that cracked their friendship. I would love if Jo Ann Beard wrote a sequel to this and we can see the protagonist at 16.
I did read Boys of My Youth a long time ago but I liked this better.
I did read Boys of My Youth a long time ago but I liked this better.
andy5185's review against another edition
5.0
Jo Ann Beard is just awesome. This may be one of the greatest books I’ve read in a long time. 1970s coming of age story at its absolute finest. I did not want it to end.
sueann's review against another edition
2.0
It started out strong, but I felt it fizzled by the end.