Thank you for visiting.
This content is exclusive to subscribers only.
As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
Log In
Don't have a Horn Book Account?
Register Now
Register Now
Nolan, Han
5 Reviews
(4)
YA
Pregnant and married at sixteen, Elly goes to work at a summer camp for overweight kids. Her boozing and cheating husband, a tragedy at camp, and the birth of her daughter force her to grow up fast. Elly is a complex character, difficult to like at times. It's worth sticking around for the satisfying (if melodramatic) conclusion to her journey.
Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter
(2)
YA
Fifteen-year-old Jason Papadopoulos's mother recently died; his father is mentally ill, and there's a Greek chorus of voices in Jason's own head (unlike his dad, Jason knows they're not real). Once Jason is befriended by three other "psycho kids" from group therapy at school, his mental chorus grows quieter. There's a hopeful ending to this heartbreaking but satisfyingly cathartic reversal-of-fortune story.
Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2010
(2)
YA
After years of incurring his grandfather's wrath, fourteen-year-old Archie is left with the angry old prophet's dying pronouncement, "Young man, you are a saint!" Archie knows he's no saint, but when radiant Clare appears in town and proclaims him her partner on the path to sainthood, he is eager to believe. Archie's personal journey is believably wrought. Readers will be swept along on the journeys of both of these true seekers.
Reviewer: Lauren Adams
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2004
(2)
YA
Abandoned by her mother, abused by her foster parents, then kidnapped by her mother, Janie decides she doesn't like being white; instead she tries to speak like her sweet-natured foster brother, a shy black boy who introduces her to the music of black R&B and jazz singers. The chain of horrendous events is perhaps overly melodramatic, but Janie's naked longings make the account of her journey a searing one.
Reviewer: Lauren Adams
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2002
(4)
YA
When JP's grandmother dies, his mom moves him, his mentally disabled father, a couple neighborhood outcasts, and herself into a farmhouse she wins in a contest. She opens up their home to a hodgepodge of young artist types, and chaos ensues in this novel about finding oneself and accepting others. The story is unfocused and unclimactic, though the characters are intriguingly portrayed.
Reviewer: Mark Adam
5 reviews
We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.