Rating: 
Summary: a chilling and compelling tale of family secrets
Review: I didn't mean to read this book. I saw it at the library and idly opened it to read a few paragraphs. After standing there and reading 20 pages from the middle, I checked it out, went to a cafe, started back at the beginning, and read it straight through until I was done. I was drinking decaf coffee, but at times I was so on edge from this suspenseful novel, my heart racing, that I thought I must have been slipped espresso instead! Be wary of reading the reviews of his book, because in many ways it is a psychological mystery -- WHY do people do what they do, and what were they protecting and hiding? -- and hearing too much about it will lessen the impact of the novel itself. You will probably appreciate these reviews more AFTER you've read the book, in any case. Jenna, the 14-going-on-25-year-old girl, cusses a lot; that and the intense plot make this a book for older teens who can handle an edgy book with adult themes. I suggest that parents read this along with their teen so they can discuss the myriad of social problems this book addresses so skillfully. OK, so now you've read the book and want to hear some discussion ... Jenna and her sensitive 12-year-old brother Jeremy are wonderfully drawn characters, as are the supporting characters. The most puzzling character to me was the boyfriend Gregory, who seems too insightful at first to become such a loser later. However, he has a lot in common with another of the characters, in that he uses his charm to get his own needs met without being able to really connect emotionally with others. People are realistic, in that they aren't "predictable" stereotypes, but fully realized individuals. Jenna and Jeremy take turns narrating, but the reader doesn't think they're each "writing" their story; you're just getting into their heads. Their disbelief, horror, numbness, and heightened sensitivity compete with confusing, conflicting thoughts and emotions. Despite each of their flaws, brother and sister are quite close to each other, which is refreshing. In reconstructing the events leading up to the murder, the kids get to know their parents as full yet equally flawed human beings -- knowledge that comes at a high price. Mainly this is about the slow unraveling of family secrets, and how sometimes an irreversible tragedy forces a family to admit its problems. Altogether this is a very compelling book for more mature teens and adults who like a very well written, timely, and believable young adult novel.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting
Review: I frankly don't know what to say about this book... I mean the beginning of the book relived the horrors of health class (sex ed) but like one hundred times worse... well besides that I thought it was a pretty okay book... despite the fact there is a lot of cussing on Jenny's part and the book is not for everyone... I believe this book is geared for more 'mature' readers. It was unique and I haven't seen anything like it, if you like books that deal with an 'interesting' topic then this is for you and if you are easily grossed out then kindly put this book back and go read another more toned down novel...
Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: I have read a lot of books but this is one of the best by far. Lester's portral of jeremy and Jenna's reaction's to their mother's death is amazing!
Rating:
Summary: You have to read this book
Review: i loved this book.
Rating:
Summary: This book Rocked
Review: I loved this book. Although extremely sad and depressing many times it is wonderfully written and has tons of emotion. IT touched me and has changed me forever. I recommend this book to everyone but I believe it should not be read by children under the age of 12 because it is so depressing and disturbing at some points.
Rating:
Summary: It was One of the best books I've ever read!!!
Review: I'm 11 years old and i read a lot. I love to read and i have so many books that i almsot need a whole room for them all and im constantly having to get more so i have something to read. This book was one of the most Powerful books i've ever read. It was so sad and it really made me think of how today a killing is something that in is normal, its always a tragedy but we never really stop to think what if the people have children? This sory really shows whats its like to be a child with a dead parent and another in a lot of trouble. SO for anyone who wants something that is a great read but is very sad this is deffinitely what you are going to want to read.
Rating: 
Summary: Good. . .but could have been better. . .
Review: In many ways this was a good book. You'll get great insight into the feelings of Jeremy and his older sister, Jenna. Both kids are thrown into a vortex of emotions too great for even an adult to handle after their father kills their mother and tries to make her look as if SHE was the one at fault. The kids have to make decisions regarding who, and where they'll live with, as well as adjusting to life without their mother and their conflicting feelings toward their father. As far as the plot and storyline go, it's a good story. The alternating viewpoints between Jeremy and Jenna's viewpoints add some incredible depth to it. This is not a calm, relaxing book, however -- it's very intense in nature, and I don't recommend it for highly sensitive people. However, it is very realistic and addresses a common problem in society today -- domestic violence. The only problem I have is with the way the character of Jenna is portrayed. I feel that all the bad language that she uses is unnecessary, even for her personality type. She cusses a LOT, so much so that at times, it seems like almost every paragraph contains at least five bad words, and the F-word is all too common in her dialogue. Lester could have gotten her character across very well without it. I know that there are kids in the world like Jenna who are foul-mouthed and rebellious, but we don't need to condone that by putting the same kind of character in a novel and making it come across as OK to behave that way. Because of this, I give it three stars.
Rating:
Summary: Family Secrets
Review: It starts out as a normal day, the two children Jenna and Jeremy are at school and their mother is on her way to get her daily coffee. Sometime after that the children are pulled out of class and told that their father had shot there mother. No one knows what exactly happened, and their father does not remember doing anything. The days ahead are the toughest for Jenna and Jeremy. Jeremy was always the momma's boy and Jenna was daddy's little girl. The death of their mother leads both children on a journey that brings them closer, and unlocks secrets about both of their parents. This was definatly a page turner. I was so anxious to get to the end yet,I did not want to miss any of!
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Summary: When Dad Killed Mom
Review: Julius Lester is a terrific writer. She has her own unique style of writing that captures her audience. When Dad Killed Mom is a wonderful way to see what kids experience when they lost a parent. The traumatic circumstances that the characters in the book deal with, are expressed with great understanding by Julius Lester. You should read this book!
Rating:
Summary: Powerful, Provocatively Subtle Novel
Review: Julius Lester's novel explores not only the aftermath of a tragic family murder, but also many subtle dynamics which may have contributed to the calamity. It's typical of modern life that the main characters, a pre-pubescent boy and an adolescent girl, did not recognize or understand the divisions that occurred in the family nor their own contributions to it. It is important to note that sometimes the appearance of incest can be as damaging as the actual event. Career jealousies between a man and a woman may be rooted in an unacknowledged competition between themselves and their own parents. Who decides when the children of such a tragedy return to school? With whom do they live -- and who gets to make the decision? How do individuals grieve, and what can their friends and relatives say? And what happens to that person who has to put grief aside and function for everyone else? I think every parent in America should read this book; it should be an Oprah Book Club selection. And if your teen is reading it, it is almost mandatory that you share the experience.
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