Rating: 
Summary: Nice plot, shaky characters
Review: Joan Bauer's book, "Hope was Here," is a good beach read. However, it is the type to bring to the beach for a few hours only. If you are planning on being stranded on a desert island, this is probably not the book you want to bring with you. There is a strong protagonist in Hope, but Bauer sometimes leaves the reader doubtful of the character's motivations. For instance, Hope is let down early on in the story by her aunt's former restaurant partner, who ran off one night with a waitress and all of the diner's money, forcing Hope and her aunt to move from Brooklyn to Wisconsin. While this man is mentioned only briefly in the beginning of the story, he seems to have made a lasting impression on Hope. She keeps mentioning him throughout the story, but we can't figure out why, since he merited only a sentence or two in the story's beginning. Yet Hope seems stuck on him, so much so that she makes soap-opera-esque comments about "he told me he was my friend," and even even reads a letter she wrote to this scumbag (but never sent) to a man on his deathbed. However, we still have no concept of what makes her do this! It's obvious Hope feels injured, but we don't know why, and the lack of information is frustrating. We want to commiserate with Hope: feel sympathy for her, comfort her, but all we feel is Hopelessly lost.
If you can overlook the caverns in the plot, you can easily find the humor in Bauer's writing, and if you're like me, this will keep you reading. However, humor alone won't save a sinking story.
I've given this novel three stars, since in general I admire Joan Bauer's writing. However, a book where we understand the major motivations of minor characters better than we know the any ot the protagonist's motivations deserves no more than that.
Rating: 
Summary: Definatly a Reader.
Review: The only reason a gave it four stars is because i could actually put it down if I wanted to. The great thing about this book is it had so what some people would call "detective" work in it but its not a Nancy Drew and it has good romance in it but Hope isn't at all boy crazy. Pretty much i consider it a must read if I rated every book with a 5 all the great books would just seem all normal.
Rating: 
Summary: Hope was the best
Review: `Hope Was Here is a great book. It is about a 16 year old girl named Hope, who has to move several different places throughout her life because of her job as a waitress, and her Aunt Addie's job as a cook. The owner of The Welcome Stairways, where Addie and Hope are going to work, has leukemia. When this man, G.T., announces that he is going to run for mayor, Hope's life in Wisconsin takes off. Where once she thought she would never fit in, she is now making tons of great friends, and becoming a better person through it all. This is a must read book!! It has a wonderful ending, and teaches a lot about, can you guess it? Hope.
Rating:
Summary: Hope Was Here
Review: Hope Was Here is an excellent book.It goes from happy to exciting to sad. Although it doesn't have the best ending its one of those books where you can't put it down.
Rating:
Summary: Hope Was Here is a Great Book
Review: Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer is one of the greatest books I've ever read. The characters are well explained and I can relate to them well. There is a great plot in which there are many to be faced but they are all resolved or coped with. It is a realistic fiction book, and I would recommend it to girls of all ages. It isn't very challenging but it has a great moral. The book is written really well, it seems like the plot could happen in real life. I believe Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer is an excellent book that everyone should read.By- Christine
Rating:
Summary: A Truly Touching and Detailed Story
Review: This book has to be one of the best books I have ever read. It is full of emotion and great detail. Hope goes through so much in this story and so does the other characters. I think this is a very appropriate book for young readers to read because it is a realistic fiction book, intersecting with a problem that is out of the ordinary. It just goes to show you that family is a major concept in helping a dream come true, especially in Hope's case. Toward the end, the feelings from the characters became so real, that I could actually relate to them! And through it all, Hope stands tall! I think that this was a book worth putting out into the public. I encourage any young reader to read this book. It is fantastic!
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: Hope was Here, the story about a teenage girl who lives with her aunt, is absolutely amazing! It's just an all around great story! It has it's funny moments, its sad moments (you *will* cry!), and its moments when you think its totally weird. You get swept up into the book, and it seems as though you know the characters! Joan Bauer is a great author! Rules of the Road and Thownk! are both really good too!
Rating:
Summary: This was a GREAT book!
Review: HOPE WAS HERE by Joan Bauer was a great book. It really hits hard in some places. For example, it let's you know how Hope feels without knowing her real father. Hope tells life like it is through her eyes, and Joan Bauer makes you feel what Hope is feeling. It sends a GREAT message about life: live it to the fullest, and be honest in whatever you do. It inspired me to be a better person.
Rating:
Summary: A Fantastic story
Review: After reading some of the reviews here, "Hope was here" seemed like it would be a great read, whether I was 16 or 33. I am the latter, and I thought this was a fantastic story. Born with the name Tulip, Hope is one of the best teenaged characters I've had the pleasure to read. At 12 yrs. old, she legally changes her name to Hope, which suits her perfectly. She is hope, she is beautiful, simple, and a truly good person.
At 17 yrs. old, she is already an experienced waitress. She is being raised by Addie. Her own mother abandoned her, but she does periodically appear in Hope's life, much to the teen's chagrin. She does not know her father.
Addie is a feisty broad who is a cook -- They are a team, and they move to Wisconsin to work for G.T. Stoop at his diner "Welcome Stairways". What a great name for a restaurant! You can picture every character and meal so vividly. Joan Bauer is great at making you visualize everything going on with her descriptive writing. The town is in the midst of an election, and Hope gets involved in the politics. She comes to find out a lot of shady things about the current mayor. When G.T. decides to run, she is his best political ally. G.T. has leukemia, and while he his health is failing, he is full of spirit and determination. Hope, Braverman(the short order cook), and other townsfolk all help with the campaign. This story is unique. Hope, in all her glory, with her great attitude and not just out to find a boyfriend or herself, is on a crusade to help G.T. with his campaign, and expose the current mayor and his ethics.
While her and Braverman do succomb to a romantic relationship, most of the story centers around the road to mayor, G.T.'s illness and how it affects those around him. Also, he marries Addie and adopts Hope. She has a father now.
This is a great story that is very easy to read, and it's also very heartwarming yet bittersweet.
It's one of the best stories I've read for the YA genre. IT deserved every bit of that Newberry Award.
Rating:
Summary: WOW
Review: Teenage Hope is a great kid whose mother just decided she wasn't cut out for parenting and had a friend raise Hope. This friend(I can't recall her name) is a chef and has worked at many different restarunts in her life. Hope grows up to be a waitress and after a mean restaraunt owner steals all their money they move to a new town and a new restarunt. At this new restarunt their are many strange people and a mayor who is being unfair to the populus. A good friend that they make while in this new town decides to run for mayor. If only the current one wouldn't cheat.
I really loved this book. It was an amazing read and wonderfully written.
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