Things Change

Rating:
Summary: Astounding!
Review: I found this book to be very engaging, vividly realistic and astounding. I think the author has an excellent understanding of what makes a book easy to understand while having a deep, intellectual and meaningful underlying/hidden message. I loved the use of symbols; they were interesting, very purposeful, and meaningful. I adored this book; the message, plot, organization, writing style, characters and the ending. The way it was written was with passion and intelligence. It was easy to read and easy to apply to the real world, and real world situations. I think this book is very important to read as well as being fun to read, no matter how old you are. Everyone should read this book, even if you don't like novels or the genre. This is one of the best books I have ever read!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent, moving novel!
Review: There are many books which feature dating violence, but Things Change is not "just another one." Instead it stands out for a few reasons. Johanna, like many other smart girl protagonists, falls easily under the influence of her bad boy love, Paul. It's so frustrating to see smart teen girls behaving so stupidly. She knows he'll hit her again, why does she go back?? However, what makes Johanna stand out is that when she finally says enough is enough, she does it on her own and the reader is able to see just how much courage that takes. Another standout of this novel is Paul. When the reader sees Paul's emotions and reads his letters to his dead dad, we see that he is not a one dimensional horrible boy. Of course what he does is wrong, but you can see that he is not a 100% horrible monster. It may be uncomfortable to acknowledge that, but I think it is a strength of the book. But what really stands out, is the realistic powerful ending that brings the book full circle, making you see how strong Johanna was, and how sad Paul's future is. (I won't say more than that because you really need to read the whole book to get the emotional impact of the last line.)

Rating:
Summary: things change
Review: When high schooler Johanna looks in her bedroom mirror she sees her image surrounded by the report cards stuck around the mirror's edges. She likewise feels hemmed in by the expectations (parental and otherwise) that have both contributed to and resulted from her achievements at school. She wants to reinvent herself, and does so, with increasingly bold gestures, through her relationship with the unconventional Paul. But things have a way of changing...

I enjoyed this book. Its characters, situations, and place are well-captured and well-presented. I liked the different changes rung on the notion of 'change' throughout, as its characters experience the often unexpected costs and gains that can result from change (and also from a failure to change). The author sometimes shifts points of view in telling the story, using diary-like letters as a transition device between different narrative voices. This, too, helps to keep the storytelling balanced and real. Highly recommended.