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abigailhartnett's review against another edition
3.0
This review is also available on www.ThinkyRead.com. Check out the blog for more awesome, thought-provoking book analyses!
I can't make up my mind with this book. I picked it up from Amazon after listening to Janci's guest appearance on my favorite Podcast, Writing Excuses. The plot sounded interesting and I do like YA, so I gave it a try. However, as I said... I still don't know how I feel about it.
Unlike a lot of YA I read, this one sounded really... young. I enjoyed Ricki's voice and found her to be an interesting character. Her obsession with lists is fun and the way she reports on the world as though she's writing an unbiased report introduced some really interesting and creative ways to tell the story. Ironically this was my favorite way to experience Ricki's emotions.
What bothers me is this: As we will discuss on Wednesday, the protagonist in young adult fiction is often a couple years older than the target audience and either acts a little younger than they are or a little older. Ricki managed to act both.
Ricki and her Dad
Ricki's story was interesting enough to pull me through from beginning to end, but it didn't keep me from wishing, praying that she would just OPEN HER EYES and realize objectively (like a good reporter) everything her Dad is doing for her. Instead she's constantly in denial.
Ricki and her father obviously have a rocky relationship. The poor girl wasn't blessed with great parents, so I understand why she doesn't trust him, or like him, or want him. I also understand why she felt like he didn't want her around either.
Maybe I don't exactly empathize with Ricki as well as I could have because I've known for every moment of all of my nineteen years that my parents love me more than just about anything else in this world. But not only does Ricki think her dad doesn't want her, she tries to convince herself of that.
And that's exactly what 15 year-olds do!
We all did it: “I'm 15 now, lived a long time, and know how the world works. Obviously, if point A is fact (My dad never cared enough to be in my life for 15 years) than point A is ALWAYS fact no matter what. Just because dad is showing interest now doesn't mean he loves me or wants me. I don't know what it means, but it can't mean that.” It's funny how that's a completely normal thought process for kids. And it's sad how very destructive it is.
Running to Destruction
Of course Ricki becomes enamored with the gorgeous, flirty, totally-using-you skip that her Dad catches. How easy to get her way when she acts up in the worst way possible?
At first I thought it was odd how easily Ricki let herself be swayed by this mysterious, very dangerous man, but then I got to thinking about myself.
I used to think that I could somehow control the world. I knew what I wanted and why I wanted it and made all sorts of plans for how I could “take control of my own life.” But I never had the guts to act on them. I never even had the guts that Ricki had to step out of line. But it's what I wanted to do.
In that context, it makes complete sense why Ricki would run off with a strange, dangerous guy to get her way. She hates where she is and she's not exactly thinking about the consequences. But what I like about Ricki is that she is always mindful of the consequences whether she realizes or not.
She's 15 *Spoiler Warning*
As I mentioned earlier, Ricki doesn't act her age. For most of the book she's acting like a winy thirteen year old, moaning about her life, her dad, her boyfriend, or anything she can find to complain about. Sure, most of it was motivated by the unrest of living with her dad, but seriously, by the end as it became more and more obvious that her mom wasn't coming back, could she stop!? Maybe her Dad was supposed to get annoyed with her, but the readers? I doubt it.
On the other hand, the scene with Ricki and Ian late in the book, just before the climax is NOT suited for 13 year olds to read. In my opinion it didn't fit with Ricki's mental maturity at all. This is where I feel she acts a couple years older than she is. And maybe that's the point. Maybe Janci wanted to contrast her age and actual maturity. She does point out that Ricki was not ready for what this boy had in mind and maybe one point of the scene was to help Ricki to understand her own age.
Not to make anyone feel awkward, but I thought I'd point out that the scene gave off the “sex vibe.” Janci is good at sensory writing and reading it can make a person's heart pound even though nothing actually happens. That's why it's so dangerous.
I wouldn't mind handing my thirteen year old this book if it weren't for the fear that my she would enjoy that scene enough to start looking for more of it at far too young an age. At thirteen kids don't have such a great filter for that kind of thing and can easily get themselves in way over their heads way way too early. But maybe this is all just me.
*Spoiler Warning End*
Conclusion:
This was an okay read, but I wouldn't recommend it. My reasoning for that has little to do with the story and more to do with the content: The writing style and composition of the piece simply screams for 13-15-year-olds, but I wouldn't hand it to my daughter until she was at least 16.
I didn't find this book particularly deep as much as a stereotypical story told in a new setting. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that and, from a writing standpoint there are still a lot of things to learn from it. Character quirks, for instance. Janci pulled those off really well.
One Last Thing *Spoiler warning*
My absolutely favorite thing about this book is that Ricki and Ian didn't work out. This is what made it worth reading. Seeing a character stumble through a story like this, having all her actions lead her down the wrong path, then being redeemed by a father figure who was always watching out for her just made me happy.
*Spoiler Warning End*
This review is also available on www.ThinkyRead.com. Check out the blog for more awesome, thought-provoking book analyses!
I can't make up my mind with this book. I picked it up from Amazon after listening to Janci's guest appearance on my favorite Podcast, Writing Excuses. The plot sounded interesting and I do like YA, so I gave it a try. However, as I said... I still don't know how I feel about it.
Unlike a lot of YA I read, this one sounded really... young. I enjoyed Ricki's voice and found her to be an interesting character. Her obsession with lists is fun and the way she reports on the world as though she's writing an unbiased report introduced some really interesting and creative ways to tell the story. Ironically this was my favorite way to experience Ricki's emotions.
What bothers me is this: As we will discuss on Wednesday, the protagonist in young adult fiction is often a couple years older than the target audience and either acts a little younger than they are or a little older. Ricki managed to act both.
Ricki and her Dad
Ricki's story was interesting enough to pull me through from beginning to end, but it didn't keep me from wishing, praying that she would just OPEN HER EYES and realize objectively (like a good reporter) everything her Dad is doing for her. Instead she's constantly in denial.
Ricki and her father obviously have a rocky relationship. The poor girl wasn't blessed with great parents, so I understand why she doesn't trust him, or like him, or want him. I also understand why she felt like he didn't want her around either.
Maybe I don't exactly empathize with Ricki as well as I could have because I've known for every moment of all of my nineteen years that my parents love me more than just about anything else in this world. But not only does Ricki think her dad doesn't want her, she tries to convince herself of that.
And that's exactly what 15 year-olds do!
We all did it: “I'm 15 now, lived a long time, and know how the world works. Obviously, if point A is fact (My dad never cared enough to be in my life for 15 years) than point A is ALWAYS fact no matter what. Just because dad is showing interest now doesn't mean he loves me or wants me. I don't know what it means, but it can't mean that.” It's funny how that's a completely normal thought process for kids. And it's sad how very destructive it is.
Running to Destruction
Of course Ricki becomes enamored with the gorgeous, flirty, totally-using-you skip that her Dad catches. How easy to get her way when she acts up in the worst way possible?
At first I thought it was odd how easily Ricki let herself be swayed by this mysterious, very dangerous man, but then I got to thinking about myself.
I used to think that I could somehow control the world. I knew what I wanted and why I wanted it and made all sorts of plans for how I could “take control of my own life.” But I never had the guts to act on them. I never even had the guts that Ricki had to step out of line. But it's what I wanted to do.
In that context, it makes complete sense why Ricki would run off with a strange, dangerous guy to get her way. She hates where she is and she's not exactly thinking about the consequences. But what I like about Ricki is that she is always mindful of the consequences whether she realizes or not.
She's 15 *Spoiler Warning*
As I mentioned earlier, Ricki doesn't act her age. For most of the book she's acting like a winy thirteen year old, moaning about her life, her dad, her boyfriend, or anything she can find to complain about. Sure, most of it was motivated by the unrest of living with her dad, but seriously, by the end as it became more and more obvious that her mom wasn't coming back, could she stop!? Maybe her Dad was supposed to get annoyed with her, but the readers? I doubt it.
On the other hand, the scene with Ricki and Ian late in the book, just before the climax is NOT suited for 13 year olds to read. In my opinion it didn't fit with Ricki's mental maturity at all. This is where I feel she acts a couple years older than she is. And maybe that's the point. Maybe Janci wanted to contrast her age and actual maturity. She does point out that Ricki was not ready for what this boy had in mind and maybe one point of the scene was to help Ricki to understand her own age.
Not to make anyone feel awkward, but I thought I'd point out that the scene gave off the “sex vibe.” Janci is good at sensory writing and reading it can make a person's heart pound even though nothing actually happens. That's why it's so dangerous.
I wouldn't mind handing my thirteen year old this book if it weren't for the fear that my she would enjoy that scene enough to start looking for more of it at far too young an age. At thirteen kids don't have such a great filter for that kind of thing and can easily get themselves in way over their heads way way too early. But maybe this is all just me.
*Spoiler Warning End*
Conclusion:
This was an okay read, but I wouldn't recommend it. My reasoning for that has little to do with the story and more to do with the content: The writing style and composition of the piece simply screams for 13-15-year-olds, but I wouldn't hand it to my daughter until she was at least 16.
I didn't find this book particularly deep as much as a stereotypical story told in a new setting. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that and, from a writing standpoint there are still a lot of things to learn from it. Character quirks, for instance. Janci pulled those off really well.
One Last Thing *Spoiler warning*
My absolutely favorite thing about this book is that Ricki and Ian didn't work out. This is what made it worth reading. Seeing a character stumble through a story like this, having all her actions lead her down the wrong path, then being redeemed by a father figure who was always watching out for her just made me happy.
*Spoiler Warning End*
This review is also available on www.ThinkyRead.com. Check out the blog for more awesome, thought-provoking book analyses!
heykellyjensen's review against another edition
Made it six chapters before calling it quits.
The writing is weak, the characters are uninteresting, the situations are implausible (particularly with the legalities and believability of the parental situation), and I was not invested in the least.
Too much is going on for too little a story with too immature writing.
The writing is weak, the characters are uninteresting, the situations are implausible (particularly with the legalities and believability of the parental situation), and I was not invested in the least.
Too much is going on for too little a story with too immature writing.
xalrynne's review
3.0
I decided to read this book because I heard the author give a lecture at my university that was about writing and getting published, and I became interested in her. I found this first book of hers at a book sale and decided to pick it up based on my previous experience hearing her speak. This novel isn't really my style, and I wouldn't have picked it up otherwise, but I'm glad I gave it the chance and decided to read it.
We follow teen girl Ricki, who ends up on a road trip with her dad, who's a bail bond enforcement officer (read: bounty hunter). Her dad is on the hunt for a particularly dangerous criminal across the United States while Ricki is stuck tagging along, all the while wishing she could just go back home to her mom and friends in Utah. But when they pick up teen bad boy Ian, Ricki thinks she sees a good side to him even though he's being faced with several criminal charges. On their journey, Ian plays a few tricks up his sleeves, and Ricki is forced to learn what it really means to trust someone.
My biggest compliment for this book is that it's highly entertaining; it's fast paced and action packed, with exciting shenanigans around every corner. There was never a dull moment. However, I do feel like that made the story slightly unrealistic (though it sure was enjoyable).
Although this book is a fun read, it also tackles some darker themes. Ricki faces abandonment issues with both of her parents and she has to learn to stand up for herself and voice her feelings in the end. We see her go through a nice character development and come out better on the other side. The author also deals with alcoholism and how that addiction negatively impacts all aspects of your life.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, but it's not one I'll ever be rereading. It was a cute, fun story, but I do feel like the target audience is definitely teen girls, and I don't really fit into that group anymore.
You can read this review and others on my blog: http://mystoreysofstories.blogspot.com/2018/01/review-chasing-skip-by-janci-patterson.html
We follow teen girl Ricki, who ends up on a road trip with her dad, who's a bail bond enforcement officer (read: bounty hunter). Her dad is on the hunt for a particularly dangerous criminal across the United States while Ricki is stuck tagging along, all the while wishing she could just go back home to her mom and friends in Utah. But when they pick up teen bad boy Ian, Ricki thinks she sees a good side to him even though he's being faced with several criminal charges. On their journey, Ian plays a few tricks up his sleeves, and Ricki is forced to learn what it really means to trust someone.
My biggest compliment for this book is that it's highly entertaining; it's fast paced and action packed, with exciting shenanigans around every corner. There was never a dull moment. However, I do feel like that made the story slightly unrealistic (though it sure was enjoyable).
Although this book is a fun read, it also tackles some darker themes. Ricki faces abandonment issues with both of her parents and she has to learn to stand up for herself and voice her feelings in the end. We see her go through a nice character development and come out better on the other side. The author also deals with alcoholism and how that addiction negatively impacts all aspects of your life.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, but it's not one I'll ever be rereading. It was a cute, fun story, but I do feel like the target audience is definitely teen girls, and I don't really fit into that group anymore.
I thought I'd been in the position of power. But maybe I never had. Maybe the weapon didn't make Ian more dangerous. It just made the danger easier to see.
You can read this review and others on my blog: http://mystoreysofstories.blogspot.com/2018/01/review-chasing-skip-by-janci-patterson.html
cornucopiaofbooks's review
3.0
Best Bits: Ricki's had it rough. Her father hasn't been a part of her life, and now her mom has gone off to meet some guy she met online. If that's not the setup for abandonment issues I don't know what is. I enjoyed watching the buildup of tension between Ricki and her father, and the confrontation where Ricki finally gets the answers she's looking for. It's clearly difficult for both of them to be in this new situation...and to add skips (people who've missed their court dates) into the mix adds to the trouble. I would say that this book is less about romance, as the synopsis makes it seem, and is more of a contemporary family drama. So, go into it without expectations of true and undying love.
Nit Picks: There were a lot of ends left open, and I wanted more resolution. This doesn't mean that I found the end of the book unsatisfying, I actually enjoyed it. It just felt like many of the different portions of Ricki's story had a little more to explore than the reader gets to see. Patterson is definitely one to watch, but I feel like this book needed a couple more chapters just to round the story out.
Nit Picks: There were a lot of ends left open, and I wanted more resolution. This doesn't mean that I found the end of the book unsatisfying, I actually enjoyed it. It just felt like many of the different portions of Ricki's story had a little more to explore than the reader gets to see. Patterson is definitely one to watch, but I feel like this book needed a couple more chapters just to round the story out.
mayheysun's review
3.0
The novel was good but not amazing. It explored some important themes such as wanting to be loved and cared for which Ricki searched for throughout the book. It's a good fast paced read with many turns that keeps the reader wondering what will happen next and I can see it becoming a movie because it seems like one of those sappy movies (in a good way).
Anyone else think it was Anna that Jamie was cheating with?
Anyone else think it was Anna that Jamie was cheating with?
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