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ultimatekate's review
3.0
A really engrossing story that shows we don't always know our friends and classmates. Once I got started, I couldn't put this book down.
4saradouglas's review
2.0
This is a good book and it deals with a lot of complicated subjects, but I am beginning to see that all of Crutcher's books are very similar. There's a boy who is great at sports and runs when he needs to think things out and does triathlons when he can. He's a pain in the butt at school to teachers who he finds fault with and there's always a wise coach there to give advice when needed. Crutcher is a good author, but can't he mix it up a little?
readingjag's review
2.0
I'm not much of a Crutcher fan, and this one was hard to read. It's pretty bleak, and deals with sexual abuse, suicide, violence, pregnancy, oh and animal torture.
audreychamaine's review
3.0
Dillon’s older brother Preston killed himself, breaking up Dillon’s family and changing Dillon’s life forever. It seems like Dillon is only able to deal with his regret and frustration when through his triathlon training. Then Dillon discovers that his friend and crush Jennifer is also having major problems in her life, problems that have destroyed her inside as she has excelled on the outside. Dillon and Jennifer need each other to confront their problems and find help.
This story will be difficult for many readers to handle due to graphic violence, such as animal torture, suicide, and rape. Crutcher’s books push the edges of young adult literature in his adult themes and unflinching view of the horrors that children and teens can be made to face. Reading this book can be cathartic to teens who have faced similar trials in their lives.
This story will be difficult for many readers to handle due to graphic violence, such as animal torture, suicide, and rape. Crutcher’s books push the edges of young adult literature in his adult themes and unflinching view of the horrors that children and teens can be made to face. Reading this book can be cathartic to teens who have faced similar trials in their lives.
jazzyjan94's review
4.0
This was a good, but also difficult, book to read. It deals with some really hard topics such as suicide and sexual abuse.
tattedlibrarian's review
5.0
Chris Crutcher's Chinese Handcuffs is written in both narrative and letters written to Dillon's dead brother Preston.
Dillon's brother Preston was a troubled teen (well, it never states his age that I recall but he is 2 years older than Dillon). After a motorcycle accident left him paralyzed, Dillon turned more to drugs and a motorcycle gang. Unable to fight his demons, he killed himself in front of Dillon. The book deals with Dillon trying to figure out his life. Everything has changed for him. His mother left and took his younger sister Christy. It is now just Dillon and his dad.
Preston's death left behind feelings of anger, depression, sadness and one other thing, a baby. Dillon has had a crush on Stacy for years. Stacy only had eyes for Preston though. After Preston's death, Stacy goes away to North Dakota to "heal". The story when she comes back is that a cousin of hers had a baby out of wedlock and was going to put it up for adoption. Stacy convinced her parents to adopt the baby. You find out (although it is no real surprise) that the baby is really Stacy's and Preston's.
Then there is Jennifer. Dillon's friend and major basketball superstar at the high school, Jennifer is battling her own demons. Jennifer has been sexually abused by her biological father and is now being sexually abused by her step-father.
Dillon works through his grief over Preston, anger over Jennifer's abuse and love of Preston and Stacy's baby throughout the course of the year. Jennifer tries to work through her fear on the basketball court and Stacy comes clean over the intercom at school about the parentage of the baby.
While there is no pat "happy ending" there is some resolution. Dillon finally puts to rest his anger with his brother; helps Jennifer; loves Stacy's baby; and gets his dad to talk to him about life.
Dillon's brother Preston was a troubled teen (well, it never states his age that I recall but he is 2 years older than Dillon). After a motorcycle accident left him paralyzed, Dillon turned more to drugs and a motorcycle gang. Unable to fight his demons, he killed himself in front of Dillon. The book deals with Dillon trying to figure out his life. Everything has changed for him. His mother left and took his younger sister Christy. It is now just Dillon and his dad.
Preston's death left behind feelings of anger, depression, sadness and one other thing, a baby. Dillon has had a crush on Stacy for years. Stacy only had eyes for Preston though. After Preston's death, Stacy goes away to North Dakota to "heal". The story when she comes back is that a cousin of hers had a baby out of wedlock and was going to put it up for adoption. Stacy convinced her parents to adopt the baby. You find out (although it is no real surprise) that the baby is really Stacy's and Preston's.
Then there is Jennifer. Dillon's friend and major basketball superstar at the high school, Jennifer is battling her own demons. Jennifer has been sexually abused by her biological father and is now being sexually abused by her step-father.
Dillon works through his grief over Preston, anger over Jennifer's abuse and love of Preston and Stacy's baby throughout the course of the year. Jennifer tries to work through her fear on the basketball court and Stacy comes clean over the intercom at school about the parentage of the baby.
While there is no pat "happy ending" there is some resolution. Dillon finally puts to rest his anger with his brother; helps Jennifer; loves Stacy's baby; and gets his dad to talk to him about life.
briface's review
4.0
Read for a YA lit class. I missed so much YA lit when I was a young adult, I barely read any! I enjoyed this one, it's pretty dark realistic fiction. It does feel dated now.
tiamatq's review
5.0
Dillon is in training - one day he hopes to run, swim, bike, and win the Ironman triathlon. But before he can do that, he must deal with his brother Preston’s recent suicide and the role he played in it. Dillon runs to lose himself, to forget about his family falling apart; to sort out his feelings for Stacy, Preston’s girlfriend; and to stop thinking about the secret that his friend Jennifer has just entrusted to him. Jennifer has been sexually abused most of her life, first by her father and then by her stepfather, T.B. He is a dangerous man and willing to go to any length to keep his reputation spotless. Dillon can’t keep running from these problems and he knows it. With the help of Jennifer’s basketball coach and his father, Dillon learns to accept his problems and take responsibility for the only thing he can control - himself.
icefireski's review
3.0
An interesting story about overcoming some of lifes most horrific events with a little athletics mixed in. Good story, but I personally think it is best for a mature young adult.