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A review by shighley
Jacky Ha-Ha: My Life is a Joke by James Patterson
4.0
I liked many things about this book, but was a little disappointed in the way it wrapped up. Once again, the narrator was excellent (I talked with Grabenstein about her when I saw him last month), once again, Jacky (and the reader) are led to a wrong conclusion. There were some laugh-out-loud lines, and even an "Aha" moment near the end. A few characterizations were just a bit too over the top (like Travis), but I realize subtlety is not always the standard in middle school literature. I did find it somewhat clever the way the story paralleled "Midsummer Night's Dream" (and would any student want to read that after this book?)
Some other cute touches included Jacky writing her mother a letter to explain what was happening (as she had done throughout the first book), but I was disappointed that she did not give it to her. I wonder if her ring toss strategy really works...
At times I forget that Jacky is only 12 years old, but there were many parts that really rang true, such as when she pondered how her relationships with boys were possibly changing. Several of the laugh-out-loud moments dealt with Bob/Bubble Butt, as when he actually combed his hair to impress her.
Some other cute touches included Jacky writing her mother a letter to explain what was happening (as she had done throughout the first book), but I was disappointed that she did not give it to her. I wonder if her ring toss strategy really works...
At times I forget that Jacky is only 12 years old, but there were many parts that really rang true, such as when she pondered how her relationships with boys were possibly changing. Several of the laugh-out-loud moments dealt with Bob/Bubble Butt, as when he actually combed his hair to impress her.