Jumping Off Swings

Jumping Off Swings

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The novel brings to light the hard truth that mistakes can change us, for better or worse. It's about refusing to let a bad home life affect us Josh. Staying true to our own values Corinne. Accepting that we cannot control everything Caleb. And not letting our pasts define us Ellie. This novel is important. It speaks to teenagers in a way that is clear and open. This was a fairly quick read, as it was relatively short.

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However, this book was fairly dull. No surprises, no new additions to the "teen gets pregnant and ruins her life" genre. It was incredibly drab and cliche in the characterization of teenagers as irresponsible when it comes to sex. If anything, that's what turned me off the most. It even angered me. Just what we need - another book like this about "these darn kids today". I was quite disappointed, as the blurb had made it seem so much more This was a fairly quick read, as it was relatively short.

I was quite disappointed, as the blurb had made it seem so much more than that. This could have been a more positive story with a more sex-positive and healthy attitude toward things. View all 7 comments. May 01, Kristi rated it liked it. Knowles did a fantastic job of depicting a delicate situation, very realistically and very emotionally, through the eyes of four characters. With so many different prominent characters, I'm sure it was no easy task making each of them three-dimensional and fully developed.

Kudos to Knowles for that! For me the novel was more than just a book about teenage pregnancy, it was the stark contrast between kids that come from a stable and loving home life, to ones that don't. Unfortunately, I think the Knowles did a fantastic job of depicting a delicate situation, very realistically and very emotionally, through the eyes of four characters. Unfortunately, I think the plot relied on that a little to much.

Knowles writing flowed nicely. This was the first novel of hers that I've read, and I'm definitely a fan of her writing. Looking forward to more novels by this author. Oct 08, 46milestogo rated it did not like it. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book is beautifully written, but has a troubling message and lacks character development for all but one of the characters.

Only one character Caleb, is fully fleshed out, and I came away with a real sense of who he was and how he changed over the course of the book. Corinne and Josh were more frustrating. Corinne because she was there for Ellie and fell for Caleb, but I never got a sense of her interior life past her interest in Caleb. I found it interesting that out of all the characters, This book is beautifully written, but has a troubling message and lacks character development for all but one of the characters.

I found it interesting that out of all the characters, Corinne's family, which seemed to be "normal," was never once glimpsed, just talked about briefly. As for Josh, his home life is very fleshed out, but other than that he's little more than the "virgin who had sex and got a girl pregnant and ends up feeling really sad. And I'm not sure he had more than once scene with Ellie after she finds out that she's pregnant, which I would have understood except that kept seeing each other and it felt like Knowles went out of her way to make sure the characters didn't talk.

Her character is desperate for love, so she has sex with boys and then gets upset when they don't talk to her afterward. She has sex with Josh at the start of the book and get pregnant and spends the remainder of the book listening to other people talk to her about her options while not doing anything except crying.

She finally decides to have the baby and give it up for adoption after she can't go through with an abortion, and the book closes with her tearfully wishing she had her baby but knowing she can't. Her home life, which is minimally described but seems to be your standard upper middle-class no one talks to each other and everyone acts perfect is full of your standard stereotypes down to druggie brother and distant dad.

And, of course, perfection expecting and woefully unprepared for a pregnant daughter mom. Ellie is very troubling. The message Knowles seems to be sending with her is that sex without love is bad, which is a fine message, but then there's also the sex equals horrible consequences message, which is disturbing.

Two of the three happen to Ellie, who also must deal with giving her baby up for adoption. Meanwhile, Corinne, who is a virgin, ends up in a loving relationship with Caleb, also a virgin, with the two of them sharing a "perfect" first kiss at the book's end. And Ellie and Josh who aren't virgins are miserable. Aug 31, Todd rated it it was ok. I really wanted to like this book. The multiple narrators, the difficult subject, and the numerous successful turns of phrase had me hopeful.

I finished it and didn't feel it was a waste of my time. But I had so many issues with it, that I was quite happy when it was over. Among the four narrators are what most would call the primary "couple" for lack of a better term I realize they were not a couple at all! When I am infinitely more interested in the characters ma I really wanted to like this book.

When I am infinitely more interested in the characters making up that secondary couple than the first, I see trouble brewing. The cover, which I realize is almost never an author decision, is very problematic. I certainly hope not. The descriptions and thoughts of the teenage males in this book seemed forced and in some places, terribly unrealistic. Stereotypical scenes among the guys were far too common; the beer chugging, the locker room bravado, the locker room talk of getting laid, the locker room fistfight.

Even the mostly absent parents and siblings, for that matter were a stereotype. The "savior" character, Caleb's mother, was yet another stereotype of teen literature. Finally, the amount of crying that took place in this novel made me feel like I needed to get out a sponge and mop up the pages. Nearly everyone, sometimes even the guys, were crying at the drop of a hat.

Some of the crying was justified, given this difficult topic, but some of it seemed extremely extraneous.

I'm surprised an editor did not notice this and try to dry things up a bit. May 03, Kaitlyn Oruska rated it did not like it Recommends it for: For the first few chapters, I thought this book had promise. I liked the way the author incorporated different character's point of views, but that was about it.

My first problem with the book was when Ellie found out she was pregnant. There was no real panic, Extremely disappointing. There was no real panic, no real emotion at all. She decided she was pregnant without taking a test, went to get an abortion, changed her mind for no given reason, and decided to give her baby up for adoption.

That was the part that bothered me the most. I've read a number of teen pregnancy novels, and so far only one didn't end in adoption. This bothers me because it is completely unrealistic. I could go on for days, but really, I was just extremely disappointed in this book. It had so much potential, but in my opinion, failed miserably. Sep 02, Lena rated it liked it Recommends it for: I read this book in a few hours. I couldn't put it down, although it was incredibly sad. The kind of sad that's sort of like watching mangled victims being pulled from a car crash with limbs missing.

You really don't want to see what's happening, but you can't quite look away, and you can't decide if you want to vomit or sob. This is a YA book, but the sex is very graphic, describing everything from how his fingers felt inside her from both points of view , to the way his hand smelled Okay, wow. This is a YA book, but the sex is very graphic, describing everything from how his fingers felt inside her from both points of view , to the way his hand smelled afterwards.

It's the most graphic and scandalous YA book I've read in terms of sexual content. Also, the language is very crude. If there's a nasty or dirty word invented, it's probably in this book. So, not for the faint of heart. The book is about a girl who sleeps with guys at parties, and they all just walk out afterwards and let their friends smell their fingers to prove they hooked up. It's pretty vomit-inducting, the way the guys in this book behave.

And of course they talk about her in the locker room and share their stories with each other, since they've all hooked up with this girl who thinks that if she lets a guy have sex with her and she never seems to do much participating that one of them will like her. Or, that THIS one will like her. Josh, meanwhile, never notices that she disappeared, and never speaks to her again throughout the book.

Although the author tries to make us feel sympathy for him when the girl ends up pregnant, but mostly I just wanted to kick him in the nuts. He never speaks to her again, although he supposedly feels guilty. Even when she's pregnant and he knows it's his through their mutual friend oh yeah, this is a girl he's known since kindergarten that he's treating like this. Josh is just glad she's not asking him for money, that she's taking care of it. Actually, he says he feels guilty about that, but he never even says sorry or says one word to her.

Mostly, this book just made me hate guys a whole lot. The only good people in it are the girl's friend and the guy-friend's mom. Everyone is totally screwed up and the main girl goes through her whole pregnancy completely alone. It made me want to cry a lot, for a long, long time.

Even the good-guy who was her friend only feels sorry for Josh and never tries to make anything better or get Josh to be a man and at least help the girl out when she goes to get an abortion. Or talk to her or something. Anyway, every guy in this book is completely evil, not active evil, but like evil inside by not doing anything to stop the awful things going on. At least the friend's mom and the friend are somewhat supportive.

And the main girl is just pretty much pathetic and heartbreakingly needy, but pretty transparent. She was not as well-developed as the others. You never really feel like you know her, only that she wants love so desperately and never gets it from anyone. And she never seems to get mad about the guys using her and leaving her crying or puking from being so upset. I really wanted someone to stand up to Josh and put him in his place, but everyone just felt sorry for him, most of all himself. He constantly says how he's such a screw-up and he didn't come through for Ellie or be there for her, but he never even tries!

Not even to maybe say hi to her in the hall. He just avoids her and brags about their hookup to his buddies and gets drunk a lot. But no, he never even attempts to do one. Oh, right, he DOES apparently write her an apology note, although we never see it. This book made me so mad, mostly because it was very realistic as to who is held responsible and who ends up taking the fall and bearing the burder when two people have sex. Disgusting and tragic, but not untrue. View all 6 comments. May 21, Ariel rated it liked it Shelves: This was a fast-paced and short book warns us against teen pregnancy and what abortion can do in a small town.

I liked it for what it was, but I think there was a lot missing from the plot. Josh seemed like a bland character. He has sec with Ellie, finishes too fast and runs away? That bit when he goes back to his friends is pretty gross, and to me unnecessary. He was pretty inconsistent throughout the book and I think he could have done a better job at being supportive. I'll admit, I sort of picked it up at the library on a whim, simply because I needed something to read, but I still thought it would be good.

But, honestly, it wasn't. Most of the characters fell flat, and felt depressingly undernourished and uncared for. There were way too many plot jumps: I mean, let's face it, if you're reading a book about a teenage pregnancy, you actually want to find out what the teenager goes through during This book was. I mean, let's face it, if you're reading a book about a teenage pregnancy, you actually want to find out what the teenager goes through during the pregnancy.

What you don't want to see is a month-long plot jump every two chapters, virtually no details on her troubles and what she has to go through during the nine long months, and no excitement whatsoever. The least you could expect would be a book about a teenage pregnancy to actually deal with a teenage pregnancy. I'll be honest--I did whiz through this book in one night, but that definitely doesn't mean that it was good.

It just means that it was a pathetically easy and unmoving read for a book that supposedly deals with such a heavy and difficult issue. The writing, for the most part, fell pretty flat, too. Alternating chapter point-of-views are great. Or for Michael Grant. But, really, that's just about all. If I want to read this book, I want to find out about how Ellie is dealing with it, and maybe John. Everyone else, it's just slightly annoying. The POV changes too fast for you to even build a sort of connection with what each character is dealing with or talking about.

Plus, with such little character development, the quick switches are confusing in the beginning; it's hard to remember who's eyes you're seeing from. I feel absolutely no connection to the characters, other than slight pity for Ellie and John because of their situation, and brief admiration for Liz, Caleb's mom.

And, really, that's all.

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Maybe I'm being harsh, but I seriously wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. It wasn't bad, exactly. It just wasn't good. And if you're not a super fast reader, it's definitely not worth your time. If you're really bored, and you're really boring, and you like boring YA books. If you fall under that criteria, I'm sure you'll love it. On the plus side.

Mar 28, RitaSkeeter rated it it was ok Shelves: I love the author's concept with this book. She tackles a subject that seems, surprisingly, rarely touched on in YA literature. I've read quite a lot in the genre, and this is the first book I've read that has addressed teen pregnancy. The author explores this subject matter through the eyes of four adolescents affected but the pregnancy; the pregnant young woman; her best friend; the baby's father; and the father's best friend.

This had the makings of an intriguing and interesting book. Unfortu I love the author's concept with this book. Unfortunately it fell flat for me, and there was a clear reason for that: The copy I read had odd pages, however that was with spacing between lines and large type. I read the book in under an hour, and I think that demonstrates the shortness of length as well as the simplistic vocab used. It becomes a big ask for an author to adequately explore four separate viewpoints related to teen pregnancy in so few pages, and I believe the characterisation suffered as a result.

The exploration of characters and themes were both superficial and lacked any true portrayal of the issues. To sum up; an important subject matter, but the book was poorly executed. Oct 14, Trisha rated it liked it. This is not an easy topic. I picked this up for a challenge not really knowing what I would get myself into.

Jumping Off Swings

I think Jo Knowles does a great job of not victimizing OR shaming anyone in this book. It's a great example of the ultimate It does point out the inequalities - but these are things we already know. Does Ellie wear her proof every day while he just walks around with no one knowing. Does Ellie get to make all the choices and he has very few, if any. Josh isn't the horrible guy he looks like he could be. And Ellie isn't the tramp the school kids make her out to be. And Corrine and Caleb, Liz and all the surrounding families - collateral damage.

As a reader, you want to judge and label and be upset with choices in the book, but the reality is that each person's truth for this kind of situation is their own. And this one just happens to be Ellie's And it's a very real story. Sep 09, Stephanie rated it it was amazing Shelves: I can't remember the last time a book made me sob this hard. Jumping Off Swings is so beautifully written, so fiercely honest and so compelling.

I read it in one intense session, because I Could Not Stop reading it. There are four different POV characters, some of whom hate or avoid each other now for really good, sympathetic reasons, and yet all four were equally compelling and real, and by the end, I cared desperately about all four of them. This is a book that never compromises the emotional t I can't remember the last time a book made me sob this hard.

This is a book that never compromises the emotional truth of the very difficult situation, but it's not a grim read at all - it's just right. I loved it, and I want to push it on everyone I know. It really is that good. Feb 12, Jeni Bell rated it it was amazing. What would I do? How close have I come to being in the same situation? The story is told in alternating, first-person points of view: What makes this story so powerful is the depth to which Knowles portrays the complex reactions to the pregnancy.

Josh is embarrassed about the way he treated Ellie after their one-night stand, and wrestles with knowing the only chance he might have to see his child is during a stolen glance inside the nursery. Jul 22, Marjorie Light rated it it was amazing. Her talent is evident here — the prose straightforward, but powerful, while the dialogue is natural and emotionally charged. This YA novel examines the tragedy of teen pregnancy from four points of view — Ellie, the girl who becomes pregnant; Josh, the teen father, and Corinne and Caleb, their two best friends.

That choice of having four first-person narratives is perfect, as we see how the pregnancy impacts each one. The chapters alternate between them, each labeled. I especially loved the scenes in the playground, tender, laced with regret. Knowles makes each setting distinct and provides the reader with enough variety to keep it interesting, but not so much that it confuses.

The structure of the novel is even, with a nice flow from beginning to end. As an educator and writer, I always love a book for teens that has a vital message and strong themes. Often times, unfortunately, authors feel they need to beat the reader over the head with both to get them to understand.

Jo Knowles knows better. She understands her readers. We are left to make our own decisions, but her writing is so poignant and lyrical — and true — that there is really only one path we can follow after the last word is read. Her gut-wrenching sobs came back to me as I read this novel. Knowles captures that angst perfectly. At one point, I actually clutched the book to me and cried, as if I was consoling my friend all those years ago. The dialogue throughout is thoughtful and natural, and even though there are surprises with the plot, it is all so realistic.

Teens will love this novel for the straightforward way it deals with a sensitive topic and the path Knowles takes in capturing the anguish. Although the subject matter is weighty, the reader is shown patches of light through use of humor and the strong theme of friendship. This YA novel has both adult situations and language, but is not too graphic.

Adult readers, especially women, will find this novel of interest, as well. Available August 11, by Candlewick Press from both indie bookstores near you and major booksellers! Nov 30, Sarah rated it it was amazing. From my review site: E From my review site: Told in alternating point of views Ellie, the pregnant teen, Josh, the boy who is the father-to-be, Corinne, the best friend, and Caleb, the boy who has a big crush on Ellie but is also Josh's best friend , Jumping Off Swings captures just how easily teens nowadays lose their innocence too quickly to the realities of the world, to peer pressure, to high school, and to the need to be loved.

I couldn't help comparing this book with the movie Juno in my mind. Where Juno was a rather quirky take on this topic, Jo Knowles takes a more somber and though I keep repeating it, realistic approach to Ellie's sex life and subsequent pregnancy. While the novel isn't constantly dark, it is a very hard reality for many people to face so the tone of the story matches the topic nature.

And well, I liked the fact that it did. This is not a topic to be taken lightly by any means and I'm glad the author did not approach it this way. I really liked the alternative viewpoints in this story. And I also like how the situation was not black and white. Josh wasn't a terrible boy by any means. Like many boys his age, he wanted sex. He even wore protection, but like life, not everything can be easy.

I also liked the contrast between Ellie's unhealthy relationships with boys to Corinne and Caleb's more slowly building friendship and interest in each other. Granted, they were forced together under a very painful situation, but they also learned something from Ellie and Josh, both positive and negative. This is a very grey area book if that makes sense to any readers out there.

This situation isn't black and white and the author doesn't attempt to make it so.

MORE BY JO KNOWLES

The author uses language very well in this story too. You don't get the images of sunshine and kittens while reading, rather, the text is sparse and carries a lot of weight, much like the characters are carrying on their shoulders. Friendship is a strong theme in this story, and like teen pregnancy, teen friendship is not spared. You will see the bad decisions friends make, the lengths they are willing to go for each other, and how sometimes, you just have to carry your friend with your own strength.

This book was provided from the publisher for the Cybils Awards. Feb 12, Lilibeth rated it really liked it. I have to say up front that this is not a happily ever after book, and I'm slowly starting to realize that most books in general--excluding romance, of course--are not all going to end up that way. When it comes to facing the reality in life, and making hard decisions like choosing whether or not you want to keep your baby when you're so young, you must go through the grueling process of looking at what's led to you there and facing the truth about people you depend on.

Jumping Off Swings tells I have to say up front that this is not a happily ever after book, and I'm slowly starting to realize that most books in general--excluding romance, of course--are not all going to end up that way. Jumping Off Swings tells a story about how one girl's decision affects the lives of the people around her. So many voices are to be heard in this book, you will not be able to ignore any.

Speaking of ignorance, I noticed that it was a major theme, as well as emptiness. Ellie feels like she has no one except her best friend, Corrine to help her through this process of gradual-heartbreak and undeniable situations. Slowly, she figures out that Corrine's not the only one looking at for her, even when her family's not. When the other characters are introduced into Ellie's story, they all have a role to play throughout her pregnancy. Once the cat comes out of the bag, no one's more shocked and affected than the father.

It was healthy, I guess you could say, to read a guy's point of view when it comes to finding out that his "one-night-stand" where he lost his virginity ended up impregnating the girl with the sad, expectant eyes. Admittedly, I just wanted to punch the group of guys that all have a "set" opinion about Ellie because they've been with her. But then, I wanted to yell at Ellie for being so naive.

I don't know if it's because I'm a teenager myself but if the parents aren't there for you throughout your life and don't guide you in any way, odds are there is going to be one mistake in your life that's going to indirectly be their fault. Ever since I was little, in my head I've always built up this argument in my head that "kids take things literally when they're young, and parents have no clue.

As Ellie's parents weren't there for her, but a friend's mother was. Before I go into full-on rant mode, I want to say that Knowles did a fantastic job in gripping your attention with Jumping Off Swings. It showed that people are not perfect, and that they all have different ways of coping. There were just minor things I would have argued with that are most likely due to my biased opinions, but nothing major can turn you away from this book.

Jan 18, Kate rated it it was amazing. Even so, I was blown away by the characters and the spare, poignant prose. Your heart will ache for friends Ellie, Josh, Caleb, and Corinne as they deal with Ellie's pregnancy after what was supposed to be a "one-time thing" at a party. The characters are so beautifully whole and real that I found myself thinking about them - worrying about them and wishing futures for them - long after I'd turned the final page.

The chapters - alternating between the four main characters' points of view - are short, making this a perfect choice for reluctant teen readers, but really, it should be a must-read for every teen, boys and girls alike. Ellie always thinks it will be different, but every time she hooks up with a guy, he's just using her for sex. Caleb has always liked Ellie, and can't believe his friend Josh hooked up with her.

Now Ellie is pregnant, and that will affect them all I thought this book did a nice job of showing how a pregnancy can affect everyone around a person, not just the person having the baby. It was good to see guys reacting to a pregnancy and not just disowning any responsibility, and it was also good to Ellie always thinks it will be different, but every time she hooks up with a guy, he's just using her for sex. It was good to see guys reacting to a pregnancy and not just disowning any responsibility, and it was also good to see a variety of parental styles and reactions.

Not surprisingly, Ellie's parents' reaction showed exactly why Ellie was looking for love in this way to begin with, and I liked the contrast of Josh's parents' reactions and his own view. The bullying at school wasn't explored as in-depth as the lives of the four main characters, but then again, I think there's a lot of "looking the other way" in this kind of situation that is illustrated very well here. Jan 01, Luke rated it really liked it. Not quite as good as "Lessons from a Dead Girl", but amazing nonetheless.

I don't know how Jo Knowles does it, but she can tug at your heartstrings like no other author can. This story had me on the verge of tears several times and this, unlike "Lessons from a Dead Girl" had a somewhat happy ending. Although I felt like the last chapter was a bit unnecessary, it made you feel like the story was complete. I look forward to reading her next book! Honestly, I think the ending was unfufilling but this book was absolutely amazing. May 16, Kim Lemmon rated it it was amazing. What happens when a teenage girl gets pregnant? At least two adults engage in alcohol abuse, and teens are often seen drinking.

One adult gives a teen a beer and they drink together. Parents need to know that this book about unplanned pregnancy has frank talk about sex and relationship issues among teens. The main character sleeps with many boys and one "hook-up" results in pregnancy. There is some swearing including "f--k" , copious drinking adult alcoholism and teen drinking , and discussions of abortion and unplanned pregnancies. Parents and teachers can use this book to start discussions with teens about sex and relationships. Add your rating See all 1 parent review. Add your rating See all 8 kid reviews.

Ellie keeps getting played by the guys she has sex with, including Josh. Hoping for a romantic relationship, she thinks each experience will be different and each time they use her.

When Ellie finds out she's pregnant after her and Josh's "one time thing," her life changes and so does the lives of those around her, including Corinne, her best friend, Caleb, who's had a crush on her for years, and Josh. What is she going to do? What can she do? Jo Knowles makes a common story more interesting by presenting it from four different perspectives: That gives layers, texture, and depth to what would have been a basic sex-and-teens novel. The characters all possess a vulnerability that rings true, and that readers will relate to. Families can talk about books and other media about teen pregnancy.

How is this one different? Did you find Ellie's attitude about sex to be realistic? What about her supportive friends? After they have sex, Josh is celebrated by their peers while Ellie ends up with a bad reputation. Does that seem like something that would happen at your high school?

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners. See how we rate. Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization, earns a small affiliate fee from Amazon or iTunes when you use our links to make a purchase. Thank you for your support. Our ratings are based on child development best practices. We display the minimum age for which content is developmentally appropriate. The star rating reflects overall quality and learning potential.

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