Jessica BlankRecensioni

It's been a while since a book kept me up all night reading. How can you not though when you're reading a book set in the 1990s about a girl who goes to protect the redwoods with an environmentalist group? Maybe it's just that I was standing in the redwood forests of the Pacific Northwest myself not too long ago, but I could really imagine myself following the characters around in the woods and feeling like I was a part of their story.

I feel like this would be a good recommended read for someone looking for a book similar to Looking for Alaska. Lots of the same kinds of themes and a similar age group, but instead it's set on the opposite end of the country and the main character does not have loving parents.

This book probably won't win any awards, but as a reader who remembers the 90s and has felt the magic of an old growth forest, this was exactly the book I needed to spend all night reading.

A very well-written story of a group of homeless teenagers on the streets of LA. Each character has their own segment, which are skillfully woven together through their common interaction with one particular runaway girl.

It can be difficult to know how to rate a work like this; similar to the vagina monologues in style, with the dialogue taken from interviews done with exonerated former death row inmates. It's difficult to see this as theatrical, though the authors did leave some room for directors to add in a few little touches, but mostly it's just people talking about things that happened in the past...in short, it breaks all the rules of theatre. That isn't always a bad thing, of course, but you have to be careful when you are writing about a timely topic not to let the message overwhelm the audience. A play with a plot would probably be a lot more effective treatment of the topic in terms of getting people to notice. It has a rather sterile, antiseptic feel to it because you don't see anything that occurred, it is just people sitting and telling the story. Decent material for a book of essays, but questionable handling for a play.½

This tale of homeless teens suffers from the fact that each character's voice blends seamlessly into the next, rendering them indistinguishable to me. I found it weak, overall.

It was a great book about a few homeless kids, and the things they go through to eat, sleep and just have money. Q4P4 AHS/April M.

Seven teenagers take turns telling their stories of the reasons they ended up on the streets of Los Angeles. From familial abuse to unsettled dreams to questions of identity, these teens may or may not find what they’re looking for from each other.

ALMOST HOME is the kind of dark, gritty, and painfully real contemporary YA novel that I don’t find myself reading often. Yet if that’s what you’re looking for, then you should read this book. If we’re lucky, most of us will never find ourselves in these teenagers’ situations, but the way Jessica Blank writes about them and their conflicted emotions and desires is mesmerizing. The words on the page are brutally honest, yet lyrical, kind of like seeing a devastating scene in the glow of dazzling dawn light. And what the characters all want are things we can relate to: belonging, love, understanding. ALMOST HOME is compelling, and while you may not even like it while you’re reading it, afterwards you will feel glad that you did.½

This is a book of abandonment. It's a story that so many girls can identify with: Raised by a single mother with no father in the picture, seeking a father's love, the fear that everyone will abandon you as he did, and a selfish and emotionally-distant mother to boot.

Tessa's mother is totally self-absorbed. I know women like this. My best friend's mother was quite a bit like this. Her needs came first instead of that of her children. Tessa is always second-place in her mother's life (or third or fourth).

After she and her mother become residents of an isolated cult, Tessa feels more abandoned than ever as her mother thrives in the new community. Tessa turns to an older man for comfort and acceptance. Her new peer group of older men causes her to deal with situations that she is not prepared to deal with.

These situations were especially interesting to me, because they sort of start out thrilling and warm and cozy and enlightening, and Tessa thinks how wonderful these experiences are, but then reality sets in. She begins to lose herself and feels her life spiraling out of control. I think that most of us can identify with the feeling of hitting bottom...

Just go home, I tell myself. Just sneak into your bed and close your eyes and crawl between the sheets. Alone and quiet I can piece myself together; the world will slow to steady and I'll find solid ground again.

I really liked this story. Warm and gentle, stirring memories of my childhood, with moments of heartbreak, I would recommend this "coming of age" story to anyone. Please be warned that, although this is young adult, there is quite a bit of vulgarity in it. So be wary if this offends you or if you are concerned with exposing your child to foul language and other "adult situations".

Jessica Blank's writing style is straight forward and bare to the bone. With the first sentence, I was hooked enough to want to read the book straight through. The story is told through the eyes of a fourteen year old girl, Tess, who was abandoned by her father and living with her mother who had not grown up herself. They were on and off the road for most of the girl’s life. Her mother was drawn to living in an ashram. I don’t know if this was a true picture of what life is like in ashram but I think it is possible.
The girl at times in the beginning was more forgiving of her mother than I expected. Tess gave her mother good marks for effort. She thought her mother was doing the best that she could do but when I was reading the book, I thought her mother could do so much more. The mother allows her daughter no choices of where they would live, what they would do and or anything. It is like the mother only desired to look within herself for spiritual happiness. In the meantime her mother missed all that was important with her daughter. She was searching herself but somehow could not see her daughter’s need for love and attention.
Tess, the daughter need to be loved and taken care of here, to have someone to was really there for her. She thought she found that in Colin, but he doesn’t protect from taking risks with himself or his buddies. I felt very satisfied with the ending. There was a point in the book that I thought took plenty of guts from Tess, I felt proud of her. This book is abundant with issues that need to be discussed between mother and daughter. I loved this book.

You kind of have to see this live in order to get the full impact of it, with the on-stage setting exactly as the writers instructed it to be. If it's done that way, then you will get it.

** spoiler alert ** Please note that I have yet to proof-read this review.

There is an abundance of drugs (pot, LSD) and sex in this book so while it involves a 14 turned 15 girl, I would suggest being careful of who’s picking this up.

In the beginning I was quite reluctant and a bit turned off by the ways the characters explored sexuality (spoiler: your 20 some year old boyfriend’s creepy, really creepy, friends and an orange) but someone mentioned that it wasn’t set in the modern time so I let it slide to some extent. I never really delved into those times so I wasn’t exactly sure what is acceptable and what isn’t. Yeah it was odd but it would have been all the rage back then. Anyway moving on….

I thought Tessa was a fairly relatable character. Here she is in this crazy cult like home and the only thing remotely sane is Colin, not to mention he’s not too bad to look at. I understand her way of thinking, her decisions (well not all) and the feeling to just escape.

Colin was someone I found pleasing…at first. He was emphatic with Tessa—understanding her—and quick to give a hug when needed, and doesn’t try to force something. But he increasingly became this “I am man” attitude and developed this jealous presence that was neither sweet nor protective. He practically threw her away. But again we come back to the drugs. They were high, maybe disoriented. I’m not quite sure. I would have liked to see more of the aftermath. The beginning was great, good build-up, transactions from friends to something more but after the incident I just wonder what next.

The relationship between the mother and Tessa was a fragile give and take. It seemed that the mother was the one that needed more caring, more reassurance, more time and patience. We explore the affects of a young pregnancy when the mother has had barely any time to grow up herself. I think that was this relationship showed us.

One other thing that I liked to point out that Karma For Beginners had this sense similar to Candor. Where everyone just listens to this one main leader. Your expression to think, to explore, is an invalid now. Your opinion is condemned. Your self-judgment is considered acting out. This is where you walk along the lines of being a cult. But aside from Candor, this leader is really, really creepy

The ending however was very disappointing—very abrupt. It was a quick “what do you want” question from the mother with Tessa responding and acting on command. The climax of the ending lasted for a about a paragraph to which we turn to the next page—blank. It ended. I love the concept of the idea—the final letter, the speak and I will listen attitude—but it was too fast, too quick for me to truly appreciate it. Even so it was upsetting how quickly Tessa’s mother just accepted what she had to say. It really was way too short. This is when the ending just breaks the greatest of a novel.

Overall: Started out rocky, turn into something I enjoyed a lot, but ended so abrupt that I was left frustrated.

See my blog for active links!http://bookreviewsbyjess.blogspot.com/2009/09/karma-for-beginners-by-jessica-blank.htmlPlot: 3Setting: 5Writing: 3Originality: 5Characters: 5Passion: 3Overall: 24/30 = 80% = BCover/Title Bonus: 5I received this for review from Disney-Hyperion.Please note that this will be a long review. This book had some details that I want to focus on a bit. It also hit home on a few topics, so it’s a bit of a personal review too.Summary (Amazon.com): Fourteen-year-old Tessa has never had a normal life. Her mother, a frustrated hippie with awful taste in men, has seen to that. But when her mom pulls her out of school to live at an ashram in the Catskills, Tessa goes from being a freak among normal people to being an outcast among freaks. Freaks who worship an orange robe-wearing guru. And while her mom is buzzing with spiritual energy, and finding a little too much favor with the guru, all Tessa feels are weird vibes. Unless she's with Colin, the gorgeous boy who fixes trucks for the ashram. The connection they share is the most spiritual thing Tessa has ever felt. But he's older-like illegally older-and Tessa's taking dangerous risks to spend time with him. Soon her life is blooming into a psychedelic web of secrets and lies and it's clear that something's about to give way. When it does, will she have anyone to hold on to? Will she even know herself?Plot:Tessa has a selfish mother who up and moves as often as possible, usually after a break up with a guy. They move to a “spiritual camp”, called an ashram. Her mom loves it there, nearly forgetting Tessa lives. Tessa meets a guy, Colin. He’s not from the ashram. He just fixes their vehicles. The ashram is a secret society of crazy people worshipping an orange robe-wearing guru, who is not what he seems (See: Overall section).I enjoyed the plot to an extent. I liked learning about Tessa. I liked watching her transform into a woman. The ending of this book was not what I expected: it ended rather abruptly and not so well. (See: Overall section).Setting:The setting was awesome. The ashram was in the middle of no where in the Catskills. The buildings each had a weird name because ot he weird ashram language. There were awesome paths in the forests. Lots of statues. It’s set in 1986. There’s lots of music references. Lots of drugs (See: Overall section).Writing:I enjoyed the writing. I was addicted to reading this book. I knew that Colin and Tessa were going to be a thing and I wanted that to happen so bad. Tessa deserved some happiness in her life and I wanted that for her like I wanted to take my next breath. A lot more happens with Tessa than I expected. The drug use for one was like, wow. The sex was expected, but again, wow.Originality:I haven’t read any book like this. I usually read paranormals so I don’t usually rub up against something as “normal” as this book. It’s a contemporary Young Adult novel that focuses on a young woman, she’s 14!, who’s struggling with finding her way in the world with a mom who isn’t really there. The guru wasn’t expected, he’s not what he seems, but I hated the ending. I wanted justice and we get none. Only fear and running.Characters:Tessa is the main character. She’s 14! 14! She’s kind of a wild child by the end of this book: sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. (Had to say it!)Colin is the vehicle repair guy at the ashram. He’s in his twenties. TWENTIES! He’s a really sweet guy who loves music, cars, and drugs.Tessa’s mom. She’s a basket case. I kinda hated her character. I felt so bad for Tessa. She barely had a mother. She was more of a mother than her mother was! Her mom is mentally ill. There’s just no other explanation to it.The guru dude. He needs to be burnt in hell. That is all.Other characters of the ashram: GO HOME! Seriously.Passion:Yes, the 14 year old and the twenty-something have sex. With that said, it’s a sweet romance. They do become great friends before the hanky panky happens. The age factor was an issue with me, but it happens, right?Overall:Okay, now for my rant. I liked the book until the very end. So, do read it if you get a chance, just be prepared to be let down by the ending.Loved the ashram setting, characters, and the overall development of the story, until the end of course.Drugs. Drugs are abundant in this book. Specifically marijuana and acid. I guess since I usually don’t read books like this I wasn’t prepared for how it affected me. She’s 14! Sometimes I forget that I was once 14 (it wasn’t that long ago but still!) but now that I have my own daughter I’m freaking out! She’s 14! Guess what? I was younger than 14 when I was introduced to drugs: pot. I used it under 10 times total in my life, and each time before I was 16. Drugs are available to young kids. It’s sad and it infuriates me but it’s the truth. The one thing I stress after reading this book. Don’t ignore the topic of drugs with your children.Sex. There’s sex in this book. It’s not as visual as the drugs but it’s there. She’s 14! He’s twenty-something! Again I’m back to the reminder that I was once 14 but I have a child now! I lost my virginity at 14, just shortly after my birthday. So, I really don’t have room to criticize Tessa’s decision making skills. This also goes back to how lame of a mother Tessa had. If her mom was anything but what she was in this book she would have had a better relationship with Tessa and could possibly have prevented any of this from happening, but then I would be naive to say this. Even kids with the best parents in the world fuck up, lie, have sex and do drugs or even worse.I’d like to think that I will be a better parent and be able to counsel my daughter better so that she doesn’t make the same mistakes that I made. Talking to our children about these two issues is essential. And I’m beginning to think the younger they are the better. I don’t want my 14 year old having sex and doing drugs with a twenty-something guy!And now about the ending. CONTAINS SPOILERS!They just leave! They leave everything behind. Colin, the ashram, the nasty guru who should have been arrested, convicted, and then burned, in my opinion, and the entire ashram should have been shut down. It was corrupted. And I blame it all on Tessa’s mother. I hated her.Cover/Title Bonus:Love the cover! It’s perfect. And the title is nice.Connect with Jessica Blank:FacebookMySpace (Almost Home)GoodreadsLibraryThingAuthor Guest Post:Jessica Blank will be visiting next week with an Author Guest Post. I sent her a few questions I had after reading Karma For Beginners. I hope she agrees to address them in her post.There might even be a giveaway! So check back!Your thoughts?Have you read this? Did you enjoy it? How do you feel about drug use and sex in YA books? She’s 14!

Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

Jessica Blank writes a gritty, raw novel of life on the street for a mismatched group of young kids. Oftentimes graphic and bleak, she crafts a story that reads like a documentary of life on the streets in L.A. Seven individual paths are interwoven with each other, showing that you can touch more lives than you realize.

Eeyore, aka Elly, is the youngest of the bunch. After an embarrassing encounter at school, street smart Tracy takes her under her wing, and Elly runs away from home. Eeyore is not only running from the humiliation of school, but from a horrible home secret that no one would believe.

Rusty is in love with his male teacher, Jim. They were found out and Jim told Rusty to go to Hollywood and he would meet him there once he ties up all the loose ends at home. But it's been over a month and Jim isn't returning his calls and he's running out of money and options fast.

Critter is a drug dealer who has also taken Eeyore under his wing. She adores him and follows him around like a baby bird. Critter tries to protect her from the seedier side of life on the street - drugs and pimps.

Tracy is the weak thread that intertwines through all their lives yet has an unknown quality that captivates everyone. With stringy hair, bad teeth, and empty eyes, Tracy has seen far too much for her young age.

Along with these four and three others, the rough, harsh life of runaways and throwaways is written in a bleak style in ALMOST HOME. Told through the eyes of each of the characters, the reader is left with a new awareness of the realities that can cause young adults to run away from home and family. Many are hoping for a better life from the one they knew, only to find that there are different problems that they will face, such as homelessness, hunger, and poverty.

This was a very readable story of a group of loosely attached streetkids in LA. I take issue with the sexified cover - it's fishents and combat boots while many times in the book everyone's clothing is described as dingy, dirty, jeans and wifebeaters. Oh well. Definitely great for kids or adults living this life or interested in hard knock stories. Content is pretty intense - there are rape scenes, incest, dudes hitting girls, lots of drug use and cursing; that said, there are some young teens whom I would recommend this book to -- ones that are worldly and/or already going through some of the stuff the book covers. I'm thinking of doing a blog post re: homeless awareness - maybe this book, "Wendy and Lucy" "Great Speeches From a Dying World" (though there hasn't been a DVD release of that, yet) and some other books or movie. Any suggestions?

I wasn't sure about this one, but since it was a free ARC from the ALA conference, I thought I might as well give it a shot. Right off the bat, I liked that the book was set in the mid-1980s instead of current day. Tessa is fourteen and lives with her flaky mom, who pulls up stakes and moves them around pretty often. This time, they move to an ashram near the Catskills, where Tessa feels out of control and out of place. Her mom becomes even less interested in her as she becomes creepily close to the guru of the group, and Tessa finds refuge in a wholly inappropriate place--the arms of the twenty-year-old college dropout who works as the ashram's mechanic. This is definitely one some parents will find troublesome because, with this older guy, Tessa has sex and does drugs. But the story really reinforces how important strong parent-child relationships are and the importance of supervision and care. It can also bridge the generation gap, showing today's teens that the same problems existed when their parents were kids.

If your looking for a Cinderella fairy tale with a happy ending this isn’t the book for you. But if you're interested in something real and meaningful, this is right down your alley.Almost Home tells the story of seven young people living on the streets of Hollywood. They are all there for different reasons, but most of them have fled abusive homes. There are seven parts or chapters to the book. Each chapter is told in one of their perspectives.Their stories are so real and raw. There is rough language and gritty details of sex and drug use. What disturbed me the most was Eeyore’s story. She was only twelve years old when she fled her home because she was being sexually abused by her step brother and tormented by the kids at school. Her home is so close, yet she would rather live on the streets and go days without food then enable herself to live in the world she left.It was eye-opening story for me, when I think of someone homeless a teenage runaway doesn’t pop into my head. Yet this is an issue that affects more than 1.5 million teens. Amongst all the books I’ve read of the elite and fortunate it was refreshing and at the same time deeply disturbing to read about the other end of the spectrum.I truly admire Jessica’s compassion for this subject and even more so for bringing this topic to attention. This is one of those books that will make an impact on the way you think of the world. I hope to see more from Jessica Blank in the future.½

It's hard to sum up this play, but I'm going to try since it's not a read I've seen listed here as of yet. It's a simple play that attempts to document the true stories of men and women who were falsely accused and convicted of crimes that set them on death row until they were eventually, years later, exonerated and released. I strongly suggest taking the time to read the intro. even if you wouldn't normally, as the authors give you an idea of all the men and women they spoke too, their interviews and hours of research, and how meticulously truthful this full work is.

Charles Isherwood wrote the following in Variety: "An artful and moving evening of documentary theater...The play is on the one hand a devastating memorial to injustice, but it also pays handsome tribute to the resilience of human hearts and minds." I can't say much more than that. This is a one-sitting read that I'm thankful to have read--its' moments of humor and moments of hate (yet, never coming from the exonerated themselves) make you remember for yourself what is important, and why we survive through the worst we face. You find yourself slipping through a few pages easily, and then you realize that someone said these words, that this happened, and you stop. It is an emotional read, worth taking the time for. I also want to add that in a strange way I'm glad to have read this rather than seen it, as I think it sank in more strongly with the pictures I created for myself. Having said that, and recommended its reading, I will also say that I'll hope at some point in the future to see it performed. As a work of documentation and emotion, this work is powerful and worth looking into. I wish in a way it had been longer, but it is perfect for what it is.½

Eeyore, a twelve year old who is abused by her stepbrother and harrassed at school, runs away when she meets Tracy, another street kids.
We meet Rusty, Squid, Scabius and Laura, all living on the streets of LA. They try to form relationships, but all have problems with trust, as they all suffered from some type of abuse at home or at school.
They fall into drugs and prostitution as ways to survive. They become numb in order to survive, which is one of the saddest parts of the book

I found this book about the making of the play to be rather insufferable. The best parts were the stories of the exonerated people themselves (originally 20 interviews, cut to eleven and then to six in the final play). The narrative about the authors that joined these interviews was incredibly self-serving.

I was especially irritated by the New York City authors’ assumptions and generalizations about the South and about Texas in particular. They also came across as hypocritical spoiled brats and holier-than-thou, especially in their cross-country travels, at one point trying to get their ill-trained animal into a hotel by falsely claiming it was a service dog.½

I read this play because it was required reading for incoming freshmen at my son’s college. It’s the true story of six exonerated Death Row inmates. The stories are compelling, but even more so when actually performed: I also watched the 90-minute Court TV production on DVD.½