This is my first attempt to write a book review. I often shy away from telling others what I really think about a book for fear of exposing myself as the geek that I truly am. I want to do justice to a book whether good or bad, and I definitely don’t want to step all over something you have read and loved. There is a first time for everything, and hopefully this review will be of some help to you.
I just finished reading the book Jacob Have I Loved. I pulled this book off my shelf because it is a Newbery Medal winner. Being the book geek that I am, I feel a deep need to read award winning books whether they are Newbery winners or Pulitzers. One thing I have learned about award winning books is they tend to be a little “twisted.” It is much like movies that win Oscars. Many of them are a little strange. Jacob Have I Loved is no exception to this trend.
Jacob Have I Loved tells the story of a girl named Sara Louise who lives on the island of Rass. She lives with her mother, father, grandmother, and twin sister Caroline. Now, any good story about twins will tell you that one is always more beautiful, talented, and loved than the other. One has more privileges, becomes more successful, and generally shines above the other from the day they are born. This happens to be the case with the girls in this story, according to Sara Louise. Wheeze, as she is nicknamed, has a sense of hatred toward her sister. She believers her parents favor Caroline and therefore she sees her whole world through jealousy colored glasses. One afternoon, an old man who once lived on Rass, returns to the island and takes residence in a house thought to be haunted. As many a story goes, Wheeze and her friend Call befriend the man and begin helping him clean his home. Sara Louise, age fourteen, soon finds herself admiring the old man’s hands, enjoying his company, and beginning a crush that is only subdued by his marriage later in the book. Of course, Caroline is quite the distraction along the way for Wheeze, as her hatred toward her twin sister swells at each corner of the story.
My Thoughts…
When I first dove into this story I was excited to learn more about Wheeze, her complex character, her attitude toward her sister, and her life on the island. Would she learn to work through the differences? Would she run away? Would she fight for her parents’ attention? Would she later marry her friend Call? Although the “lesser” twin situation has been incorporated in many different texts, it is still a situation that leaves me questioning the outcome.
As I got a little further into the book I was definitely intrigued by the “mystery man” who returned to the island and fixed up the old house. I wanted to know if his name was Jacob, or where that name would come into the story. Katherine Paterson, the author, did an excellent job setting up the scenes on Rass, developing each character just so far as to keep you wondering, and putting a twist on the story. This twist, Wheeze falling in love with the old man, is definitely the “twisted” I was referring to earlier in this post. I am still not sure what I think about Wheeze’s crush on the man, but I know it made me feel uncomfortable. It was difficult to read the description that paints the picture of Sara Louise’s feelings toward this man. It was definitely real, awkward, and highly inappropriate for young readers. I do tend to be very conservative with ideas such as these, and my conservative “thread” took hold here.
Would I recommend this book to others? Most likely, no. Definitely not for young readers. If you are in the business of reading award winners, then add this one to your list, read it for yourself, and check it off quickly.
Have you read Jacob Have I Loved? What did you think?
