Large print book
Torn away
Record details
- ISBN: 9780316245548 (paperback) :
-
Physical Description:
print
regular print
276 pages ; 21 cm - Publisher: New York : Little, Brown and Company, 2015, ©2014.
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Tornadoes -- Juvenile fiction Grief -- Juvenile fiction Families -- Juvenile fiction Missouri -- Juvenile fiction |
Available copies
- 3 of 3 copies available at Parkland Regional.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 3 total copies.
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Holdable? | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowsman | YA PAPERBACK (Text) | 35419002599034 | Young Adult Fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
| Grandview | YA PAPERBACK (Text) | 35419002599026 | Young Adult Fiction | Available | - | |
| McCreary | YA PAPERBACK (Text) | 35419002599018 | Young Adult Fiction | Available | - |
- Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2014 May #2
Whenever something horrible happens, you hear people say they âlost everything' . . . But they have no idea what it's really like to lose everything. Jersey, like many midwesterners, is jaded by frequent tornado warnings. But when a storm really does rip through her town, her home, and her family, it leaves in its wake an unimaginable hole in each of those areas of her life. As she picks up the pieces of her life and tries to mourn the death of her mother and little sister, she is confronted by another crisis when her stepfather forces her into the volatile home of her long-estranged father. Out of personal and public tragedy, Jersey struggles to find a path forward, a home, and a reason to keep putting one foot in front of the other. This is a gut-wrenching and poignant look at the aftermath of natural disaster and the secrets that families keep, written with raw honesty and deep emotion. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews. - Horn Book Guide Reviews : Horn Book Guide Reviews 2014 Fall
When a tornado devastates her Missouri hometown, sixteen-year-old Jersey loses her house, her mother, and her half-sister. While Jersey is shuffled among relatives she's never met--some of them happier to see her than others--she reconciles unsavory family secrets while also processing her significant, immediate grief. This depiction of the emotional consequences of natural disasters is intense and affecting. - Kirkus Reviews : Kirkus Reviews 2014 April #1
Jersey Cameron has lived her whole life in Elizabeth, Mo., where the weather is unpredictable, and complaining about it is a full-time job. When Jersey's mother and little sister perish in a tornado, Jersey finds herself rejected by her guilt-ridden, emotionally paralyzed stepfather. He sends her to live in a house full of hostile strangers comprising her alcoholic biological father, who left Jersey and her mother when Jersey was a baby; his boorish wife and her two spoiled daughters (the Cinderella connection won't be lost on readers); and Jersey's heartless grandparents. Jersey is immediately put to work washing everyone else's dishes and is made to sleep on a sofa on the porch (sleeping among the ashes must have been considered too obvious). After a particularly nasty fight with the evil stepsisters, Jersey runs away and finds herself with another set of strangers: her mother's estranged parents. Readers may find themselves wanting to throttle Jersey by the middle of the book; while Brown starts off doing a wonderful job depicting the grief and depression that comes with such a catastrophic loss, Jersey ends up sounding whiny. The novel's didacticismâJersey continually reflects on how good she had it before the tornado, regretting sharp words she can't take backâalso causes it to lose its edge. A lukewarm story about finding family and starting over. (Fiction. 12-16) Copyright Kirkus 2014 Kirkus/BPI Communications.All rights reserved. - Library Media Connection : Library Media Connection Reviews 2014 November/December
This book explores family dynamics; Jersey Cameron loses her mother and half-sister in a devastating tornado, so she is sent to live with her undependable biological father. She finally finds a home with her maternal grandparents. Realistic depictions, from the whistling of the tornado to the regrets of words said, bring events to life. While the cruelty of Jersey's biological father is necessary for Jersey to understand the gem she has found in her mom's parents, the family's abusive treatment sometimes feels forced simply to create a satisfying conclusion. Overall, though, the book is well-paced, and the main characters evoke sympathy and tenderness. The book's touching moments bring a gentle self-awareness to the story. This is a satisfying book that explores an intriguing situation: what happens to a girl who loses everything that meant anything, and who learns that there may be more love left in the world. Bridget M. Wilmot, Department Chair of Library and Media, Riverside Brook ield High School, Riverside, Illinois [Editor's Note: Available in e-book format.] RECOMMENDED Copyright 2012 Linworth Publishing, Inc. - Publishers Weekly Reviews : PW Reviews 2014 February #4
When a tornado strikes Jersey's hometown in Missouri, her house and neighborhood are destroyed, but her losses cut much deeper: her mother and five-year-old sister are among the many killed in the storm. Jersey counts on her stepfather to help her pick up the pieces, but a shell-shocked Donnie claims he can't raise her, sending her to live with her biological father, an alcoholic who abandoned Jersey's mother when Jersey was a baby. Jersey is horribly mistreated by his family, and after she runs away, she ends up with her last chance: her estranged maternal grandparents. Jersey was raised to hate them, but she begins to understand that her mother's version of events may have omitted some crucial information. Brown (Thousand Words) gives readers a true sense of the horror wrought by the storm and the agony of its aftermath; her ability to create rich, complex characters is once again in evidence. While the cruelty of Jersey's father's family is somewhat over the top, Jersey's feelings are achingly real and relatable. Ages 12âup. Agent: Cori Deyoe, 3 Seas Literary Agency. (May)
[Page ]. Copyright 2014 PWxyz LLC - School Library Journal Reviews : SLJ Reviews 2014 May
Gr 8 UpâJersey's entire life falls apart in a matter of minutes: a tornado kills her mother and her half-sister Marin and destroys their house. Though Jersey's stepfather, Ronnie, survives, he's too shocked to think about parenting, and so the teen is dispatched to live with the extended paternal family she's never met. Her biological father abandoned her years ago and shows no sign of wanting to mend their relationship, and the rest of the familyâher stepmother, stepsisters, and paternal grandparentsâeither ignore or belittle her. Jersey nourishes herself with sporadic cell phone conversations from friends but fears that the foundation her old life was built on is quickly disappearing. Brown depicts Jersey's reaction to a frightening, life-altering situation expertly, and the protagonist's voice is authentic. For instance, a moment where one member of the family extends a rare kindness by offering to take her for a haircut prompts Jersey to realize that from now on, every decision, whether getting a haircut or deciding to take driver's ed lessons, she's truly on her ownâsomething that will resonate with readers. However, secondary characters are not as fleshed out. Because the book opens with the life-changing tornado, it's hard to get a true sense of her friends, and the new family members tend to be stock types (a brusque, sullen father; a cleavage-baring, party-loving stepmother). The book wraps up a little fast, considering how bleak Jersey's situation is throughout, but readers will be heartened to see glimpses of hope on the horizon. Overall, this is a wrenching story of the will to survive at any cost.âMahnaz Dar, School Library Journal
[Page 125]. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. - Voice of Youth Advocates Reviews : VOYA Reviews 2014 April
Sixteen-year-old Jersey survived the tornado that hit Elizabeth, Missouri, alone in her basement under her stepfather Ronnie's pool table. Her mother, Chrissy, and five-year-old sister, Marin, were at dance class and were not as lucky. After several days, Ronnie appears. Their house and belongings are destroyed. The only saved relics are Marin's favorite purse and a ceramic cat with the number "6" on it, one of sixteen anonymous birthday gifts Jersey assumes were from her father, Clay, who abandoned her at an early age. It is a complete shock when Ronnie says he is too emotional to care for her and she must move to another city to live with Clay's extended family. They make it known that they do not want her but will take her as a family obligation. Jersey and her two teenage cousins clash immediately and Jersey is forced to leave. Instead of taking her back, Ronnie takes her to Chrissy's parents, who Chrissy said disowned her when she married Clay In Torn Away, Brown, author of A Thousand Words (Little, Brown, 2013/VOYA June 2013), describes in realistic detail the physical and emotional wreckage of storm victims. Not only has Jersey lost her home, immediate family, and friends, but she is forced to live with people who do not want her as well as people she believes disowned her mother. Along with acclimating to new families, Jersey also learns that "truths" her mother told her may not have been so. Torn Away is vivid and emotional as Jersey comes to terms with her grief, new life, and new knowledge.âEd Goldberg.A great balance between natural and emotional disasters, Torn Away is a superb read. This quick read is heavy and will remain on the reader's mind for days, if not weeks, after completing the novel. The world within the novel is so realistic that the reader will experience the pain of the characters. Jersey is a likable character who really connects with the reader.  Well written and captivating, this novel is fantastic and will draw in many readers. 5Q, 4P.âRachelle David, Teen Reviewer 5Q 4P J S Copyright 2011 Voya Reviews.
