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  $15.99
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More copies of this ISBN:This title in other formats:Would Youby Marthe Jocelyn
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:WOULD YOU RATHER know what’s going to happen or not know? A summer night. A Saturday. For Natalie’s amazing older sister, Claire, this summer is fantastic, because she’s zooming off to college in the fall. For Natalie, it’s a fun summer with her friends; nothing special. When Claire is hit by a car, the world changes in a heartbeat. Over the next four days, moment by moment, Natalie, her parents, and their friends wait to learn if Claire will ever recover. Review:"The opening chapters give little hint of the intensity of Jocelyn's (How It Happened in Peach Hill) exquisitely honed novel. Soon-to-be-high school junior Natalie and her friends like to play 'Would you...' — a game exemplified by the book's first lines: 'Would you rather know what's going to happen? Or not know?' Abruptly everything changes: Natalie's older sister, Claire, is struck by a car and rendered comatose. Jocelyn maintains a measured pace as the next few days unfold: Natalie watches her mother numb herself with tranquilizers, her father grow angry and look for someone to blame. Although the plot line sounds like that of a standard weeper, the author resists the urge to magnify emotions. Natalie reacts honestly, neither beautifully nor nobly — she is initially repulsed when a nurse asks her to massage Claire's grossly swollen feet; she lashes out at a boy who already (and needlessly) feels guilty. The light touch with which Jocelyn handles her difficult material is best seen when Claire is declared brain-dead and taken off life support: the humanity in the author's treatment affords the reader a sense both of grief and of peace. Ages 14 — up. (July)" Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Review:Starred review, The Horn Book Magazine, July/August 2008: “Divided into a series of brief, subtitled scenes, the narrative eloquently conveys how quickly ‘normal’ life can change into something surreal.” Starred review, Publisher's Weekly, June 2, 2008: “The humanity in the author's treatment affords the reader a sense both of grief and of peace.” Starred review, Booklist, July 1, 2008: "This will stay with readers for a long time." About the AuthorMarthe Jocelyn is an award-winning author and illustrator who worked for many years as a toy designer before turning her hand to writing. She has written six novels, including the critically acclaimed works of historical fiction, Mable Riley and Earthly Astonishments. Jocelyn has also written a nonfiction account of the Foundling Hospital in London, England, entitled, A Home for Foundlings. She has created eight picture books, one of which, Hannah’s Collections, was shortlisted for a Governor General’s Literary Award for Illustration. Jocelyn has also edited two collections of short stories. Marthe Jocelyn divides her time between New York and Stratford, Ontario. What Our Readers Are SayingAdd a comment for a chance to win!
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