Back (Orca Soundings) [Paperback]

Norah McClintock (Author)

Book Description

Series: Orca Soundings | Publication Date: April 1, 2009

Jojo's back, released from jail, and people are tense and afraid all over again. They wonder if his friends will start showing up again. They wonder if they'll be walking down the street one day and they'll run into Jojo and Jojo will give them attitude or shove them around, just for fun. Jojo's friends have a way of making it hard—really hard—on people who decide to press charges against Jojo. Those people just wish Jojo would go away and never come back. Then there are the people who have hate in their hearts. These people wish something bad would happen to Jojo. Something really bad.

Ardell Withrow is one of those people. (20090415)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

When is forgiveness not acceptable? That’s the question McClintock seems to be posing in this brief but moving novel. It’s the story of Jojo, an ex-thug returned home after serving two years in prison. No one on the block is happy to see him again, least of all Ardell, the brother of the boy Jojo beat with a crowbar. But Jojo seems to have reformed—he is quiet, deferential, and stays home to care for his ailing mother. Rallied by Ardell, the neighborhood begins to seal itself off from Jojo, not even allowing him to buy items at the corner store or call a taxi to take his mother to the doctor. Violence seems inevitable, and is, yet this doomed predestination lends a tragic power to an otherwise slim narrative. McClintock’s boldest stroke is to tell the story from the point of view of an unnamed (and ungendered) child whose proximity allows him or her access to the inscrutable half-lives observable from people’s porches and sidewalks. Perfect for reluctant readers up for some soul-searching. Grades 6-9. --Daniel Kraus

Review

"Back is sure to satisfy Norah McClintock fans as well as teens looking for an authentic urban experience in a well-told, accessible story. It is also an excellent choice for read-aloud. Highly Recommended." (CM Magazine 20090626)

"Perfect for reluctant readers up for some soul-searching." (Booklist 20091101)

"Fits the Orca Soundings template to perfection. It is suspenseful and plot-driven, and written in a neutral way that leaves much to the inference of the reader. It covers strong, current issues with realistic language." (Resource Links )

"This short but powerful story explores the topic of forgiveness and redemption from the perspective of a bystander who renames nameless and genderless...This is a good morality tale that will have reluctant readers thinking about how they would react in a similar situation. Recommended." (Southwestern Ohio Young Adult Materials Review Group )

"Bullying and revenge are common themes in young adult literature, but author Norah McClintock gives these classic themes an updated twist...The experiences in the book are ones to which almost any reader will relate." (Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 93 pages
• Publisher: Orca Book Publishers (April 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1551439891
• ISBN-13: 978-1551439891
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,356,447 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, May 1, 2009

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Back (Orca Soundings) (Paperback)

A young man just released from prison has a neighborhood upset and ready for revenge. Jojo has been nothing but trouble from an early age, and when he beat Eden Withrow within an inch of his life, he became the most unpopular guy around. Most folks don't think the two-year sentence he served was nearly long enough.

Ardell, Eden's younger brother, can't stand to see Jojo living back across the street. His brother has been in a coma since the attack and is not likely to recover. How can Jojo return to the neighborhood and pick up life where he left off? Ardell is determined to make him pay.

Jojo seems quite different now. He spends his time cooking and cleaning for his mother, and when his old girlfriend, Shana, shows up with his baby, he seems ready to accept responsibility. However, his crime is more than most people can forgive. Ardell and his gang convince shopkeepers to close their doors to Jojo, and they stake out his house and make not-so-subtle threats to his family's safety.

Can a criminal be rehabilitated? Can the victims forgive a senseless act of violence? These are the questions posed by author Norah McClintock in BACK.

Less than 100 pages, this book is surprising in the way it clearly paints a picture of an angry young man, his family, and the punk whose actions changed the course of their lives. The style of high-interest, lower reading level will certainly attract and captivate the reluctant YA reader.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"