34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A good book that should recieve some kind of award, December 15, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Joy School (Ballantine Reader's Circle) (Paperback)
A Good Book That Should Receive Some Kind of Award
For one project in my English class this quarter, I spontaneously decided to read Joy School by Elizabeth Berg. I could not put this book down. It might as well have been tied to my hand, as it rarely saw the bookshelf, a table, or a desk in two weeks.
This book was mainly about a girl named Katie, a teenager whose mother has died, so now she is living with her father. To make times worse for Katie, she has moved from her Texas home to Missouri. She doesn't fit in at her new school or in her neighborhood. She has one friend, Cynthia, in her new town. One day she goes ice skating at a nearby pond, and falls through the ice. She manages to get out of the water, and wanders to a gas station across the street. The gas station is run by a man named Jimmy, who Katie develops an instant crush on. Jimmy is ten years older, however, so Katie only tells a few people.
Later on in story, Katie meets Taylor Sinn, a new girl at school. Taylor and Katie become friends, and Katie learns some things about Taylor that she would rather not be a part of. For instance, Taylor steals outfits from stores and doesn't pay for meals when she eats out. Taylor also does other things, which I will not go into detail on. I can't say much more without giving away some key plot points, so I'll stop here with the plot outline.
I find this book excellent. On a scale, one being awful and ten being the best thing I ever read, this book is way off the chart and has found its way into the twenties. This is in all probability the best book that I ever read to date. I think that everyone should read this book, unless they are under 13 or 14, due to some (a-HEM) adult language/scenes. Otherwise, this book was excellent and if you are looking for a good book, try this one.
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24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A joy to read!, May 27, 2000
This review is from: Joy School (Ballantine Reader's Circle) (Paperback)
As her readers have come to expect, Elizabeth Berg's book, Joy School, is a wonderful sequel and continuation of the story about Katie, whom we first meet in Durable Goods. And while this book can easily stand alone, I do suggest that both books be read.
Joy School now finds Katie once again living with her father but this time on a different army base and in a different part of Texas. Her sister is still off with her boyfriend and instead of her neighbor and confidant Cherylann, Katie now has a housekeeper who becomes her close friend.
Although Katie has found it difficult to find true friends, after an accident she does meet an older man, and he becomes her main interest.
As Katie forms a serious crush on this 25 year old, it's as if all of the bad in her life is somehow being erased and she thinks to herself that "He will be my joy school."
This is a poignant and memorable story of young love which I imagine many readers will identify with from their own first love experiences.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not as good as I hoped, January 8, 2004
This review is from: Joy School (Ballantine Reader's Circle) (Paperback)
I absolutely love Elizabeth Berg and started to fall in love when I first read her novel "Open House". I was soooo excited to finally read "joy school". Well, it did not add up to Berg's other books at all, and I was very disappointed. Since I am in my early 20s, I found the character Katie to be nothing like a 13 year old. Her character was very unbelieveable. I constantly felt like I was rolling my eyes at Katie while I was reading. In Berg's other books, the characters are dynamic and interesting and believeable. This book was not all I hoped!
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