Customer Reviews

Jumping Off Swings

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
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I am typically a slow reader because it takes a LOT to capture my attention. I read this book in one sitting!

Jo Knowles is absolutely brilliant! By alternating this story from four characters' perspectives, this book moved at a quick pace. Often, we only see how one or two characters' actions affect themselves. In Jumping Off Swings, we see how the decision made by two characters affects the lives of many people.

In this novel, the characters are truly brought to life. I was very emotionally involved while reading Swings. I could sympathize with each of the characters and their personal battles. It was almost as though I was placed in their shoes. As one would assume, the character I felt most connected with was Ellie, the teenager who becomes pregnant. She faces many interpersonal conflicts, and while I was reading I actually cried (with real tears) for her.

In Swings, Jo Knowles tackles not only teen pregnancy, but she brings to surface issues of peer pressure, family issues, friendship, romantic relationships, and the importance of confidence in one's self. She has articulately written a book that should be discussed. Not only is it captivating, but it causes you to think at a deeper level.

In my opinion, Jumping Off Swings is one of the best books of 2009, and I highly recommend it to anyone.

I picked up this book on a Friday night. I only intended to read for 20 minutes. An hour and a half later, I had to force myself to put the book down. I finished the rest in one gulp on Saturday.

I write entertainment. Jo Knowles writes the truth.

Jumping Off Swings is about what happens when a high school girl gets pregnant after a one-night stand (more like a five-minute stand). The choices she made and makes affect her, the father of the child, and their friends. The book is told from their alternating first-person points of view. It made me cry. I think many girls and women can relate to Ellie, who is looking for love but finds sex instead. And I think guys could relate to Josh, who isn't a jerk, but instead trying to figure out what it means to be a man.

I understand there have been some challenges to the book. I am unhesitatingly giving this to my 14 year old.

Excellent book; I read it in one sitting! Knowles weaves the story through different view points, creating lots of depth. Her characters are realistic and complex unlike many one-sided teenage characters in other novels. It's a quick read, but nonetheless a good one. I would highly recommend it along with her debut novel Lessons from a Dead Girl.

Ellie (in September) "I can still feel a trace of his warm lips against mine as he slips away from me and fumbles for the door to his father's van. I stay lying under the scratchy wool blanket on the backseat, wishing he'd stay. When he slides the door open, the ceiling light blinks on and exposes our faces to each other. His hair is rumpled. His brown eyes avoid mine.

"'Thanks, Ellie. See you inside?' "I nod. "He slides the door shut and leaves me in the dark."

Who can forget the exhilarating sensation of jumping off a swing and soaring through the air? Of course, the trick is to then land safely.

The four teens who narrate JUMPING OFF SWINGS -- Ellie, Josh, Caleb, and Corinne -- have grown up knowing each other and are now together in high school. The one constant and common denominator in their lives is the park that lies at the center of their neighborhood.

I did hear some stories but was never a witness to those adolescent male bonding "rituals" through which guys encourage each other to follow through on their hormonal urges at the cost of whichever vulnerable, gullible, exploitable female is at hand. To Caleb's horror, his best friend Josh has succumbed to that peer pressure and has not only taken advantage of Ellie, but has returned to the party to be enthusiastically congratulated on his conquest. He is unaware that Ellie sees some of the celebrating as she escapes the scene. And little does Josh know what the cost of losing his virginity in the van will be for the quartet.

Josh (in December)

"The swings and slide and other playground stuff are covered with snow. I stand there like an idiot, wondering how this all happened. Cars go by, splashing slush at the backs of my legs. My right hand is throbbing inside my pocket. I pull my other hand out and open my fist. The note is squeezed into a tiny ball now. I hurl it over the playground fence. It lands in the snow near the merry-go-round and disappears. I'm numb but stinging all over at the same time, and all I hear is my own voice in my head. What have I done? What have I done?"

As the days and weeks go by, we come to learn about the family dynamics of each of these four teens and begin to gain insight into why each behaves as he or she does. Where, in the past, young people could often rely on the extended family, the tribe, or the community for support when parents failed to provide love, advice, and modeling, the way we now live so often fails to provide young people with a comparable safety net of adult guidance and wisdom. And so you have many teens who have no one except for their emotionally absent parents; teens who hope that someone else can give them what they are lacking; teens who can so easily become exploited.

Ellie has permitted herself to be victimized in hopes that the boys will provide what her parents have not given her. She has made some bad decisions and now has to make the biggest decisions of her life. Meanwhile, Josh has parents who never speak to one another and so we keep reading and waiting...and waiting...for Josh to say something -- anything -- to Ellie.

And then there are Caleb and Corinne who have been talked to and held by their parents and who still have opportunities to be kids despite the peer pressure, hormones and having become entangled in Ellie's and Josh's situations.

Corinne (in March)

"Caleb unlocks the car door on my side to let me in. It's the first time anyone has done that for me.

"'So, where do you wanna go?' he asks when he climbs in.

"An image of the two of us fooling around in my room comes to mind.

"Hmmmm.

"No.

"Erase image.

"Ever since that day Ellie came out of the clinic, the whole idea of getting close to someone and then having sex scares the hell out of me. I guess Ellie finally did it. She cured me of my sex drive. "Maybe.

"'I don't know,' I say. 'It's kind of nice out. Somewhere outside?'

"'I know the perfect place,' he says."

I rarely comment on book covers. Usually I judge a cover to be either mildly eye-catching, passable, or seriously lacking. JUMPING OFF SWINGS has a cover that immediately persuaded me to grab it and read it.

Hopefully those teens who are similarly inspired will pick up some helpful hints on landing safely and in one piece.

I can't remember the last time a book made me sob this hard.

Jumping Off Swings is so beautifully written, so fiercely honest and so compelling. I read it in one intense session, because I Could Not Stop reading it. There are four different POV characters, some of whom hate or avoid each other now for really good, sympathetic reasons, and yet all four were equally compelling and real, and by the end, I cared desperately about all four of them. This is a book that never compromises the emotional truth of the very difficult situation, but it's not a grim read at all - it's just right.

I loved it, and I want to push it on everyone I know. It really is that good.

Jumping Off Swings is the story of Ellie, Josh, Caleb, and Corinne. Ellie just wants to be loved. She has hooked up with quite a few boys. Each time, she is sure that it will be more then just sex. While Ellie is with them, she feels loved for a bit. Well, something that happened with Josh that wasn't suppose to happened, Ellie gets pregnant. Josh doesn't have a reaction, when Ellie tells him. He has a hard home life and feels shame and heartbreak. Caleb and Corinne deal with emotions, about Ellie and Josh. All four teenagers are forced to grow up a little faster, and make impossible decisions.

Ellie, Josh, Caleb, and Corinne are all amazing characters. I liked Ellie. She had a hard time accepting it as anyone in that situation would. It was good to see it in Josh's view. About the regret for how he acted and how he wish he could take it back. Caleb was so sweet and lovely. Corinne was strong and independent. Caleb and Corinne's relationship was sweet and similar to any teen romance. Jumping Off Swings didn't have a very fast plot, but it was still interesting and intense at times. It wasn't the most original novel on pregnancy, but it was presented well. Knowles is an amazing writer. I was well described and amazing. Jumping Off Swings was amazing and I would recommend it to anyone. You should definitely check it out.

Once I had the pleasure of hearing Jo Knowles present at the NESCBWI agent/author panel and she was simply lovely - intelligent, gentle, and giving. Then I had the pleasure of reading an ARC of her latest novel JUMPING OFF SWINGS and that forever imprinted her in my mind. Her talent is evident here - the prose straightforward, but powerful, while the dialogue is natural and emotionally charged. I stayed up until I finished it, because I couldn't wait for morning to discover the ending.

This YA novel examines the tragedy of teen pregnancy from four points of view - Ellie, the girl who becomes pregnant; Josh, the teen father, and Corinne and Caleb, their two best friends. That choice of having four first-person narratives is perfect, as we see how the pregnancy impacts each one. The chapters alternate between them, each labeled. Knowles' writing is so clear and her voices so distinct, however, that I found myself actually ignoring the titles as I rushed to see what would happen next...and I always knew whose voice I was hearing.

The imagery in JUMPING OFF SWINGS is well done, too. I especially loved the scenes in the playground, tender, laced with regret. Knowles makes each setting distinct and provides the reader with enough variety to keep it interesting, but not so much that it confuses. The structure of the novel is even, with a nice flow from beginning to end. The plot arc pulls us through each scene, tugging us toward the ending, as we yearn for answers to Ellie's situation.

As an educator and writer, I always love a book for teens that has a vital message and strong themes. Often times, unfortunately, authors feel they need to beat the reader over the head with both to get them to understand. Jo Knowles knows better. She understands her readers. She doesn't say, "Hey, kids, let's all remember: don't have a baby when you're still a kid yourself!" Instead, she shows us the pain it causes, the chasms it creates, and the scars it leaves. She gently takes us by the hand and leads us along the darkened path, illuminating the characters' souls, exposing their needs and wants to all. We are left to make our own decisions, but her writing is so poignant and lyrical - and true - that there is really only one path we can follow after the last word is read.

Sadly, I had a friend who experienced a similar situation to Ellie's when she was young. Her gut-wrenching sobs came back to me as I read this novel. Knowles captures that angst perfectly. Her characters wrestle with the same torments, made all the worse when Ellie's pregnancy becomes known. At one point, I actually clutched the book to me and cried, as if I was consoling my friend all those years ago.

The dialogue throughout is thoughtful and natural, and even though there are surprises with the plot, it is all so realistic. Teens will love this novel for the straightforward way it deals with a sensitive topic and the path Knowles takes in capturing the anguish. Although the subject matter is weighty, the reader is shown patches of light through use of humor and the strong theme of friendship.

This YA novel has both adult situations and language, but is not too graphic. Both male and female teens will appreciate the style and alternating points of view and JUMPING OFF SWINGS would make for great discussions with literature circles and book clubs. Adult readers, especially women, will find this novel of interest, as well. If you are searching for a novel that will touch your heart and leave you contemplating it long after you are finished, read JUMPING OFF SWINGS by Jo Knowles.

Available August 11, 2009 by Candlewick Press from both indie bookstores near you and major booksellers! To see the author's website, go to: [..]

In Jo Knowles's well-received first novel, LESSONS FROM A DEAD GIRL, the author examined how patterns of abuse and dysfunction formed in childhood can have unforeseen implications years down the road. In her second work of fiction, JUMPING OFF SWINGS, Knowles also explores the surprisingly wide-reaching influence of a single event.

Ellie is a good girl --- a quiet girl, the kind who has never caused her parents any trouble. But she has quickly become the kind of girl she never thought she would be: the kind the boys talk about in the locker room, the kind whose bad reputation is known to kids in other grades, the kind who finds ugly words scrawled on her locker, the kind whose parents would be shocked to know what she does at many parties.

Ellie's big problem is that she has never learned how to say no, never learned to value herself the way the boys seem to when she's with them: "Their hands felt so good, wanting me. Needing me. Their words made me feel beautiful. Irresistible. Even powerful for that one brief moment before it was over. But I was none of those things. I was nothing."

Josh has known Ellie since elementary school. But when he has the chance to have sex with her at a high school party, he jumps at the opportunity --- he is one of the last of his friends to lose his virginity, and has heard that Ellie will have sex with anyone. He doesn't realize until too late, though, that having sex with Ellie will not only ruin any friendship they ever had, but also might change his relationship with his good friend Caleb.

Caleb has loved Ellie forever, but unlike his other guy friends, he respects her enough to keep his hands off her. So when he hears Josh and the other guys bragging about their exploits, he's not sure how to feel. And when Ellie grows increasingly distant, he's worried that he's lost her, too. He and Ellie's best friend, Corinne, share the bond of loving Ellie and trying to help her however they can.

Corinne knows that Ellie's parents don't respect her --- the fact that everyone is aware that her older sister, Ava, had an abortion seems to rub off on Corinne's reputation, too, at least with Ellie's family. But when Ellie reveals that she's expecting a baby after her night with Josh, Corinne knows she needs to help Ellie in any way she can, whether Ellie makes the same choice as Ava or a different one altogether.

Told in chapters from each character's point of view, JUMPING OFF SWINGS provides glimpses into each of their lives. It illustrates not only their interactions with each other, but also the personal and family challenges each faces, challenges that are often wound up in this new pregnancy crisis that affects each of them in different ways.

Young adult novels about teen pregnancy can sometimes seem to be a dime a dozen. In JUMPING OFF SWINGS, however, Knowles takes a refreshing approach to the subject, vividly illustrating how a single event --- one that is too often cloaked in silence and shame --- actually has a much broader effect than just on the teen mother. Knowles inspires readers to look at the secrets they share or hold inside and to think about how their actions can affect a surprising number of lives.

--- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

Jumping Off Swings is told from the point of view of four teenagers, using alternating chapters. This is one of my absolute favourite narrative techniques, and is the main reason I read this book in the first place.

I really enjoyed Knowles' writing style, and her ability to make me care for every single character she presented. I sympathised with them, I understood their worries and, more than anything, I wanted them to be okay. Caleb's relationship with his mother, Liz, was a high point for me, as well as Corinne's devotion to Ellie. Strong, lasting friendships can be hard to come by, but if they can survive a life-changing event like the one Corinne and Ellie experience, it's more than likely they'll last for life.

The subject of teen pregnancy is handled well, and shines a spotlight on the ramifications of unprotected sex. For most girls, an unplanned pregnancy would be top of their list of worst nightmares, and I'm glad that it wasn't handled lightly here. Seeing it from Josh's male perspective was both interesting and unusual, and it's good to find out how a boy would react in this situation, as their feelings are often forgotten or glossed over. I'm a big fan of teenage realism, and Knowles definitely knows how to write her characters with truth and sincerity.

Although Jumping Off Swings has good protagonists and an emotional story, I felt like it was missing something. I enjoyed it, but it didn't have that spark, or that feeling you get when you know you've read something special. I think its importance lies within the messages it's trying to get across -- respect yourself, appreciate your friendships, and never let one bad desicion shape the rest of your life.

I have never been so taken in by a book before. I've now read the book TWICE and it was fantasic both times. If you are look for a great teen read, Jumping off Swings is it. You get so connected with each of the four character that you can help but feel happy, sad, and angry for them. In my top 3 favorite books for sure.