The Lit Report (Young Adult Novels) [Paperback]

Sarah N. Harvey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2008

Julia and Ruth have been unlikely best friends since they first met in Sunday school-Ruth was standing on the Bible-crafts table belting out 'Jesus Loves Me.' Now that they're a year away from graduation, they're putting the finishing touches on their getaway plans. But their dream of a funky big-city loft and rich, interesting older men is threatened when preacher's daughter Ruth goes to a wild party without studious Julia, and all hell breaks loose. Ruth gets pregnant; Julia gets creative. Determined to support her friend and stay on track for life after high school, Julia comes up with a plan that will require all her intelligence, compassion, ingenuity and patience. Drawing on some great (and some not-so-great) works of literature, Julia proves that you can learn a lot just by opening up a book.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 10 Up—Julia Riley and her friend Ruth are stifled by their ultraconservative Christian upbringing. Ruth is a preacher's daughter whose parents have a "Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus" doorbell, while Julia's mom closes her lunch notes "In God's love." Everything changes when Ruth has sex at a party and becomes pregnant at the same time as Julia's stepmother. The teen decides to learn everything she can from Miki's midwife, Maria, so that she can conceal her pregnancy and later abandon the newborn at her father's church. In the end, Ruth keeps the baby, and her parents disown her. Julia learns to accept the change in plans while learning that one cannot always plan for every situation. Julia's love of classic literature is explored through famous first lines and some plot analysis. Harvey's novel is weighed down by her overuse of negative stereotypes in the narrow Christian world she paints, a slew of underdeveloped characters, and a disjointed, shallow plot.—Adrienne L. Strock, Maricopa County Library District, AZ
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Review

"A terrific story about a strong girl friendship...readers will be drawn into her story and will be satisfied with the conclusion. Highly recommended." (CM Magazine 20081123)

"[A] hot-button book that mixes the platitudes of literature with the realities of daily teenage life." (CD Syndicated 20081122)

"Harvey does a good job of capturing the voice of Julia, and Ruth is often a riot to read. The use of language actually spoken by teens... gives the book a realistic feel." (Quill & Quire 20081101)

*no details* (BC Bookworld 20081101)

"Harvey depict[s] authentic relationships. She also reveals, quite wonderfully, the fluid line between family and friends. She opens us up to the joyous unpredictability of life. And through the example of Julia's mother, she demonstrates the transformative power of a gentle, adaptable faith." (The Globe and Mail 20081209)

"This is a funny, moving and realistic picture of the love the friends feel for each other - like sisters - and the faithful support and care the one shows for the other. There is a lot going on in this richly realized novel, and it is even more to the author's credit that there is as much laughter as tears and that the cast is so well considered and portrayed, human beings all." (Deakin Newsletter 20081231)

"Edgy, earthy - and filled with literary references...Julia is a wonderful character with her mixture of practical wisdom and intelligence and her naivete." (KLIATT 20090101)

"This is a wonderful story of two friends who find themselves on the cusp of adulthood when they are forced into growing up in a big hurry." (Pudgy Penguin Perusals 20090101)

"A great friendship, good writing, and a unique story... definitely has teen appeal." (A Patchwork of Books blog 20081201)

*no details* (School Library Journal 20081201)

"Julia's eventful year is both insightful and funny... [a] thoughtful take on teen pregnancy made bearable by best-friend support." (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 20090101)

"...Laugh-out-loud portrait of a raucous and intelligent friendship being tested and forced to grow all at once. [Rated Excellent]." (Resource Links 20090101)

*no details* (TeensReadToo.com 20090401)

"An interesting view of teen (hidden) pregnancy, parental reaction and the misguided intentions of friendship...Highly recommended." (Tucson Unified School District 20090401)

"Readers will enjoy the story...[and] librarians will love the literary references." (Tri State Young Adult Book Review Committee 20090201)

"An original novel of triumph and friendship. It is the kind of book that makes you read long into the night." (What If? Magazine 20090201)

"The story is compelling and will likely appeal to readers. A little bit of drama, a little bit of romance, and a little bit of pop culture makes this book timely and entertaining." (VOYA 20090312)

"A bitingly funny, page turning read. Harvey's characters are witty, graphic and well-rounded, throwing stereotypes out the window...High school age students will enjoy this lively story and its excellent dialogue." (The Bookmark (BCTLA) 20090401)

*no details* (NMRLS Youth Services Book Review )

*no details* (Southwestern Ohio Young Adult Materials Review Group )

"A refreshingly original alternative to many of the more angst-ridden teen problem novels." (Canadian Children's Book News )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Orca Book Publishers; First Edition edition (October 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1551439050
• ISBN-13: 978-1551439051
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,710,710 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:

3.0 out of 5 stars A great character in a pretty-good story, April 28, 2009

By 

Bonnie Svitavsky (Puyallup, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lit Report (Young Adult Novels) (Paperback)

With the help of some famous first lines, Julia tells the story of her best friend Ruth's pregnancy, from the confession that Ruth "did it" at a party to the summer that Ruth gives birth to a baby girl, all while keeping the pregnancy a secret. Julia is a planner and a researcher, and as a devoted best friend, she does everything she can to help the sometimes volatile Ruth make it through their junior year of high school without anyone, particularly her Bible-thumping parents, know that she's pregnant. It helps that Julia's stepmother is also giving birth during the year, with the assistance of a midwife. As the year quickly goes by, Ruth and Julia begin to change, each adapting new roles that neither girl ever planned.

This is one of those strange novels that has an awesome main character - Julia is well-developed, clever, and funny - and a somewhat mediocre plot. Ruth's pregnancy is treated somewhat lightly, though there are several spots where the author seems to warn readers that it's probably not a good idea to help your teenage friend give birth without the aid of a trained doctor or any sort of medical facility. This point just doesn't ever sink in. The story also deals with post-partum depression, probably an uncommon element in young adult novels. It was nice to see this issue brought up. It was hard to understand why Ruth and Julia were friends, considering Ruth was downright abusive during most of the story. I also lost track of several other plot elements, such as Julia losing a ton of weight, the romance between Julia and Ruth's brother, or the developing relationship between Julia and her stepmother. Parts of the story work very well, but other pieces are just garbled; for example, Julia's mother just doesn't seem to be the same character as she was at the start of the book (I get that Julia gains appreciation for her mother's strength). The characters are also very anti-Christian, which I imagine could turn off a lot of readers. However, the story-telling device of using first-lines is a great one.

I'm curious to see more from this author, because it's a well-written story and can be enjoyable. I'd just like to see it tidied up a bit more. This reminded me a lot of Chris Crutcher's books.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The importance of a well-placed gherkin..., February 19, 2009

By 

Steve Vernon, horror writer (Halifax, Nova Scotia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lit Report (Young Adult Novels) (Paperback)

I picked this book up last week and read it on a downtown bus. Okay, so after reading the first chapter I will never look at a gherkin pickle the same way again. I laughed right out loud on the bus and am considering filing a lawsuit against the publisher for my resulting loss of dignity.

Chapter 2 lead to a "Wow!", that added nothing to my dignity, either.

Next morning chapter 8 elicited an "Oh my God," that brought my wife running to my reading chair in case I was experiencing a momentary cardiac arrest.

The book is a wonderful read that will hook you and it drag you straight in. Harvey keeps the reader guessing in that the book took several unanticipated turns along the way.

Each chapter is lead off with a reference to a classic such as "Pride and Prejudice", "Charlotte's Web" or "To Kill a Mockingbird". The device did make me want to go and pick up each of these novels - even though I'd read a lot of them already - and hopefully it will entice a few young readers down some interesting roads.

I recommend this novel for both young and old readers who truly love a good read.

I don't use my thumbs much in typing - except for the occasional space bar nudge - so I'll stick both of them squarely up in the air for now.

Buy this book.

Read it.

Then shelve it with those books that you keep for re-reading because you will read this again and again!

Yours in storytelling,

Steve Vernon

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, December 30, 2008

By 

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

This review is from: The Lit Report (Young Adult Novels) (Paperback)

Julia and Ruth have been friends since they met in Sunday school at the age of four. They have been inseparable ever since. They attend a Christian school. Julia's mother is all about God. Her father, a neonatal nurse, remarried Miki, a pediatrician. Ruth's father is "Pastor Pete."

One day, Ruth doesn't show up at school, making Julia somewhat unhappy. After school, Julia calls Ruth after getting a a bunch of "CALL ME NOW" text messages. Ruth confesses that she had sex at a party and is now pregnant.

Julia comes up with a plan that will help conceal the pregnancy from everyone. And they will leave the baby on the steps of Ruth's father's church after it is born.

Will the plan work out, or will Ruth decide she wants to keep the baby?

THE LIT REPORT was really good. The way Julia and Ruth spoke to each other was so real. I really liked the storyline, as well. I've never read a book where the girl is hiding her pregnancy from everyone except her best friend. Julia was a strong and smart character. I disliked Ruth somewhat for the way she treated her best friend; Julia was helping her and she didn't appreciate it.

But I think anyone could enjoy this book.

Reviewed by: Ashley B