Customer Reviews

Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape)

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Since her then-boyfriend announced he was gay several months back, things have finally started to settle down in Belle's life. Her relationship with Tom is going strong, her best friend Em's all lovey-dovey with her boyfriend, and even Belle's mom has found a man she adores. The classmate who attacked Belle last year has been transferred to another school, and the freedom of summer is fast approaching. Still, Belle can't help worrying that life can't possibly be as good as it seems. Tom hasn't made the move to go all the way yet, and she can't stop fretting that there's something wrong that she isn't seeing.

Unfortunately for Belle, it turns out she's right--but it's not something with Tom. First, to Belle's dismay, her seizures start happening with no apparent trigger. Then Em makes a life-changing discovery and swears Belle to secrecy. Belle sees her dreams of an easy transition to university with friends and boyfriends falling apart. As she struggles to figure out what's true, and to deal with her growing uncertainty, she is forced to question the things everyone takes for granted. Why do difficult things happen to people she's sure are "good?" Is the boy who attacked her really all bad, or is it okay for her to feel sympathy for him when she hears his father hitting him? What's the real story behind the snarky remarks and angry accusations of her long-time nemesis, Mimi? And most importantly, can Belle be "popular," loving, and "good," and stay true to herself all at the same time?

LOVE (AND OTHER USES FOR DUCT TAPE) has the same charm and emotionally wrenching honesty as its prequel, TIPS ON HAVING A GAY (EX) BOYFRIEND. Belle is an engaging narrator, struggling to do the right thing even when she knows not everyone agrees on what that "right" thing is. Her reactions to the changing circumstances around her are believable, and readers will eagerly follow her every step of the way. The other characters, both teens and adults, are equally well-drawn, in many shades of gray, never black and white. The book raises many hot topic issues, from teen sex and pregnancy to gay rights, but it keeps them personal and real, without any preaching or judgments. Ultimately, this is a story about Belle defining who she is and who she wants to be. It's a journey every teen must take, and this novel should be equally universal in its appeal.

Highly recommended.

Reviewed by: Lynn Crow

I finished the book about half an hour ago, having intended on reading it along with Carrie's first one in sequence. Having mislaid book one, I enjoyed the first decent weekend in Maine, sitting in the sun and losing myself in this book. It has numerous things going for it; humor, sadness, fully-fleshed characters, particularly the unlikable ones (the author does a fine job making their less than nice words and behavior make sense), explanations in stream-of-consciousness that hold water in terms of why everyone acts as they do and last, but not least, a terrific story. I expected Belle's constant return to thoughts about sex might wear thin, but they never did, nor did her preoccupation with who she really was. This is a book that will get plenty of circulation in my small public library.

Senioritis . . . deep girl friend relationships . . . the mystery of boyfriends . . . humor . . . poignancy . . . secrets . . .

duct tape.

This fabulous sequel to Tips on Having a Gay Ex Boyfriend has it all!

Em and Belle are the best of friends who'd do anything for each other. So when Em confesses a huge secret, Belle is right there for her as always. Belle promises not to tell; not her love-bitten mother, not her new hot boyfriend, not Em's fun-loving boyfriend, not their classmates and not her gay ex-boyfriend. The longer the secret goes on, the more it weighs both girls down.

Carrie vividly captures the highs and lows of teenage life. Belle and Emily were so real to me, their actions and reactions so true, I fell into this book completely and was sad to see it end.

Another great one by Carrie Jones. This one deals with different, edgy issues, again tastefully done even if I don't necessarily share the same moral values as the protagonist.

Things that made this book quirky and fun.

1. Tom makes things out of duct tape.
2. Belle lives for her friends but is constantly having them accuse her of being self-involved.
3. The evil boy next door ends up being not so evil.
4. Em, the observant, picture taking best friend who sees all kinds of things in others, doesn't understand herself.
5. Lots of references to Postum.
6. A popular protagonist who labels everyone but refuses to let anyone label her (even in a good way).

This book was in fantastic condition and the delivery time was very good. I was happy to find this book (as it was a little hard for me to locate) and the price was good too!

I love this book, it's a awesome book so is tips. i do wish it had more of a ending though she left so much open is this book, which the one thing i love about books is the story always stays the same and u can always go back, but i also like to have a nice taste in my mouth when i'm done. this just left me wondering what is going to happen to her friend, and with belle and her boyfriend, and the dude across the street. i'm scared she will do that with the need series too. she is better than stephenie meyer, but stephenie leaves u with a ending to be ok with well except with the host. when it all falls down this book is worth the time all her books are...she's straight to the point they are easy to follow ur not wondering what the hell, at amy point.

This book, the sequel to Tips on Having a Gay (Ex)Boyfriend, made me feel like I was in high school again. It was funny and sad and wonderful. And I was reminded that the tiniest sensory details can make a book shine. The rip in the vinyl seat of a pickup truck. A crack in the sidewalk that looks like New Hampshire. I was sad when this one ended.

Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape) is what a young adult novel ought to be. Challenging and thought provoking, and always real and accessible. I teach middle school, and this is the kind of YA novel that my 7th grade readers aren't ready for just yet -- more of a high school title -- but it will be well worth the wait.

In Tips for Having a Gay (Ex) Boyfriend, Carrie Jones introduced readers to Belle, a high school senior who was fairly content with her life until her boyfriend broke up with her, realizing that he was gay, shaking up not only his world and hers but their school as well.

Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape) picks up right where Tips left off. This book has plenty of love to go around, and it mixes the happy with the sad, the good with the bad. As they approach the end of their senior year, Belle and her best friend Emily talk about their future lives more than ever. When something unexpected happens and Em needs her more than ever, Belle is right there for her, but Em's secret noticeably weighs them both down.

Belle struggles with a lot in this book. It's weird for her to see her mother dating. It's difficult for her to share her music with others. At times, she feels undeserving of attention from her new boyfriend Tom; other times, she wishes she knew if their relationship means as much to him as it does to her. When her seizures return, she doesn't want to tell anyone else about her condition, but she accidentally confides in someone who might not be trustworthy.

Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape) is on my list of Best Books of 2008 (So Far). It is just as good if not better than its predecessor. Rather than condemning or stereotyping her characters, Carrie Jones allows them to mess up and to learn from their mistakes. There's beauty in flaws, and considerant, observant Belle is just the person to see that beauty - in others, in her world, in herself.

I read Tips on having a Gay-Ex Boyfriend for my YA Lit course this past semester and really enjoyed it. I wanted to read more about Belle's new relationship with Tom. I have a thing about guys named Tom. It seems to always be the name of the boy I am crushing on. Things start to happen in Belle's life that get her insecure again and also a lot goes on with her best friend. You learn a lot more about Belle's back round like her father. If you liked Tips...you'll definitely like Love.