Say Yes [Mass Market Paperback]

Audrey Couloumbis (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

When twelve-year-old Casey came home to an empty apartment, she didn't think much of it. But when she wakes up the next morning, and her stepmother, Sylvia, still hasn't come home, she knows that something is wrong. What has happened to Sylvia, and will she ever come back? Casey doesn't know who she'll turn to now-she doesn't have any other family-and she's afraid that the police will put her in foster care. When the landlord's teenaged son offers to help, Casey is more than willing to accept-until she learns that his help comes at a price. If Casey says yes, she'll be breaking the law. If she says no, she doesn't know how she'll survive. For any kid who's dreamed about independence, Say Yes will be an eye-opening, heart-stopping glimpse of that reality.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Couloumbis gets the suspense going at a high pitch from the start of this gripping novel, quite a dramatic departure in theme from her Newbery Honor book, Getting Near to Baby. In the first chapter, narrator Casey describes her morning exchange with her stepmother, Sylvia; by the second chapter, Sylvia is gone. The woman's sudden disappearance will be as unsettling and incomprehensible to readers as it is to the 12-year-old protagonist, who is now completely alone (her father has died). As this intriguing story progresses, the mystery of why Sylvia abandoned Casey becomes less relevant than the girl's struggle to fend for herself in her New York City apartment. Sixteen-year-old Paulie, the streetwise foster son of the building's super, is the only one who has figured out that Casey is living alone. He hatches a plan to help her get money for food and rent, but requires her to take part in a robbery. Besides battling with her conscience, Casey must make hard choices about whom she can trust and whom she should protect. She remains loyal to Sylvia, although it seems unlikely she will return. At the same time, Casey becomes increasingly reliant on Paulie. Rather than drawing clear lines between villains and heroes in this modern-day survival tale, Couloumbis invents realistically complex characters, whose morals are tested by fear and desperation, and a world in which right ultimately defeats wrong. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-7 A suspenseful novel about a 12-year-old who must quickly learn self-reliance under very stressful circumstances. After her father died, Casey was legally adopted by her needy stepmother, Sylvia. As the book opens, she realizes that Sylvia has abandoned her in their New York City apartment, leaving no note and only $55. Uncertain whether the woman will return, Casey must deal with daily routines like homework and meals. Initially planning on keeping her current circumstances secret, she tells her sinister landlord's teenage foster son. Paulie takes Casey under his wing, involving her in a burglary. The two kids face a number of close calls, culminating in an incident in which Paulie is beaten up by his foster parent. Two weeks after Sylvia's disappearance, her mother, Fran, arrives to help both Casey and Paulie. Shortly thereafter the repentant Sylvia returns and the two women resolve the situation. Couloumbis builds almost unbearable tension as Casey attempts to make sense of her life. The interesting plot will keep readers' attention, and Casey, Paulie, and Fran are appealing, realistic characters. Both young people illustrate the lengths to which desperation can drive a person, even knowing that these actions are morally wrong. With Casey, readers learn that "There's a time to say yes and a time to say no." Pair this title with Donna Jo Napoli's Three Days (Dutton, 2001) for some nail-biting reading experiences. -B. Allison Gray, South Country Library, Bellport, NY
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Speak (November 24, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142501867
• ISBN-13: 978-0142501863
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #738,634 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #53 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Family Life > Stepfamilies
  • #70 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Social Issues > Dysfunctional Relationships

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Heart-Stopping Story, June 28, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Say Yes (Hardcover)

I loved author Couloumbis's first book, so I was eager to read this one. I liked it even better! The characters are as well-drawn, but the plot is swifter and more intricate. The struggles of a young girl to keep her life intact in a big city when she is abandoned by a stepmother she loves--and thinks loves her--are heart-stopping at times. But without being sappy, the ending does bring things "right". I was glad--Casey and her seemingly hard-boiled friend are both kids that touch your heart, and deserve a reasonable solution to their problems.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Carolyn's Review, December 6, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Say Yes (Mass Market Paperback)

I read a Nutmeg book titled Say Yes by Audrey Couloumbis. It is an amazing realistic fiction story that is set in present time.
The main characters in this story were a 12 year old girl named Casey, a 16 year old boy named Paulie, and Sylvia, Casey's stepmother. Casey is a quiet kid who will do almost anything so she won't have to go to foster care. Paulie is a foster child in the same apartment building Casey lives in with her stepmother Sylvia. Paulie is the "NY townie" and is like a big brother to Casey as they both share something in common. Sylvia is a loving stepmother who would like someone she could lean on for help and support. The people she had chosen to be with have not been Casey's favorites!
The main problem in the book occurs when Casey has to face something many children could never dream of -- she comes home and nobody is there! Casey has to choose between breaking the law or ending up someplace where she would be unhappy. It is a difficult decision, but she doesn't want to go to foster care.
My favorite part of the book was when she found out what she had to do to survive. I was shocked to read what Casey would have to do and the guts it would take to do it. This was my favorite part because it was really suspenseful since I didn't know what she would say or do next.
I really enjoyed reading this book because it had a lot of excitement and surprises which pulled me in and made not want to put the book down. I would recommend this book to people who love surprises and action, since this book was filled with them! I really am glad I read this book, and you should take the time and read this amazing story about Casey and her difficult problems she has to solve.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Elle's Book Review, December 1, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Say Yes (Mass Market Paperback)

Say Yes, by Audrey Couloumbis takes place in New York City, in modern times. It is realistic fiction, and is kind of like a survival story. It is in a form where the sentences are very short and the chapters are only about 1-5 pages long.

The main character in this story is Casey, who is a twelve-year-old girl. Another main character in the story is Paulie, who is the around fifteen-year-old adopted son of Mr. Loach, the super of Casey's apartment. There is also Fran, Casey's step-grandmother, Sylvia, Casey's stepmother, and Karen, Casey's best friend. In the book, Casey and Sylvia are living together in an apartment. Then, one day when Casey comes home from school, Sylvia is gone. Her clothes aren't in her closet and some of her belongings are missing from her room. Casey has to survive by herself so Children's Services don't take her away to be adopted, since she has no other family. She isn't left with much money, and it soon runs out. Then, Paulie offers Casey a choice where she could have enough money for rent and food for a long time, but it's against the law. Casey has to decide whether or not to take the choice, and how to survive if she doesn't.

The main problem of the book is all throughout the book. Casey has to hide that nobody is taking care of her, and she has to act perfectly normal around everybody. She also has problems with money, and the apartment turns into a junkyard because there is nobody to clean it. The problems of this book are person vs. person, person vs. self and even person vs. society in some cases.

My favorite part of the book was when Casey goes to the zoo to escape all her problems and to just relax. There are flashbacks of what she and Sylvia used to do at the zoo, and the things they paid attention to most of all. This was my favorite part of the book because it is different than the rest of the plot; it's just a break where Casey shows a different, more sensitive, side to herself.

I liked this book a pretty good amount because it has a good storyline and it's interesting, but it's kind of creepy in some parts and even a little disgusting. I would recommend it to people who like survival stories, since Casey has to live on a little amount of money that Sylvia left behind. It's a kind of sad book too, and it has a good amount of suspense and action. It's a unique book that I think most people would like. I would give Say Yes 4 stars. * * * *