Things Change [Paperback]

Patrick Jones (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 4, 2006

They say opposites attract, and that could be the only explanation for overachiever Johanna's attraction to a stoner like Paul. But getting Paul into her life turns out to be the easy part. Keeping Paul happy is far tougher. And keeping Paul happy is a must, because when he's not, Johanna becomes his target. Can she find the strength to put her own safety above Paul's happiness?

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 8 Up-Johanna, 16, is a straight-A student with near perfect SATs. She adores Paul, a handsome senior, from a shy, self-conscious distance. When he begins to return her affections, she's dumbfounded and ecstatic. Then he hits her. Scared, she leaves him. He promises to change. Her heart and fragile ego win over her brain and self-respect and she takes him back. All the while he drinks and writes maudlin, self-pitying letters to his dead dad. As Janet Tashjian did in Fault Line (Holt, 2003), Jones adds an abusive father to give his teenage abuser pathos. The great difference between the two stories is in the deftness with which Tashjian created a truly charming abuser. Jones states over and over that Paul is funny, but often fails to show this in his interactions with Johanna. His quips are so smarmy and ingratiating that readers doubt her intelligence just because she laughs. The characters often speak without contractions, so the dialogue can be more stiffly editorial than believably teenage. Images are repeated as motifs, but most are more tiresome than meaningful. The constant references to Bruce Springsteen, which may confuse or annoy a 2004 teen, fail to move the plot or establish mood; the music serves only as a cheap symbol of Paul's anger. Johanna's struggle, pain, and final liberation are more convincingly written, and the novel shines in her scenes with Kara, a popular girl who suspects Paul's abuse. An earnest though clumsily told story.
Johanna Lewis, New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 8-11. Sixteen-year-old Johanna has always been "daddy's perfect tough little Marine girl"--a determined student who usually gets what she wants. Now she has her first boyfriend, Paul, the disturbing, anger-filled student body president. As Johanna and Paul become more involved, Johanna's grades drop, her relationships with her parents and best friend are compromised, and her life is jeopardized. From the opening sentence, "I want you to kiss me," to the ominous conclusion, this is a compelling novel about teen dating, violence, and the tangled web of love and pain that permeates such dangerous relationships. Paul's pinning the blame on his violent father, who died long ago, may seem pat, and angry, poignant letters to his dad seem contrived, but readers will easily understand Johanna's excitement and attraction, as well as her need for love and security. Jones, the author of a number of professional materials for YA librarians, avoids didacticism in a debut novel that is both forceful and cautionary. For YAs wanting still another book on the subject, suggest Sarah Dessen's Dreamland (2000). Frances Bradburn
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Paperback: 228 pages
• Publisher: Walker Childrens (April 4, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802777465
• ISBN-13: 978-0802777461
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #707,084 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #64 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Social Issues > Dysfunctional Relationships

More About the Author

Author of teen novels Things Change (Walker, 2004) and Nailed (Walker / Bloomsbury, 2006).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Impact Was Change, August 6, 2005

By 

Teacher Flint "DDG" (Grand Blanc, MI USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Things Change (Hardcover)

As a high school teacher, I assigned this book for reading in a literature circle. One of my male non readers was sitting in the hallway while an almost non reader (also male) was reading aloud. They were hanging on every word, and trying desperately to finish the book in time for the discussion. I almost cried to think that they finally had found something that made them want to read. When everyone had finished the book, the discussion was lively, animated, and the book had appealed to both males and females, something that is a bit rare for this age group.

Another student even wrote a note thanking me for letting her read a book which because of its realistic character portrayals which helped her see herself through someone's eyes.

Forced to read the book, I was cringing, as I hate YA literature. What a delight to learn that this was a novella that would not be put down. I found myself carrying it around all day until I was finished. Jones obviously has some talent for creating realistic characters, realistic situations, and a plot that enthralls readers.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a refreshing change of pace., April 5, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Things Change (Hardcover)

Although it could be called a Young Adult novel, "Things Change" is an honest examination of obsessive teen romance that defies such a neat genre categorization. Paul, the male protagonist, is a warts-and-all example of the insecure smart aleck whose charm and quick wit obscures his flashes of temper and deep insecurities. His girlfriend Johanna is heartbreakingly vulnerable and intelligent, and her acceptance of Paul's scarier shortcomings is a poignant example of how love can bind you to another person in unforeseen ways. Both characters have to break their respective patterns of behavior in order to move forward with their relationship and to mature as people. That nothing is resolved neatly or sentimentally is a testament to the book's honesty and lasting value as a document of the good, bad, and ugly of first love.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Astounding!, April 27, 2004

By 

Grace Nonemaker (St. Paul, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Things Change (Hardcover)

I found this book to be very engaging, vividly realistic and astounding. I think the author has an excellent understanding of what makes a book easy to understand while having a deep, intellectual and meaningful underlying/hidden message. I loved the use of symbols; they were interesting, very purposeful, and meaningful. I adored this book; the message, plot, organization, writing style, characters and the ending. The way it was written was with passion and intelligence. It was easy to read and easy to apply to the real world, and real world situations. I think this book is very important to read as well as being fun to read, no matter how old you are. Everyone should read this book, even if you don't like novels or the genre. This is one of the best books I have ever read!