Video [Hardcover]

Karen Romano Young (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 28, 1999

When Mr. Lincoln gives his eighth-grade class an observation project, it sounds roll-your-eyes dumb to Janine and Eric. Especially since Janine can't come up with anyone interesting to observe and Mr. Lincoln won't let Eric record his observations with his ever-present video camera. It isn't until the nail-biting climax of this provocative story, when Janine is in real danger from a stranger who has insidiously slipped into her life and mind, that she and Eric discover that they both chose to observe the same person. Entries from their observation notebooks spur this finely crafted and chilling novel to a conclusion that will leave readers with a new perspective on what it can mean to watch, to look, to observe, to see.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Janine Gagnon, or "Mean Janine" as she is known by some, has always believed that her popularity is the reason she's the first-picked in any game. In reality, all of her classmates are afraid of her cruel tongue and her tendency to play humiliating pranks. Eric Gooch, on the other hand, is a quiet, unassuming student whose parents' separation has forced him to switch from his private school into Janine's public junior high. Since their first meeting, Janine and Eric have hated each other. When their science teacher asks the class to observe one another for a semester and record their findings, Janine, in true character, decides to observe herself. At his teacher's prompting Eric agrees to observe Janine, but only if he can use his video camera and only if she doesn't know about it. Slowly, through the shifting perspectives of Eric's thoughtful observations and Janine's hurried ones, it becomes clear that Janine's arrogance is really a cover for her raging insecurity: "So I was a little flat-chested, and I didn't hang around the smoky school bathroom curling my eyelashes and glomming on lip gloss. Does that mean I didn't have any friends?" However, Eric's feelings of contempt remain until he observes Janine in a dangerous situation. When Eric steps out from behind his camera to help Janine, an unlikely alliance is formed between observer and observed that changes both of their perspectives.

Karen Romano Young has written a thought-provoking novel about how taking the time to look at people from a different angle can completely change your point of view. Young's unusual take on the confusing world of adolescent relationships will undoubtedly prompt teens to take a closer look at both themselves and each other. (Ages 12 to 15) --Jennifer Hubert

From Publishers Weekly

Young shifts gears from the lighthearted mood of her debut novel, The Beetle and Me, for this suspenseful psychological drama of an eighth-grade girl and the boy who surreptitiously observes her for a spring term project. The story opens with a third-person narration of a cryptic scene in which a fisherman moves his hands "so casually over his stomach and his hips." Most of what follows, in alternating first-person narratives, is Janine Gagnon's account of the events leading up to and following the incident, and classmate Eric Gooch's reports about Janine as the subject of his study as well as his thoughts about his own life. The author creates a compelling picture of Janine as a once popular girl, fallen from favor, and her simultaneous craving for solitude and attention. As her need for solace in the wetlands near her home increases, so does her exposure to the mysterious man who fishes there; Janine's budding adolescence lends credence to her confusion as she tries to sort out the man's intentions. Eric draws his own conclusions concerning the fisherman's behavior, and his confidence in his deduction serves as the catalyst for the climactic confrontation between Janine and the fisherman. Unfortunately, the ending itself may not be wholly credible to some readers, and the third-person narrative passages that open each chapter tend to distract more than move the plot forward. But Young has once again created believable, likable characters and demonstrates a versatile range in her writing. Ages 12-up. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books; 1st edition (October 28, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688165176
• ISBN-13: 978-0688165178
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,033,481 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Suspenseful, moving, March 28, 2000

By 

Jennifer Armstrong "Jennifer Armstrong, child... (Saratoga Springs, New York USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Video (Hardcover)

A bully of a girl who doesn't understand the changes in her social circle, a boy flooded with disappointment, a video camera, and a handsome stranger -- these elements are woven together in a believable suburban setting that is immediately recognizable. The kids, with the class assignment to observe another person and keep a journal of their observations, are caught up in a frightening series of events that had me glued to the book until the final page. Karen Romano Young paints complex portraits of her young characters; they are each a pain in the neck in some ways, but each touching and sympathetic in others. A fine novel.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Wanted to like it more than I did, September 20, 2000

By 

Cathy A Belben - See all my reviews

This review is from: Video (Hardcover)

I wanted to like Video more than I did. Initially, the plot sounded intriguing: an 8th grade teacher assigns his students the project of observing another person in order to hone their skills as observers (for science and writing, I think). Eric is assigned to observe Janine Gagnon, a peer with an attitude problem. Janine can't choose anyone worth observing (in her opinion) so she chooses herself as the focus of her studies.

Eventually, Eric come across information about Janine that may account for her attitude and her anti-social behavior, which is driving away her friends. He sets out to do something with he information he has found.

The plot was not as compelling as I had hoped, and the subplots, such as they were, confused the issue and did not seem to enhance the main storyline. Janine was such an unlikeable character that I wasn't interested in seeing her problem solved. The alternating points of view, including some confusing third person portions at the beginnings of the chapters, made the story more confusing. I loved The Beetle and Me, the author's previous book, and recommend it highly. This one, however, is less appealing.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better Than Beetle, November 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Video (Hardcover)

I enjoyed this book more than The Beetle and Me. I won't go into plot much because the above reviewer has covered that well enouh. The book is told from three seperate points of view. The first, an unlikable 8th grader named Janine. The second, Eric, a boy in a leg cast who has been away at school for three years and now finds himself in public school with kids he has lived near but doesn't know. The third voice is used sparingly. It is an omniscient voice that opens each chapter and at first, I found myself confused (but intrigued) trying to guess what this was all about. The omniscient POV is used rarely and each time it is used, you seem to peeking ahead to a final conclusion. I liked it as a plot device. I also liked how the author was able to take this mean and nasty little girl and make me care about her--that is a difficult task. Well done!