Customer Reviews

Wish You Were Here

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
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The novel Wish You Were Here by Barbara Shoup was a literary work of art. I appreciated how she did not over-intensify situations, but made realistic so that you could understand and relate to the characters. I particularly liked the plot of the story. It was constantly changing and that made it all that much more interesting to read. There was situation after situation, dealing with everything from peer pressure and sex, to love, hate and also tragedy. Not many authors can write with the amount of realism and honesty that she does, and it was a great mix of modern day issues with hard situations and not always the best solution to it, but always a solution. I think that everybody should read this book. I guarantee you will enjoy it.

Wish You Were Here
Teenagers today face tougher obstacles than just a typical calculus exam or debate speech. Love, sex, and popularity make for some pretty confusing and tough decision making on our young adults these days. Not always getting the credit they rightfully deserve, teenagers are the future doctors, lawyers, and executives of tomorrow and are forced to deal with today's biggest issues everyday. Barbara Shoup's Wish You Were Here is as close as it gets to a true reality story of one young man trying to find his place in the world amidst his parent's separation, remarriage, and several other difficult endeavors. A story we call all relate to at one point in our life, Jackson Watt takes the reader on a bumpy ride of happiness, tragedy, discovery, and a friendship truly written in the stars!
Jackson Watt never had much idea of what a real family was supposed to be like seeing how his was non-existent. His mother and father's differences were too much for either one to handle and they found no better alternative than to walk away. Like any other divorce today, Jackson was torn between his business woman for a mom and a punk band member for a father who was still trying to live out his childhood. Jackson felt as any other normal child would in this position, totally and utterly alone. Fortunately for him, he had someone to turn to. Brady was Jackson's best friend for as long as anyone could remember. They got each other through everything as though it was them against the world. With their futures planned to parallel one another Jackson thought they would be together forever; that is, until Brady up and split one day, right before the boys' senior year, leaving his problems and Jackson's with the confused and troubled teenager.
With Brady gone and no indication of ever returning, Jackson is left with no other choice then to move on in search of his future on his own. His mother, who at the time of the book's start, has been seeing a man named Ted who has two young girls of his own. Well, of course, you guessed it! It is not long before the two announce their engagement. Jackson, who never had much of a family to begin with, suddenly is thrown a new father and two younger sisters who are not too accepting of his shooting from the hip personality. Together the new family begins their journey together in the beautiful weather of Jamaica where Jackson is more than pleased to meet the gorgeous and adoring Amanda. Whether it was fate or just a coincident that this meeting took place in paradise, the two instantly began a relationship the pair never realized they had been missing so much.
All good things must come to an end as in any other storybook romance and Jackson and Amanda both had lives to return to. Their bond was far from over, though. However, with a new family, new house, and practically a whole new life, Jackson had plenty to preoccupy himself with. The love struck boy didn't get much of a chance to settle in on returning home, unfortunately, due to the tragic news he was met with upon arrival. His father had a very bad fall at work while the family had been away and was in critical condition at the time. With Jackson and his mother scared to death, they rushed to the hospital and were at his side until he woke up. Jackson was of course relieved at his father's survival, but was unaware of just how long the road to recovery truly can be.
Any sane individual would be driven crazy by just the issues of Jackson's family, but that was not the end for our in between teen. There was something else or shall we say someone else waiting for Jackson's expected return. Her name was Stephanie and she and Jackson had always had a unique relationship. Whether it was friendship or something more it was never easy to tell. What Jackson was not prepared, for though, was a dependence on the feeling of someone's loving or needing touch. The connection between Stephanie and Jackson was never clear, but their need for one another seemed to grow with each passing day until they discovered they both were in way over their heads!
From family endings to family beginnings Jackson Watt saw his share of ups and downs throughout his still very young life. Aside from all the commotion at home, Jackson was forced to deal with and experience a number of other trials and tribulations every teenager today must at one time encounter. These experiences and situations are what truly shaped and formed the man Jackson eventually grew into. In the words of Jackson Watt himself, "It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine," truly describes just what his experiences have taught him. Every one of us can relate to something Jackson went through and everyone us can say, "yeah that was me once," while flipping through the pages of this truly all around wholesome book. For anyone that ever has felt absolutely alone or that their life has come to a stand still while everyone else is zipping by, this book comes highly recommended. With a rating that ranks up there with the stars, people like Jackson Watt are living and breathing in all of us today and it is up to us whether or not we choose to set that person free. Jackson learned more than anything else that it is okay to need someone and until he was willing to give into that he would never get anywhere. Just perhaps there is a very simple lesson in this young adult novel that all of us should stop and think about!

My tastes in young adult often run to humor, so I was not sure what to expect with "Wish You Were Here." What I found was a beautifully written book that looked at friendship and relationships very frankly and dealt with notions of responsibility. When I read it, a couple of years ago, it really spoke to me. The main character all of a sudden has to face his school and his life alone. People who had depended on his best friend now start to depend on him. And he has to understand what it means to be himself and to care about other people. This book is almost as compelling for the other story, the story of the friend who runs away. Shoup shows without telling what irresponsible behavior is and does through his destructive lifestyle and his actions with his former best friend. This book is a good read and is also a sober and mature look at young adult issues.

This book is so wonderful! I never ener once in my life finished a book like this outside of school. Jackson Watt is about to discover the advantages and disadvantages of being in your senior year of high-school. And even if you are older than 18 it is still a wonderful book to read anytime. You will cry with him and feel his pain you can also recognize his happines and resolutions of his problems. litteraly you are in the story You have yo read this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Five stars!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jackson pretty much had a normal teenage life. With two parents who were overly worried about him due to their divorce, to his best friend, Brady, who pretty much had the best ideas for the both of them, Jackson's life was the way he liked it. He was just too excited about his senior year and the plans he and Brady were making, like getting an apartment close to school.

Then everything changed when Jackson hadn't heard from Brady for quite some time. Turns out Brady ran away right after the fight he had with his father when he was hanging out with Jackson. With no phone calls, messages, or any details, no one knows where he went. He was the talk of the town; that is, until his disappearance was all-too-soon forgotten.

Everyone around Jackson seems to be moving on. His mom is dating a very successful businessman who really loves her, and the prospect of getting married is very positive. His dad has met a personal trainer who he seems to really like, but of course she could just be another one of his girlfriends. And his friends are starting not to care about what happened to Brady.

Jackson's dad, mom, and even his grandmother are trying to get him to move on. It's up to him to make the move, to forget about Brady and find his own identity.

An edgy and realistic novel, WISH YOU WERE HERE is one of the few teen novels out there that even guys can enjoy. Jackson is a character that anyone can relate to, and the teen angst in the novel is current for this generation. A perfectly chosen novel for a personal revival.

Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen

Moving on to adulthood is a tough enough endeavor as is - let alone when your world radically changes. "Wish You Were Here" follows Jackson Watt in his senior year, as he's ripped from the school he attended for most of his high school career and plopped down elsewhere. One disaster after another happens to him, leaving him with little hope for the future. When faced with a road trip, he starts to learn what it means to be an adult. "Wish You Were Here" is a deftly composed coming of age tale, sure to please young adult readers.

Jackson has lived many years in the shadow of his manipulative friend Brady, but one day Brady decides to run away without a warning to anyone and doesn't contact anyone for many months. Jackson has to experience a lot of changes in his life without his selfish, domineering friend around to realize just what a jerk he actually was, and his experiences make him all the richer by far for it all. His mother remarries and he acquires two little sisters, his father--a professional roadie--almost dies after a fall, and he ends up betraying his love interest while taking up with Brady's needy exgirlfriend who ends up committing suicide. Add getting into some trouble and a very strange marriage between his father and Brady's mother to the mix, and you have a very touching, often funny, and very realistic look at life as it is for lots of teens on the brink of adulthood today.

It is his reunion with Brady at a Grateful Dead concert resulting in a road trip to Graceland that reveals the truth about their friendship, however, and helps Jackson to finally heal a year after his former friend's disappearance. It appears one friend has grown up and the other never will at all. I liked the truthful resolve of the book rather than the happy ending, and that's what makes this rich, involving story such a gem. A realistic and highly recommended read regardless of age, Wish You Were Here is a story of self-discovery and the satisfaction that the pain of the journey can finally bring.

The novel Wish You Were Here by Barbara Shoup was a literary work of art. I appreciated how she did not over-intensify situations, but made realistic so that you could understand and relate to the characters. I particularly liked the plot of the story. It was constantly changing and that made it all that much more interesting to read. There was situation after situation, dealing with everything from peer pressure and sex, to love, hate and also tragedy. Not many authors can write with the amount of realism and honesty that she does, and it was a great mix of modern day issues with hard situations and not always the best solution to it, but always a solution. I think that everybody should read this book. I guarantee you will enjoy it.

At the beginning of this, my senior year, my best friend dropped out of school, leaving me to face the crazy world of high school alone. While not quite as blatant a desertion as Jax's by Brady, it has still been difficult to deal with. This circumstance is originally caused the book's appeal to me. My continuing interest, however, came from the novel's uncompromising honesty and entirely believable characters. Though the main character, Jax, is a male, I found myself able to relate to him almost completely. The craziness, confusion, and conflict which seems to define his life is characteristinc of the high school experience, no matter which gender you examine it through. This book is a worthy read for any teenager, and especially one who seeks sympathy and affirmation in their turbulent world.

Jackson Watt is one of the most lovable characters I've read about. His realistic hardships and attitude in life, makes him believable. This book was completely worth my while to read. The characters' individuality was interesting. I reccommend that any teenager or young adult read this book.