Language: G (0 swears o 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: G
BUYING ADVISORY:, MS - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
Jake Lightman feels like a character in a TV show. His parents are divorced and he's acting different parts for each parent. For his mother, he's “Yaakov” but he's “Jacob” for his father. He wants to go to a particular summer camp with his friends, but his father won't approve because the camp is too Jewish, and his mother won't approve because it's not Jewish enough. Jake concocts a plan to get there, but it means lying to both parents and getting his friends involved. But things only get more complicated once he gets to camp, he finds it more and more difficult to keep up with all the lies - and he risks losing his friends over it.
A moving story; poor Jake is torn between trying to be what each parent expects, and not being able to be himself. I felt for him. I loved how honest his friends were, taking him to task when he needed it, while also being supportive. Levy's story was engaging. Certainly written for a Jewish reader, however, I didn't feel on the outside - everything was in context and made sense to the story, even though I wasn't familiar with everything going on. A great book about a kid navigating his parents' divorce, and his place in it. The characters are Jewish, one character, Caleb has come out as gay.
Lisa Librarian
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