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That is why I took care to finished Terri Libenson’s Just Jaime today, folks–self defense. Because if I had taken ONE MORE DAY to finish it and hand it over to my 10-year-old, she might have spontaneously combusted–after all, how long can a girl endure waiting for an illustrated novel by an author she already knows and likes?–and I would almost certainly have been injured during the fallout. Once I finish this review (and she finishes the chores I need her to do!), I can pass it on and live another day.
As for the book itself? Hmmm. I think it was excellent, really, but it was so painful to read as a parent–the queen mean girl’s adolescent gaslighting, Jaime’s confusion and sadness, and Maya’s torturous mental journey from mean girl’s brainwashing to clear-sighted awareness. The ending is satisfying, though, and there are delightful touches all along the way, so perhaps my slow progress through it made the hard things worse to experience. (So many things to do…) This is a finely told story about friendship, what it is, and what it isn’t, and I’m thinking the 8-12 bracket is going to love it.
Oh, and incidentally, I’m taking the weekend off for some family time. I’ll see you all on Tuesday!