Imagine
you are peacefully reading in your bed on a hot summer night when
someone shouts your name through the open window next to you. Charlie is
greeted by Jasper Jones, a fellow classmate and known troublemaker, in
such a manner. Jasper pleads with Charlie for his help with a terrible
situation, an experience which plunges Charlie from childhood to
adulthood.
It
took me awhile to realize the novel was not set in present times. I
used the novel for a book discussion with teens and none of them quite
realized that Jasper Jones
is set during the Vietnam War. The war is mostly in the background but
it ignites the already smoldering racism in Charlie's town.
Silvey
vividly describes of the Australian bush as Charlie and Jasper romp
around looking for answers. Everything in the novel felt intense. The
opening scene (whoa!), the summer heat, the abundant growth -- Silvey
writes with an intensity that reflects what being a teenager is like as
they experience their “first” this and that.
The
allusions to classic literature were fun but totally lost on my teen
readers. Being a fan of both the movie and book versions of Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s, I enjoyed Eliza’s character who mimics Holly Golightly by frequently quoting her. There are great references to To Kill a Mockingbird and other texts which might be considered “southern gothic” which is the feel of Jasper Jones.
Silvey’s
writing is definitely literary, taking its time to develop the
characters, and the plot moved at what felt like a snails pace. The
novel was a hundred pages too long and many of my teens just couldn’t
finish it even though they liked the story. This is definitely a thumbs
up and a good read but be prepared for less of a suspenseful thriller
(as the opening scene suggests) and more of a contemplation of growing
up and becoming an adult.
Publisher: Ember, 2012 Pages: 320
Rating: 3 Stars Source: purchased copy
Rating: 3 Stars Source: purchased copy
