Joy School (original 1997; edition 1997)

The 2nd book following the story of Katie, a 12 year old girl trying to find her way in the absence of her mother. Elizabeth Berg never disappoints. Every sentence is perfection, so beautifully written, that it makes you say, oh I wish I had written that. It doesn't matter how old you are, Berg has the ability to bring you right back to that awkward time of being 13, so that you remember it with a complex mixture of horror and tenderness. ( )

I never connected enough with any of the characters to really care what happened:( I pushed myself to finish this quick read!) ( )

A good character study of a girl trying to find a good relationship in her life; with her friends at school, the housecleaner (who is having a relationship with her father), with her father. A major part of the story line is her infatuation or love for a married man who is very kind to her. ( )

A sweet, heartbreaking tale of a young girl who moves to a small Missouri town after her mother dies, and how she perceives the new people that come into her life.

From a shy school mate who seems to need Katie even more than Katie needs a friend, to a beautiful young model with a shoplifting habit, to a 23 year old mechanic who 13 year old Katie falls head over heels in love with, not realizing until later that he is married....and a woman who her father has hired to keep house, who eventually comes to mean more to her father as time passes.

The story was written from Katie's perspective, it was a smooth, fast, light read and short, only a bit over 200 pages.

Sad ending, but worth the read. A nice story if you want something easy and quick. ( )

A perfect mix of funny, sweet and sad. ( )