Amy Goldman Koss

This is the first Amy Koss book I've read, although I've observed her other titles flying off the shelves often enough. Perky and voluble Jacki has an almost-perfect life; sure she wishes her just-about-to-graduate older sister was more fun to be around, she can't stand their "nanny" and she's pretty average in school. But she's got good friends and a nice life. Until her mom loses her job. Suddenly, everything is changing and her family and friends aren't the same anymore.

There aren't, as show more far as I know, any middle grade or young adult books out on the recent recession. There are books like Rachel Vail's Lucky that deal with financial disaster, but nothing more tied to contemporary events. So, a pretty timely book. Jacki is a fun character, always hoping for the best and I can see her fitting into the groups of other fourteen-year-old girls I know.

On the other hand, this book really irritated me. I found Jacki's constant upbeat attitude insanely irritating and her mother's refusal to face facts as well as her helplessness dealing with practical issues even more irritating. The thing is, the characters are very realistic. It's just that I didn't like them. I can't imagine having their casual approach to money and the kids' initial complaints and horror at being faced with, gasp, CHORES really bugged me. But yeah, very realistic. The thing is, based on my personal experiences and background I have more in common with their laid-off and invisible housekeeper, Hortensia, than to any of the characters in the story.

The only problem I had with the story, apart from my personal reactions, was the ending. It was a Jacqueline Wilson spun sugar ending, basically.

SPOILERS
Jacki's mom gets a new job, granted it's at half the pay, but it's something she really loves to do. They all move into a nice apartment near Jacki's best friend, Jacki can't wait to transfer to public school, and her older sister Brooke decides to have an off year before college and her ballet teacher creates a foundation so she can teach poor kids to dance for free but get paid herself while she applies for financial aid so she can go to the college of her dreams the next year.

Um, yeah, realistic much? How about Jacki's mom gets a crappy job that she hates, but hey you've got to pay the bills. Brooke works at a fast-food restaurant trying to save money for classes at the local community college and they all move into a crappy apartment that smells like smoke, has a sleazy landlord, and the a/c doesn't work. Oh, and they can't afford a car so they have to use the bus.

Basically, in my opinion, Koss's ending is a pretty fairy tale that's not going to offer much comfort to kids from Jacki's educational and economic level whose parents have lost their jobs.

Verdict: But I've still ordered the book, because it is, for the most part, a good realistic story and there's nothing else really on this topic. Plus, girls like Koss and most of them will be perfectly satisfied with the fairy tale ending.

ISBN: 1596436131; Published May 2010 by Roaring Brook; ARC provided by publisher at ALA; Purchased for the library show less

It takes a strong stomach for a bullying-victim to read a book about a bullying-victim seeking justice, but I zipped through this book once I got over my flashbacks.

An over-zealous teacher forces Ivy to bring a mock civil suit against her tormentors in order to demonstrate the legal system to the middle-school's third period American Government class. Told from the varying perspectives of the students, we gain insight into the personalities of the studnets who range from the geek to the show more jock to the wise acre. We also get a startling peek into the psyches of the accused bullies. Each character is fleshed out without sympathy and the outcome of the book is surprising.

This would be the perfect book for a tween/teen book club or reluctant readers. show less

Are you tired of books with sick kids dying bravely, teaching everyone a lesson? Then this book is for you! Not only does Izzy, 15, NOT die from lymphoma, but she doesn't always have a positive attitude about it. Learn from Izzy what it's really like to get diagnosed, be whisked off to the hospital to be poked and prodded and have surgery, then go through chemo with side effects like hair loss and nausea. She stops caring about school, gets annoyed that everyone who loves is either show more overhelping or doesn't know what to say, and finally learns how to go on when she realizes that cancer isn't necessarily a death sentence, and after the pain and needles and drugs, life goes on. show less

Even though she’s feeling great, her swollen glands force twelve year old Isabelle to visit her doctor who immediately sends to her Children’s Hospital for CAT scans and biopsies. It turns out that she’s got lymphoma, requiring a hospital stay and eight rounds of chemotherapy. Her hospital stay will be short, just for her first round of chemo, and then she’ll get them on an outpatient basis. Her hospital roommate is Carrie, who has sickle cell and comes to the hospital only when it show more flares up. Carrie shows Isabelle the hospital ropes and introduces her to some of the kids who are there for sickle cell, leukemia, lymphoma and other diseases.

Side Effects by Amy Goldman Koss, author of The Girls and Poison Ivy, takes readers through the last six months of Isabelle’s eighth grade year, detailing the chemo regimen and the side effects (nausea, hair loss, etc.). Readers live her life, reacting to her treatments, understanding her desire to sleep and skip school and be a lazy slug. More telling are the ways Isabelle and her family, friends and classmates react. Izzy tries to be her normal self, being as strong as she can be, cracking jokes. Her mother cries 24/7. He father quotes remission statistics success rates. Her Aunt Lucy is the only logical one, trying to treat Izzy the same as always. Her friend Kay is always by her side. However, some of her classmates are less understanding, creating a vulgar video mocking people with cancer. Koss even describes the various doctors, nurses and social workers, some honest, some treating patients like babies, some indifferent.

Koss’s writing is direct. She doesn’t white wash anything, yet she isn’t negative or depressing. Side Effects, despite the subject, is hopeful. Regardless of whether or not you know anyone with cancer, you can relate to Izzy. You love her for herself. You sympathize with the agony that her parents are enduring. You admire Kay. It can’t be easy watching Izzy’s hair fall out, yet Kay stands by her friend. You might think it odd that there’s a love interest in such a book, but it is there and adds to the hopeful attitude.

I liked Koss’ writing from having read The Girls. I like it as much now for having tackled such a difficult subject so effectively, for having produced a novel that teens with cancer or without it can read, understand, relate to and enjoy. Yes….even enjoy. show less