Jake, Reinvented

Korman's Jake, Reinvented is somewhat based on The Great Gatsby and to honor the ties, the students attend F. Scott Fitzgerald High School. Jake learns to quickly fit in due to wild parties, flawless fashion, an easy-going outlook on life and a special role on the football team. However it's discovered that this is a far cry from what Jake was at his previous school. Tensions rise because of why he does it and how it affects those around him, but Jake takes it all in stride. Told from the POV of his "best friend?" Rick, who also struggles with who he is and who those are around him. Jake, Reinvented has good qualities of how people learn to fit in and accept each other. However the drinking, cheating and sexual situations make it a show more touchy book for preteens. show less

4Q 4P

Jake Reinvented is a remake of the classic novel The Great Gatsby. The writing was good and focused on plot and character as opposed to setting. There is a lot of high school drama as well as binge drinking, so while many teens could enjoy the book, I think older teens would especially identify with the story.

Based on Gatsby, Jake has reinvented himself to capture the interest of a popular girl named Didi. The book is narrated by Jake's friend Rick, who tells us about how he met Jake and witnessed the fireworks of his adolescence. I enjoyed the dramatic details and the danger invovled in Jake's efforts to remake his identity. It may be that anyone who has attended a public highschool in the United States will recognize some of the show more characters. The best part of the story is watching how Jake's plans build, succeed and are ultimately put to the test. The Great Gatsby and Jake Reinvented aren't exactly the same, but very close in the best ways. show less

4Q, 4P

Jake, Reinvented is a modern re-telling of The Great Gatsby. I had my doubts going into the book simply because I thoroughly enjoyed The Great Gatsby and was worried about how it would translate to modern-day high school drama. However, Korman did a wonderful job with this re-telling and I can see how teens would be able to connect with this so much better than with Gatsby itself The same big plot issues are there but they're all discussed in terms that are familiar and make sense to teens whereas Gatsby with its old/new money issues, for example, might not resonate as well. I think reading the two side-by-side or one after the other could be really helpful.

Jake Garrett is the new Long-Snapper on Rick's HS football team; he's handsome, dresses in the latest preppy style, has lots of class and, oh yeah, throws epic house parties. At first Rick gets caught up in the "Jake the Great" parade but in time begins to see another -- darker -- side to Jake. This modern retelling of The Great Gatsby has the same twists and turns.

This is a quick and entertaining read, a retelling of The Great Gatsby in a high school setting - Fitzgerald High. It has a dark tone, and the descriptions of high school house parties rang uncomfortably true.
It's a fairly close retelling, so the plot was pretty obvious, and there wasn't a lot of mystery or suspense to hold my interest,
Oh, and there is a most disturbing use of a tape measure!

Jake, Reinvented is the retelling of the classic Great Gatsby. Jake is a high school star who is in love with DiDi, and is the most popular guy at F. Scott Fitzgerald High. However, things get dark when his friends find out who Jake really is, though the reveal is much more tame in this story than the original. I listened to this story as an audiobook, and because the plot is told through Jake's friend Rick, it can be a little boring to hear the same voice with little variation. However, the plot is interesting and has been translated well to appeal to a younger audience. While the main themes of The Great Gatsby are still present, teens may find this version easier to relate to and understand.

I enjoyed Jack Reinvented, but I have read more interesting books. Perhaps the most amusing parts were the parallels between it and the Great Gatsby; my english class read this together so we were presented many of these parallels via my teacher. I was not satisfied by the ending and Jennifer did not sound sincere. But perhaps that's just because I dislike tradgedys. Even if this book's ending was not as tradgic as the Great Gatsby.