Jerome
William Taylor
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From School Library Journal
Grade 9 Up-This intense novel opens with a 17-year-old’s suicide and then explores its effect on his two best friends. Kate, now an exchange student in the U.S., and Marco, home in New Zealand, share their thoughts and feelings in a series of revealing e-mails, letters, and faxes. When Kate discloses that she is gay, Marco is incredulous, since Kate is a ‘babe’ and had been Jerome’s girlfriend. In a desperate attempt to make sense of his death, Kate tells Marco that Jerome, too, was gay and that they had posed as a couple to protect one another. Worse still, Jerome seemingly killed himself because of unrequited love for Marco. After an emotional breakdown, Marco realizes that what he felt was deeper than friendship and now faces the difficult task of confronting his own sexuality. Unfortunately, the use of e-mails and letters creates a distance that makes empathy difficult. Further, the inordinate and unnecessary use of profanity to convey Marco’s tough-guy persona and macho insecurities creates a distracting barrier that discourages readers from truly caring about this bitter young man. Also, because his realization occurs on the closing pages, it’s hard not to feel cheated; it’s as though the most interesting part of this journey has been left out.
Ronni Krasnow, Arlington County Public Library, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Marco, a teen living in Australia, and Kate, his acquaintance who is a foreign exchange student in the U.S., develop a friendship through e-mail, faxes, and online chats. Although their friendship is based on their individual relationship with Jerome, whose death has devastated them both, their conversations gradually move beyond their immediate loss to an exploration of each other’s thoughts, especially Kate’s feelings about her homosexuality and experiences in another country. Taylor, author of The Blue Lawn , once again focuses on the teenage struggle to come to terms with sexuality, especially homosexuality. The electronic interchanges make character development a challenge, but teens will still recognize Marco’s disbelief as he gradually realizes that Kate was not his best friend’s girlfriend but his best friend’s friend. There is some coarse language, and the book’s underlying theme may raise some objections. But Taylor takes some noteworthy risks with his characters–Marco’s continued efforts to understand his friend’s sexual preference, and Kate’s willingness to move beyond offense to help him understand–making the novel a growth experience for characters and readers alike. Frances Bradburn
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Details
| ISBN | 9781555835125 |
| Genre | YA Fiction (Young Adult) |
| Publication Date | 01-Nov-99 |
| Publisher | Alyson Books |
| Format | Trade Paperback |
| No. of Pages | 95 |
| Language | English |
| Rating | NotRated |
| BookID | 6191 |
