I love this series! I am an adult, but thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's funny and the relationship between Katie and Maxine is such a great dynamic. I have read adult novels by this author, but they don't have to same laugh-out-loud experience of this book. I would love for Jenny B. Jones to write more novels like this.
About this book:
Can we overcome our past?
Katie Parker is about to get a new lifewhether she wants one or not. With her mom in prison, and her father AWOL, Katie is sent to live with a squeaky-clean family who could have their own sitcom. She launches a full-scale plan to get sent back to the girls home when she finds herself in over her head...and heart. When Katie and her new "wrong crowd" get into significant trouble at school, she finds her punishment is restoring a historic theater with a crazy grandma who goes by the name of Mad Maxine. In the midst of her punishment, Katie uncovers family secrets that run deep, and realizes she's not the only one with a pain-filled past. Katie must decide if she'll continue her own familys messed up legacy or embrace a new beginning in this place called In Between.
Series: Book #1 (of four) in the Katie Parker Productions series.
Spiritual Content- Katie really isnt happy with God (she says God-schomod once); Many, many Prayers & Blessings over food by Pastor Scott (Katies new foster dad); At the beginning Katie does not want to go to church but as it goes on she gets a bit more open minded; Youth group, Church & Wednesday night goings (a few sermons are written out); Scriptures are said & talked about; a Thank God; Katie says she had history with a teacher who probably knew your Moses dude; Katie tries to pray; Katie recalls when she was five and at Sunday School once, that she finger-painted a mustache on a picture of Jesus; Katie says she doesnt know that shell ever get through the Bible until Nicholas Sparks puts out a version.; Talks about God, Him accepting us, Him meeting us, forgiveness & The Grace of God (GOG).
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a goddess, a pansy, a shoot, a sheesh, a stinkin, a suck it up, a form of sissy, two blast its, two screw, three sicks, three idiots (mostly Katie calling herself that), three oh my goshs, eight stupids (again, mostly Katie calling herself that) and someone cusses but its not written; butts, rears, back ends, tushes het told where to sit & go numb; The phase on crack is said once; A floor color reminds Katie of vomit; Katie had a roommate that would just as soon slit you with the knife she hides under her King James Bible as she would befriend you, Trina is mentioned a couple times again later; To confuse/scare Mr. & Mrs. Scott, Katie dresses goth & says that deaththats so cool and that her people celebrate it (she mentions that a juice looks like blood and that bacon is a dead pig) (She knows that theyll send her back soon so she just tries and get it over with); Cigarette smoking (Katie does not partake in it but hangs teens who do); Katie is unknowingly recruited for a vandalism trip with her new friends; Katie tries to push the envelope with Mrs. Scott and asks for a strawberry virgin daiquiri with a little pink umbrella floating in it (She, of course, does not get one); Katie & Frances have to dissect a pig (semi detailed & very detailed); Katie is very, very, very sassy and sarcastic (very!).
Sexual Content- a floozy, a hoochie mama; Katie says she has a boyfriend named Snake (the shorter the name, the easier to get it tattooed on your) (Hes made up and not mentioned after that scene); Maxine was a Vegas Show girl and says once that shes not afraid to show a little cleavage and also says at a different time that she keeps her ATM card in her bra; Katie says that the dogs way of getting to know me is totally scandalous. If I greeted people like that at school, Id be arrested.; When shes trying on a pair of jeans, Katie says that the pair makes me look like a actually have a butt; Katie gets two new padded bras and that shes shortcoming in that area, those bras are mentioned again a few times again as a wonderbra; Katie says that the underwear could go since I like to go au natural anyway (that doesnt happen and Mrs. Scott finds room for all the bags in her car); Sam dances with a young guy, but its clear a few pages later that Charlie is teaching Sam to dance; Boyfriends & Girlfriends are mentioned but dont play major roles in this book; Katie calls a guy totally hot and that guys who usually like her usually have a few body piercings and a taste for cheap cigarettes.; Katie tells Frances that she thought she was going to hyperventilate when she asked Millie (Mrs. Scott) to buy her some tampons; Maxine stuffs tissues in Katies dress saying that theyre Boobs in a box!.
-Katie Parker, age 16
P.O.V. of Katie
345 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star (and a half)
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Two Stars (and a half)
**Just a note: Katie is very sassy and very sarcastic; some families will not want their daughter reading this book**
While this had some funny parts, I think it would be best for girls ages 16+ because of some of the content.
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
Can we overcome our past?
Katie Parker is about to get a new lifewhether she wants one or not. With her mom in prison, and her father AWOL, Katie is sent to live with a squeaky-clean family who could have their own sitcom. She launches a full-scale plan to get sent back to the girls home when she finds herself in over her head...and heart. When Katie and her new "wrong crowd" get into significant trouble at school, she finds her punishment is restoring a historic theater with a crazy grandma who goes by the name of Mad Maxine. In the midst of her punishment, Katie uncovers family secrets that run deep, and realizes she's not the only one with a pain-filled past. Katie must decide if she'll continue her own familys messed up legacy or embrace a new beginning in this place called In Between.
Series: Book #1 (of four) in the Katie Parker Productions series.
Spiritual Content- Katie really isnt happy with God (she says God-schomod once); Many, many Prayers & Blessings over food by Pastor Scott (Katies new foster dad); At the beginning Katie does not want to go to church but as it goes on she gets a bit more open minded; Youth group, Church & Wednesday night goings (a few sermons are written out); Scriptures are said & talked about; a Thank God; Katie says she had history with a teacher who probably knew your Moses dude; Katie tries to pray; Katie recalls when she was five and at Sunday School once, that she finger-painted a mustache on a picture of Jesus; Katie says she doesnt know that shell ever get through the Bible until Nicholas Sparks puts out a version.; Talks about God, Him accepting us, Him meeting us, forgiveness & The Grace of God (GOG).
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a goddess, a pansy, a shoot, a sheesh, a stinkin, a suck it up, a form of sissy, two blast its, two screw, three sicks, three idiots (mostly Katie calling herself that), three oh my goshs, eight stupids (again, mostly Katie calling herself that) and someone cusses but its not written; butts, rears, back ends, tushes het told where to sit & go numb; The phase on crack is said once; A floor color reminds Katie of vomit; Katie had a roommate that would just as soon slit you with the knife she hides under her King James Bible as she would befriend you, Trina is mentioned a couple times again later; To confuse/scare Mr. & Mrs. Scott, Katie dresses goth & says that deaththats so cool and that her people celebrate it (she mentions that a juice looks like blood and that bacon is a dead pig) (She knows that theyll send her back soon so she just tries and get it over with); Cigarette smoking (Katie does not partake in it but hangs teens who do); Katie is unknowingly recruited for a vandalism trip with her new friends; Katie tries to push the envelope with Mrs. Scott and asks for a strawberry virgin daiquiri with a little pink umbrella floating in it (She, of course, does not get one); Katie & Frances have to dissect a pig (semi detailed & very detailed); Katie is very, very, very sassy and sarcastic (very!).
Sexual Content- a floozy, a hoochie mama; Katie says she has a boyfriend named Snake (the shorter the name, the easier to get it tattooed on your) (Hes made up and not mentioned after that scene); Maxine was a Vegas Show girl and says once that shes not afraid to show a little cleavage and also says at a different time that she keeps her ATM card in her bra; Katie says that the dogs way of getting to know me is totally scandalous. If I greeted people like that at school, Id be arrested.; When shes trying on a pair of jeans, Katie says that the pair makes me look like a actually have a butt; Katie gets two new padded bras and that shes shortcoming in that area, those bras are mentioned again a few times again as a wonderbra; Katie says that the underwear could go since I like to go au natural anyway (that doesnt happen and Mrs. Scott finds room for all the bags in her car); Sam dances with a young guy, but its clear a few pages later that Charlie is teaching Sam to dance; Boyfriends & Girlfriends are mentioned but dont play major roles in this book; Katie calls a guy totally hot and that guys who usually like her usually have a few body piercings and a taste for cheap cigarettes.; Katie tells Frances that she thought she was going to hyperventilate when she asked Millie (Mrs. Scott) to buy her some tampons; Maxine stuffs tissues in Katies dress saying that theyre Boobs in a box!.
-Katie Parker, age 16
P.O.V. of Katie
345 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star (and a half)
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Two Stars (and a half)
**Just a note: Katie is very sassy and very sarcastic; some families will not want their daughter reading this book**
While this had some funny parts, I think it would be best for girls ages 16+ because of some of the content.
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
