Jumping Off Swings – Jo Knowles
May 21, 2010
Jumping Off Swings tells the story of four teenagers. One gets pregnant. One gets her pregnant. The other two are their friends. While the book moves back and forth from each of their perspectives, the reader watches them deal with lessons of broken hearts, life, and rejection, all while dealing with the birth of a new life.
Rating: B
Me personally, I practise chastity. But that’s just me. Apparently, that’s not the route for Ellie, who has done it .. a couple of times. But yet, amazingly, you still feel sorry for her when she ultimately becomes pregnant. Why? Because she did it for love. As you get to know her, you learn of her insecurity and how much she just wants someone to love her for who she is. And how heart-broken she is each time when she is used and left alone. John has to deal with the broken relationship between his parents, and the fact that he is going to be a parent soon. Caleb is his confidante through the book and Corinne is Ellie’s. Caleb must deal with seeing the love of his life fall through his grasp, something that anyone could relate to. But at the same time, the characters learn to love again.
The book deals mainly with the issues of growing up, and having to deal with leaving your childhood and innocence behind and having to control your own life. Short but sweet, I highly enjoyed this book.
M.
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This book is available in at in the Mississauga Library Catalogue!
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