HARPER’S DAD IS getting a divorce from her beloved stepmother, Jane. Even worse, Harper has lost her stepsister, Tess; the divorce divides th...
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May 07, 2008
Jennifer
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Reviewed by Tasha for TeensReadToo.com
Harper's life is falling apart. Her father and step-mother, whom she considers a mother, are getting a divorce, and her step-sister/best friend, Tess, won't talk to her. Then there's Gabriel. He's been Harper's best friend since they were twelve, but now he just uses her as his girl when he can't get anyone else.
Harper finally realizes that she needs to escape. When she finds out about Homes for the Heart Summer Program for Teens, sh More...
Harper's life is falling apart. Her father and step-mother, whom she considers a mother, are getting a divorce, and her step-sister/best friend, Tess, won't talk to her. Then there's Gabriel. He's been Harper's best friend since they were twelve, but now he just uses her as his girl when he can't get anyone else.
Harper finally realizes that she needs to escape. When she finds out about Homes for the Heart Summer Program for Teens, sh More...
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Nov 11, 2008
Becky
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Reinhardt, Dana. 2008. How To Build A House.
The third time isn't the charm. (Her first two novels are: A Brief Chapter In My Impossible Life and Harmless.) It may just be time for me to dissent from public opinion and admit that Dana Reinhardt's books just aren't to my liking. It might be easier on both of us. Especially since her books are generally received well. Her first book especially seemed to be buzz-worthy.
I can almost guarantee you will enjoy this one much much More...
The third time isn't the charm. (Her first two novels are: A Brief Chapter In My Impossible Life and Harmless.) It may just be time for me to dissent from public opinion and admit that Dana Reinhardt's books just aren't to my liking. It might be easier on both of us. Especially since her books are generally received well. Her first book especially seemed to be buzz-worthy.
I can almost guarantee you will enjoy this one much much More...
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Apr 18, 2009
Wendy
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Why on earth didn't I get to this sooner? And why wasn't it brought up in Printz discussions (as far as I remember, I mean)? I don't know that it would have knocked off any of the winners, because they were so good, but this book is... great. I honestly wish it had been longer (and I don't say that often). Reinhardt captures both the messy home life and the atmosphere of a teen summer program perfectly. And--I mean, I like Sarah Dessen, but if you read Sarah Dessen books and enjoy them but
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Jul 31, 2011
Barky
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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May 08, 2011
Jill
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The main character in this book travels across the country to avoid her problems and get some distance from her life, and in doing so, she finds a summer romance, new friends, and some perspective.
My favorite part of this book was actually a fairly minor thing. Near the end as the group finishes the job and gets ready to leave, the teens start talking about what comes next. Having done a lot of summer programs (both as staff and "camper") and plays, this part felt very re More...
My favorite part of this book was actually a fairly minor thing. Near the end as the group finishes the job and gets ready to leave, the teens start talking about what comes next. Having done a lot of summer programs (both as staff and "camper") and plays, this part felt very re More...
Sep 03, 2010
Cornmaven
rated it:
Nicely crafted novel about overcoming loss, with Reinhardt mirroring loss from a natural disaster and loss from a relationship disaster. She breaks the recovery process down to elemental construction steps, and ends on a note of hope with the understanding that time assists in healing, albeit slowly. Time and talk.
This is a Sarah Dessen-John Green type novel, with intelligent teens/college age kids, but not as quirky as some of Green's characters. They're all on a quest of some sor More...
This is a Sarah Dessen-John Green type novel, with intelligent teens/college age kids, but not as quirky as some of Green's characters. They're all on a quest of some sor More...
Aug 04, 2009
Sara
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How to Build a House was a wonderful read, full of symbolism, life lessons, and happy endings. It honestly, despite some heavy issues, was a feel good book. The main character, Harper, is going through some pretty serious things at home (a divorce, loss of her stepsister/best friend, boy confusion), but after a summer of volunteer work far from home - she learns what a home - and what a house - really mean.
One of my favorite parts of this novel was that the story alternated between More...
One of my favorite parts of this novel was that the story alternated between More...
Aug 17, 2009
Sarah-Greenbeanteenqueen
rated it:
I picked this one up because it's on the preliminary Gateway nominee list for 2010-2011. I wasn't sure what to expect, but this ended up being the perfect lazy Saturday afternoon read (or listen).
The story alternates between "here" (in Tennnessee) and "home" (Harper's life before the summer). Because of this, things are revealed slowly-which slightly annoyed me. There were times I wanted a little more info on the home part. For the most part though, I liked how More...
The story alternates between "here" (in Tennnessee) and "home" (Harper's life before the summer). Because of this, things are revealed slowly-which slightly annoyed me. There were times I wanted a little more info on the home part. For the most part though, I liked how More...
Dec 10, 2009
Morgan
rated it:
"Sure the tornado in Bailey wreaked havoc on the lives of an insignificant number of people when you compare it to Hurricane Katrina, but when it's your life...I doubt it feels insignificant to you."
Harper knows that building a house take time, effort, and discipline, but a home can be demolished in on quick, unthinking moment. Her mother died when Harper was an infant, so the woman her dad later married was the only mother she ever knew, and her stepsister her best More...
Harper knows that building a house take time, effort, and discipline, but a home can be demolished in on quick, unthinking moment. Her mother died when Harper was an infant, so the woman her dad later married was the only mother she ever knew, and her stepsister her best More...
Feb 08, 2010
Krista
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Harper’s comfortable existence in California has been turned upside down ever since her father and stepmom announced their divorce, alienating Harper from her stepsister and best friend, Tess. Meanwhile, her friendship turned romance with Gabriel is also on the rocks. In order to escape her crazy situation, and to put her environmentalist philosophy into practice, Harper signs up to spend the summer volunteering for a charitable organization. She ends up in Bailey, Tennessee, constructing a home
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Sep 04, 2011
Susan
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Harper's life is blown away when her father and her wonderful stepmother, Jane, get divorced. When Jane moves out, Harper also loses her stepsisters, including Tess, her stepsister and best friend. Harper escapes the destruction of her own family by joining a volunteer program to rebuild a home for a family in Tennessee who lost theirs to a tornado. She knows no one and knows nothing about construction. She hopes to be anonymous, living in a funky old hotel with other kids from all over the
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Jan 10, 2010
Alicia
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I'm not quite sure I was invested enough in this one to fully appreciate the message of the story of stepfamilies. But, I did like the parallel between 'building a house' which was literally what Harper was doing and what families do. (Example: Step One: Find the Perfect Site to Step Seven: Final Touches) It's also a great teaching tool for flashbacks since Harper is narrating the present in 'here' sections of each chapter, while also flashing back to 'home' stories, which explain her current si
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Sep 09, 2010
Thomas
rated it:
It may be my fault, but I did not really get this one. It could be because the beginning of school stress, but I felt like it failed to capture my attention - I only read a few pages at a time until I eventually finished it.
The plot was original: a girl named Harper volunteers to rebuild a house over the summer to escape her broken family. However, while the book touched on a lot of good themes, like making an effort to rebuild friendships or solve misunderstandings, I do not think More...
The plot was original: a girl named Harper volunteers to rebuild a house over the summer to escape her broken family. However, while the book touched on a lot of good themes, like making an effort to rebuild friendships or solve misunderstandings, I do not think More...
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Oct 27, 2011
Kellie
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How to Build a House by Dana Reinhardt is the story of seventeen year old Harper Evans and how one summer helped to change her outlook on life. Told through the numerous steps of building a house, the reader is transported between the present summer and Harpers past. As she helps build the house, she finds herself and learns how to love and be loved, even when it is not an easy thing to do.
Harper decides to leave her father in California to help Homes From The Heart, a teen volunteer or More...
Harper decides to leave her father in California to help Homes From The Heart, a teen volunteer or More...
Aug 14, 2009
khcpl teen
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Harper Evans has a lot on her plate. Her mother died when she was two, and her father remarried a wonderful woman with two daughter, Tess and Rose. After they marry she and Tess are the best of friends, until the divorce. Now Harper’s life seems to be shattered and she will do anything to escape the mess her life has become. To get away, Harper signs up to volunteer for Homes from the Heart Summer Program for Teens where she will help build a house for survivors of a tornado in Bailey, Tennessee
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May 10, 2010
Trevor
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pages 1-227
This book is a about a girl named harper whos mother died with she was little and her dad decided to get remarried but it is hard for his daughter harper to exept that her dad is getting married again.but is not getting divorce witch messes the whole family apart again and hess her sister from her step mom will have to move. which makes her have a lot of problems and just wants to get away from them for a little bit so summer is coming up and she decides to go to a house i More...
This book is a about a girl named harper whos mother died with she was little and her dad decided to get remarried but it is hard for his daughter harper to exept that her dad is getting married again.but is not getting divorce witch messes the whole family apart again and hess her sister from her step mom will have to move. which makes her have a lot of problems and just wants to get away from them for a little bit so summer is coming up and she decides to go to a house i More...
Aug 22, 2008
Karlan
rated it:
An entertaining ya novel which should appeal to girls. The story alternates between Harper's sad home life and her summer volunteer work to rebuild in a town struck by a tornado. There are interesting characters and romantic problems and sex, too.
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Feb 23, 2009
Amanda
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This book is not about how to build a house. Well, it is, and it isn't. It's really about one teens search for concrete relationships and affection. Where can she find that? Not in her family where her Father and Step-Mother have just gotten divorced leaving her without her half-sister and best friend. She also did not find real affection in the ambiguous relationship she had with Gabriel, once her best friend, once her on again off again "friend with benefits." Instead she flies
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Nov 29, 2008
Erin
rated it:
Harper needs to leave home. After her father and stepmother divorce, her family is divided. Her relationship with her best friend (and sort-of boyfriend) dissolves. Nothing is the same anymore - and so she must leave.
Harper sets out for a small town in Tennessee where a tornado has destroyed many homes and businesses. Her group's mission over the course of the summer is to rebuild one family's home. The initial assignment doesn't seem too complicated - until Harper begins fallin More...
Harper sets out for a small town in Tennessee where a tornado has destroyed many homes and businesses. Her group's mission over the course of the summer is to rebuild one family's home. The initial assignment doesn't seem too complicated - until Harper begins fallin More...
Nov 22, 2011
Ryan
rated it:
Another running away book, but with the 'hard work' angle thrown in. I enjoy books about redemption or healing through hard work. Some of my fondest memories are being sent out to do horrible hard dirty work - I wasn't gracious or pleasant, but my memory has adjusted all that for me. It really WAS good for me, though I shudder to admit it. I like Reinhardt's fairly frank talk about sex - kids have it, and her stories highlight that we don't really talk about it in a meaningful way. The parent in
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Oct 09, 2010
Melissa
rated it:
Overall, a well-plotted book--thoughtful and interesting. Harper's stepmother, half-brother, and stepsisters have moved out after her father slept with one of his patients. Every familial relationship that she once thought was rock-solid has crumbled, especially between her and her stepsister, Tess. To escape her life for the summer, she volunteers for a "build a house" program for tornado survivors in Tennessee.
The story moves quickly, and overall, I like how the story pi More...
The story moves quickly, and overall, I like how the story pi More...
May 12, 2009
How to Build a House by Dana Reinhardt
How do you build a house for someone else when your house, your home, is mostly gone? The actual house is still there, but what makes it a home, a family, is gone.
For 17-year-old Harper, there were 5 in her family; her beloved stepmother, her father, her stepsister and best friend, and her little half sister, but now she only has her dad. They still have a house, but only two of them are there and it is just not the same.
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How do you build a house for someone else when your house, your home, is mostly gone? The actual house is still there, but what makes it a home, a family, is gone.
For 17-year-old Harper, there were 5 in her family; her beloved stepmother, her father, her stepsister and best friend, and her little half sister, but now she only has her dad. They still have a house, but only two of them are there and it is just not the same.
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Jun 20, 2008
Janet
rated it:
Good YA read that kept me interested all the way through about a girl trying to reconcile her past, live in the now, and move toward a manageable future.
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Nov 06, 2011
Green Bean
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When aspiring environmentalist Harper Evan's Los Angeles home-life falls apart for the second time in her 17 years she fleas for service-themed summer camp in Bailey, Tennessee with a mission to re-build the world of another family who has lost everything--their loss suffered in the terror of a tornado. Harper takes on power tools, unbearable heat, midnight swims, unlikely friendships, painful memories, her own prejudices, and even a new love! Harper's story feels particularly timely, and her v
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Jul 24, 2011
Donna
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Harper's mom died when she was two. Now, the only mother she's really ever known, Jane, is getting a divorce from her father. To top it off, her stepsister and best friend, Tess, is acting distant. Harper's best friend, Gabriel, is taking her for granted. She needs to get away. She signs up for a home rebuilding program with teen volunteers, and heads to TN to help rebuild a home for a family who lost their home in a recent tornado. She meets Teddy, the oldest son, and he shows her how a re
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Apr 04, 2011
I was in a hurry and grabbed this book.
I was not sure what to think about it at first.
It was a good book, Harpers mother died when she was young and he father remarried shortly after. She was very close to her step mom Jane and her two step sisters Rose and Tess. Her father does something that makes her family tear apart. Her best friend/step sister totally backstabbed her.
She is just really tired of everything and she goes on a trip for a summer to help get all of this out of More...
I was not sure what to think about it at first.
It was a good book, Harpers mother died when she was young and he father remarried shortly after. She was very close to her step mom Jane and her two step sisters Rose and Tess. Her father does something that makes her family tear apart. Her best friend/step sister totally backstabbed her.
She is just really tired of everything and she goes on a trip for a summer to help get all of this out of More...
Dec 01, 2011
Doreen
rated it:
What makes a family? How do you reconcile with someone when you aren't even speaking to them? Is it possible to run away from your problems? 18-year-old Harper is spending a few weeks in Bailey, Tennessee, volunteering with a group like Habitat for Humanity. The town was almost destroyed by a tornado, and FEMA basically told them that Hurricane Katrina used up all the funds. Harper and the other volunteers, mostly teens from all over the country, are housed in an old motel. The growing relations
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Jun 05, 2010
Rilly *procrastinator and proud*
rated it:
hehe, i really like this cover for some reason.
all the lowers halfs of peoples bodies.
**review**
i enjoyed this, it was overly cheesy with corny romance and it didn't have that predictable plot line that all teen romances seem to have.
emxp of predicatable plotline:
They meet
they become bestfriends.
they have some sort of conflict and break up.
they realize that they can't live wothout eachother and go out again.
this was meet, realize they l More...
all the lowers halfs of peoples bodies.
**review**
i enjoyed this, it was overly cheesy with corny romance and it didn't have that predictable plot line that all teen romances seem to have.
emxp of predicatable plotline:
They meet
they become bestfriends.
they have some sort of conflict and break up.
they realize that they can't live wothout eachother and go out again.
this was meet, realize they l More...
Jan 26, 2010
Bethany
rated it:
Reinhardt tells the story of a girl who chooses to spend her summer helping to build a house for a family whose home was destroyed by a tornado. Part of the reason she does this is to escape her home life with her father. Her father and stepmother are recently divorced, and she is feeling lost without her stepmother, stepsister and half brother. Throughout the book she forms a relationship with Teddy, the boy whose home is being built and begins to learn how to rebuild her own relationships.
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Feb 06, 2011
Sheryl
rated it:
Dana Reinhardt knows how to write about teens. This book was great, like all the others I have read by this author in the past 2 months. The story unfolds in such a unique way that you can't stop reading. It keeps your opinions in balance and your interest peaked. It is not rushed and the pacing is slow as far as the plot goes but the unvailing of the characters is perfectly paced. The sad story of a marriage and family coming apart is told without unneccessary drama so standard in teen lit
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