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Just in Case

3.22 of 5 stars 3.22 · rating details · 1,790 ratings · 234 reviews

Justin Case is convinced fate has in for him.
And he's right.

After finding his younger brother teetering on the edge of his balcony, fifteen-year-old David Case realizes the fragility of life and senses impending doom. Without looking back, he changes his name to Justin and assumes a new identity, new clothing and new friends, and dares to fall in love with the seductive Ag...more

Hardcover, 256 pages

Published March 25th 2009 by Wendy Lamb Books (first published August 8th 2006)

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Carnegie Medal Winners

29th out of 73 books — 49 voters

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Gold Star Award Winners

47th out of 96 books — 52 voters

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Nov 06, 2007 Meaghan rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: nobody

Shelves: childrens-young-adult-fiction, read-in-2007

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 23, 2008 Emma rated it 3 of 5 stars

I wanted to like this. I really did. I loved "How I Live Now", thought it one of the best written and innovative young adult books for a generation. And indeed, I did love the first third of this second novel. I felt the same sense of heady exhilaration at the sheer audacity and exuberance of Rosoff's prose.

But then I began to falter. Or rather the story did. First I noticed the frequent changes of viewpoint. Writers are recommended to stick to just one viewpoint per scene for a reason - to do o...more

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Oct 13, 2007 Kathryn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

David Case wants a life that is just like everyone else's, but Fate just can't seem to leave him alone. In an attempt to outwit Fate, David changes his name to Justin, takes on a new persona and begins to run, quite literally, from what Fate has in store for him next. From causing bicycle accidents to being the target of a plane crash to a deadly disease that nearly kills him, Justin learns that it is not Fate that determines his future but the choices he makes and the people he surrounds himsel...more

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May 06, 2008 Haley rated it 3 of 5 stars

I give this book a high review because it is different. I don't mean different in that flashy "oh my god this book changed my life" sort of way. No, this book is different in that it is unexpected. It is not altogether an incredibly happy book nor is in extremely depressing. Just In Case embodies the the full fledged confusion, angst and self centered mindset of the teenage adolescent and multiplies it by pi. This book both stretches the imagination and ties you firmly into a state of reality i...more

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Aug 22, 2007 Marisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: boybooks, ya

Read this one several months ago. I was hoping for big things after How I live Now. This book was good, quite funny at times, but not even on the same level.

A kid name, I don't know, maybe Aaron Case or something, gets completely and totally preoccupied with fate/predestination and all the terrible things that could happen to him. So, he decides to adopt the name Justin Case (get it, Just In Case, har) and completely change his public identity in the hopes of outwitting fate. Cute premise, but t...more

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May 10, 2008 Janelle rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: didnt-finish

This was probably one of the strangest books I have ever read. I didn't think it was as good as I thought it would be. Actually, to be honest I didn't even finish it! I made it to chapter thirty then just decided that I wasn't interested in reading it. It was pretty confusing because it switched from one persons thoughts to another, and even the little baby brother had thoughts. Also, there was almost no dialogue! So, even though I really hate stopping in the middle of a book, I could just not c...more

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Jan 20, 2013 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After saving his toddler brother from falling out a window, fifteen year-old David Case is fraught with worries about the "what if's" of life. He renames himself Justin and takes up track in an attempt to hide from and outrun what he believes is Fate's grasp. A series of events leads him away from his home and into the company of the photographer Agnes (a slightly older teenage girl he believes to be a human good luck charm) and the family of Peter, Justin's sole friend from school. Add in the d...more

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Jan 23, 2009 Jaemi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction

David Case’s life took a definitive turn towards desolation the day his baby brother contemplated flight at the suggestion of a passing bird. Only happening to look up by chance, David is just in time to pull Charlie back from the window ledge before he leaps. Charlie can see his brother is very disturbed by this, but no matter how clearly he tries to explain himself, David doesn’t seem to understand.

Certain that fate is out to get him, David decides drastic action is needed. He must go into hid...more

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May 05, 2013 Rebekah Rochester rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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Mar 31, 2013 Oanya rated it 2 of 5 stars

O-kay... Where to begin...?
I'll start with the storyline. It's about a fifteen year old boy called David Case, and one day his younger brother almost falls to his death and dies on David's watch, so he gets a bit paranoid and obsessed with fate, thinking that Fate has it in it for him.
So he goes a bit overboard and changes his name, clothes, friends and stuff just to try to outrun this invisible thing that may or may not exist, all because of an almost-accident. Yep, cause that's what sane peop...more

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Jan 29, 2012 Kayla_greeley added it

Meg Rosoff, the author of Just in Case wrote a ground breaking novel, with a complex plot through the intriguing believable mind of a teen age boy. Meg Rosoff won the Carnegie Medal in 2007 for the novel Just in Case. I found very similar plot lines and themes between Just in Case, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger and A&P by John Updike. Each of these novels uses the theme of coming of age. I would defiantly recommend Just in Case to fellow readers because it is very much a classic, a...more Meg Rosoff, the author of Just in Case wrote a ground breaking novel, with a complex plot through the intriguing believable mind of a teen age boy. Meg Rosoff won the Carnegie Medal in 2007 for the novel Just in Case. I found very similar plot lines and themes between Just in Case, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger and A&P by John Updike. Each of these novels uses the theme of coming of age. I would defiantly recommend Just in Case to fellow readers because it is very much a classic, a book recommended because of the metaphors and multifaceted characters. There are few characters in the novel, but the ones that are in it have their purpose, some of who play a large role in David Case’s life.
The novel Just in Case by Meg Rosoff is a realistic, coming of age novel with a genuine account of a 15 year old boy, who has a change of heart after a forbidding life or death moment with his toddler brother. David Case living in Lutton, England, was watching his baby brother Charlie Case when a blackbird flies by the window. Charlie gets the assumption that he can fly and was attempting to leap out the window to test his flight. David grabs his brother; he pulls him through the window only to saves his brother’s life. Some would take this as a lucky moment and be glad he saved his brother’s life, but David is a strange boy. He thinks fate is out to get him and will stop at nothing to deceive fate. David has a plan to outrun fate and disguise himself so fate will not find him ever again.
I quiet enjoyed reading about David’s life and his alteration of a new identity, I thought it was extremely ironic that the name of the book is Just in Case, the name he chooses for his new persona, Justin Case. My favorite aspect of the novel is David’s friend Anges, who meets Justin/David in a thrift store trying to decide on what type of style his identity should have. Anges is a photographer, she takes pictures of everything Justin does, and publicizes him as a character of “doomed youth”. She is my favorite character because she is Justin’s first friend in his new life. Another part of the novel I enjoyed reading is how he has an imaginary dog, name Boy. Even his friend Peter acknowledges his “dog” frequently. This novel gave me an intriguing outlook in the mind of a despondent teenage boy.
I would recommend this novel for others to read, because although there was not a lot of action and it only had engagement with people, it had an incredible, believable replication of an inside look of a boys mind. The novel is very similar to The Catcher in the Rye. The similarities are each boy is trying to find their way in life, while believe the world, and fate is out to get them. The Catcher in the Rye is a classic, and so is Just in Case, The New York Times even said Just in Case is, “A modern Catcher in the Rye”. Another reason why I recommend Just in Case is because in current times now, children and teenagers are acting older and wiser than their actual age, very much like David, so people can relate.
Throughout the novel the over dramatized ideas of David have a huge effect on the reader, making you ether sympathizes for him, or just think he is a crazy youngling trying to find problems in everything. In the novel it is once said, “Pouring breakfast cereal into a bowl, he saw his life crashing down in smoking ruins”, stressing the speculation of David’s life. David has his fellow grey hound, his family and friends but still feels he has a quandary with life. Like many obstructed teenagers he wants to blame fate for his problems but soon he finds out the true meaning of life, and it is not outrunning fate.
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Dec 30, 2011 Kürbis rated it 1 of 5 stars

Well, I usually find at least an enjoyable or worthy part of books that I don't like. However, "Just In Case" is not the case. I tried to think about what I like about this book, even a tiny-ti-nee one, surprisingly there are none!!!

I don't see the gist of the story. OK, I know that our lives are full of inconstancy and danger but this is the very bad way to convey this message. I think the theme could be carried out in a more interesting story. I happen to hate all the characters in the book w...more

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Sep 04, 2011 Mary Lou rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Just in Case by Meg Rosoff is a suspenseful and thought provoking novel about a teen- age boy’s battle with what he perceives to be fate. It is serious and funny, confusing and insightful; she uses magical realism in a traditional coming of age story with allusions to fairy tales and disasters, aeronautic and medical.

The novel is a quick read, well designed for adolescent readers, but it provides fodder for lengthy discussions and essays about fate, identify, family, and sex, and mature readers...more Just in Case by Meg Rosoff is a suspenseful and thought provoking novel about a teen- age boy’s battle with what he perceives to be fate. It is serious and funny, confusing and insightful; she uses magical realism in a traditional coming of age story with allusions to fairy tales and disasters, aeronautic and medical.

The novel is a quick read, well designed for adolescent readers, but it provides fodder for lengthy discussions and essays about fate, identify, family, and sex, and mature readers can find plenty to think and talk about.. Rosoff puns, i.e. having David Case change his name to Justin Case and casting Peter Prince as his friend and portrays parents poorly and small children with stereotypical goodness.

It is no surprise to read that she believes, “catastrophe does lurk just below the surface of every life, and that every trivial moment could turn out to be earth shattering” *http://us.penguingroup.com/static/rgu....
Rosoff personifies Fate, having it speak first and then off and on in asides, alternating with third -person narration and shifting rapidly among the viewpoints of various characters.
When Fate opens the novel, telling the reader “I can look out across the world and see everything” (1), what it sees is fifteen-year-old David Case act just in the nick of time to save his eighteen-month-old brother Charlie from falling out of a window. “What if” thinking pushes Case over the edge of sanity into a world where he thinks doom is just around the corner, driving him to change his name, his appearance, and his residence. Photographer Agnes Bee befriends him partly out of sympathy and partly as a subject for photographs in which she documents life in arty, but gritty and gruesome detail. Schoolmate Peter Prince, functions as Prince Charming because, more than anyone, he rescues David. At the end of the novel, all of the characters have had experiences that, apparently, are their fate.
Note: the disasters are a plane crash that causes significant loss of life and property damage and bacterial meningitis, though David survives it. Fate provides closure without specifics calling the time with David “our game” (244).

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Jan 14, 2011 Margaret Sophia rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. DISCLAIMER: This is my first review, and therefore as bad as this book.

I'm not going to lie. I picked up this book in the library because the cover was intriguing. That's a euphemism for the boy on the cover was very attractive . The name was actually intriguing. Just In Case, Justin Case. Clever. But the name, and the cover jacket blurb are extremely misleading. This book was not intriguing. It was all over the place, and I found it just a mash together of several implausible situations.

The boo...more DISCLAIMER: This is my first review, and therefore as bad as this book.

I'm not going to lie. I picked up this book in the library because the cover was intriguing. That's a euphemism for the boy on the cover was very attractive . The name was actually intriguing. Just In Case, Justin Case. Clever. But the name, and the cover jacket blurb are extremely misleading. This book was not intriguing. It was all over the place, and I found it just a mash together of several implausible situations.

The book started off pretty mild, with a little boy trying to jump out the window and a teenager attempting to reinvent himself. The few words from fate got me interested, so I decided to stick around. I wish I hadn't.

This book, to put it mildly, was a complete and utter disappointment. Plot? What plot? The story is about a crazy kid, who no one seems to be able to figure out is crazy, despite the fact that he acts like a total schitzo. Only once in the entire book is it suggested that he go see a doctor or a counselor. Oh, but wait-there's more! Not only is this kid totally insane, he's also Fate's little plaything. Fate tries and tries again to... kill him? It's not always clear, Fate's a confusing guy. But, Justin manages to avoid death, once even saving himself from getting hit by a plane by... STEPPING OUT OF THE WAY.

What?

Here's a list of complaints, since I'm struggling with this whole review:
1. EVERYONE seems to have something to say in this book. But not vocally, no. In fact, there's hardly any dialogue in this book and the parts that are dialogue are extremely short. No, this book is in everyone's head. Even a baby, who is about 2 years old, seems to be having complex thoughts, and is the only one in the book that "gets" Justin.
2. Does no one care about this kid? His parents let him run away from home and move in with an older woman. The older woman gives up on him, so he moves in with his friend. Once again, the parents don't even care.
3. For someone who is mentally unstable and constantly thinking about fate, he sure thinks about sex a lot.
4. His friend's sister, Dorothea? Yeah, she aggravated me to no end.

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Oct 19, 2010 Julia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2008, death-as-narrator, fantasy

At first glance, David Case appears to be a normal, if somewhat nerdy, teenage boy. In actuality, however, he’s a complete and utter nutjob, because he believes that Fate, for lack of a better word, is stalking him. That he, David Case, is doomed. And how best to avoid that doom? Why, by becoming someone else! Someone named Justin Case. Just in case. Get it?

It’s not a bad plan, actually, except for one teeny tiny little problem--the narrator of Justin’s tale is none other than Fate himself (its...more

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Jul 07, 2010 E DB rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to E by: teenagers I work with

Shelves: ya-novels

David Case has decided that Fate is out to get him, so he decides to change his name to Justin and his identity to something else non-specific (the signs of his supposed transformation are insomnia, a penchant for running, new clothes, an imaginary dog, and spiralling depression). Small interludes introduce Fate as a secondary narrator. Apparently Fate really IS out to get David/Justin. No way.

Maybe it's just personifying a concept as tired as Fate is just plain stupid, maybe it's because neithe...more

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Mar 10, 2010 Tiffany rated it 1 of 5 stars

“I can look down across the world and see everything. For Instance, I can see you.”

Certain that fate has it in for him, Justin Case (formerly known as David), creates a new identity and lifestyle in attempt to avoid fate`s dangerous actions. From light casualties to near death situations, Justin has definitely got it in for him.

This novel was the first that I have read from Meg Rosoff and I was not entirely impressed. My first impression of Justin’s life story was not positive. In fact, I th...more “I can look down across the world and see everything. For Instance, I can see you.”

Certain that fate has it in for him, Justin Case (formerly known as David), creates a new identity and lifestyle in attempt to avoid fate`s dangerous actions. From light casualties to near death situations, Justin has definitely got it in for him.

This novel was the first that I have read from Meg Rosoff and I was not entirely impressed. My first impression of Justin’s life story was not positive. In fact, I thought the introduction of the novel was extremely tedious and lagged on all through the first few chapters, which only expressed the thoughts of Justin’s paranoid mind. It took me a few chapters before I got a hold of what was actually taking place in the plot. Literally twenty pages prior to the conclusion of the novel, was when it began to grow to be more interesting because of Justin’s struggle to stay alive.

Many aspects of the novel were particularly bewildering. There was an invisible dog who some were able to visualize, a baby who was capable of speaking, no proper dialogue and too many sudden switches from the thoughts of different characters. If that’s not enough, throughout the entire novel, Justin’s character only thought of himself and sexual pleasures in which he eagerly wished to perform. Who would actually benefit from reading an entire book overflowing with the sexual pleasures of a 15 year old male?

Personally, Fate was the most intriguing character of the novel. I say this for the reason that fate was confident and clever in deriving the following words.

“I DON’T MAKE DEALS, Justin. I deal. And here’s how your cards are falling: A couple of negligible hearts. A joker. A sad little club. Will you draw? Oh look! The ace of spades. I am sorry.”

The phrase caught my attention because of its unique use of words. According to fate, the ace of spades (known as the death card) was drawn by the protagonist, Justin, which was an indicator to how soon Justin would die. I believe that it was incredibly unique how the author prepared every phrase spoken by fate as a metaphor or an allusion to something else (similar to the quote stated above). To put it in the nicest way, that quote was the most interesting aspect of the novel.

In reality what kind of person would change their name, appearance and attitude, in order to run away from something that was believed to be fictional? The following quote proves that even Justin’s parents didn’t support his decision. “How do you expect us to change what we call you after all these years? It’s unnatural.” If I was not strained to reading the entire novel for a school project, I would certainly not have finished it.
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Jan 15, 2010 Mrs. Foley rated it 2 of 5 stars

Convinced that fate is out to get him, fifteen-year-old David Case assumes a new identity in the hope of avoiding what he believes is certain doom. - Summary from library catalog

Although this is a unique story, I'm just not that impressed. I don't know why, but I don't seem to enjoy this author's books (this is the second I have read from her). She gets great reviews, but I just can't seem to make myself care about her characters. See below for a more glowing review. :)

Review from School Library...more Convinced that fate is out to get him, fifteen-year-old David Case assumes a new identity in the hope of avoiding what he believes is certain doom. - Summary from library catalog

Although this is a unique story, I'm just not that impressed. I don't know why, but I don't seem to enjoy this author's books (this is the second I have read from her). She gets great reviews, but I just can't seem to make myself care about her characters. See below for a more glowing review. :)

Review from School Library Journal:
Fifteen-year-old David Case, scared out of his acceptance of dailiness by his baby brother's near calamity at an open window, changes his name to Justin and allows several new people into his life. He is befriended by a somewhat older-and definitely more worldly-girl when he enters a thrift shop to remake his sartorial presentation. Angela is easy to fall in love with, but frustrating for Justin and suspicious for readers. Peter Prince, on the other hand, a new friend who urges Justin to discover how very good he is as a distance runner, lives up to his surname. Justin's baby brother, Charlie, knowing and telepathic since birth, worries that Justin won't ever recover from the shock of having to haul him back from his experiment with flight. Justin's other companions on the journey through the six months between that momentous occasion and Christmas include an invisible dog, Peter's psychologically perceptive sisters, and their male rabbit, Alice. The crisis that flings Justin and Angela literally into bed together is a horrific plane crash at the local airport. As he runs from her gallery show of photos of him in shock in the disaster's aftermath, he collides with a woman from whom he contracts meningitis, nearly allowing Fate to talk him into dying. Only Charlie's visit to the hospital pulls Justin back from the existential abyss at which he has perched for six months. Rosoff writes of these characters and Justin's interior and exterior adventures with beautiful grace and wit. Even sensitive teens usually have more psychological armor than Justin, but Rosoff's made him a compelling hero, not a nerd.(less)

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Jun 07, 2010 Blodeuedd Finland rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, fiction

I liked this book, but then I am drawn to weird books that do not make much sense, and this one is no exception.

It starts at once. David Case rescues his brother, who get annoyed. His brother tells him (well thinks it) what he wanted to do, of course out of the 1 year olds mouth nonsense comes out. Through out the book we can hear the baby's clever thoughts, and he is sure wondering why no one gets him.

David is dead sure that Fate is out after him, and he has a lot of gloomy thoughts. So he chan...more I liked this book, but then I am drawn to weird books that do not make much sense, and this one is no exception.

It starts at once. David Case rescues his brother, who get annoyed. His brother tells him (well thinks it) what he wanted to do, of course out of the 1 year olds mouth nonsense comes out. Through out the book we can hear the baby's clever thoughts, and he is sure wondering why no one gets him.

David is dead sure that Fate is out after him, and he has a lot of gloomy thoughts. So he changes his name to Justin, starts wearing new clothes, and thinks that Fate can't find him any more. He also gets a dog, a greyhound, and the dog is of course not real. But he sees him. He gets a new friend, who also plays with the dog. I guess crazy attracts crazy. And then there is the older girl who wants to photograph him, and he falls in love. I think that was all teh crazy stuff.

Or was it? No, this book has a second POV, Fate with short sentences tells us that he actually is after David.

Why did I then like this book? I didn't think I would but suddenly I was drawn in to it and could not stop. David was so crazy, I guess it made me think of that Gyllenhaal movie with the rabbit. But David, or Justin really believed fate wanted him dead. And soon he saw dangers in everything, and that is not a way to live. His love affair with the girl was doomed, and it was rather painful to read who much he wanted her, when one could see her indifference. Even if she did care for him as a friend. Luckily he did meet Peter, who was great, and his little sister. That family was a pillar in Justin's life, even if they did talk about the dog. Like saying that Boy needed Justin to survive and exist...yes cos he was made up, duh. But then again Justin needed that dog, I think it made him stay sane.

There was the crazy, the weird thoughts, fate showing up and scaring me, first love, friendship and a wonder how this all would end. A great YA book in the end, with some amazing writing in it.

What can I say, I am a sucker for the weird,

Blodeuedd's Cover Thoughts: Pretty, but pretty girl, but yes looks YA.
Reason for reading: library
Final thoughts: I enjoyed this strange tale, about a boy who lost is footing in the world.(less)

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May 31, 2010 Gabriella rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-realistic

I didn't like this book at all. It does not reflect anything for me. I mean, seriously, I think Justin Case is mentally ill. And his parents, friends, everyone in the story not realizing his illness just makes me hate this book even more. Even the idea of Justin's parents, thinking that Justin has dyslexia or is homosexual, is just plain stupid. And actually, I did not find Justin's fanaticity in fate interesting at all. I think it highlights Justin's annoying insanity even more. Oh and one more...more

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Feb 09, 2012 Sara rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 17, 2012 Shonna Froebel rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was totally caught up in this great book. It starts with fifteen-year-old David Case rescuing his one-year-old brother Charlie from tumbling out a window and this incident drives David to recreate himself. He chooses the name Justin, and goes to a thrift shop for a whole new wardrobe. This is where he meets Agnes who helps pick his new look and is one of the new people he meets who has an impact on his life. Another is a new friend at school, Peter, who is smart and nice and provides a wise vo...more

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Jan 09, 2009 Elizabeth marked it as half-read

Shelves: make-me-think

I read the first chapter, and it really gave me a lot to think about... But I've heard its not very clean, so, as much as I would like to, I'm not going to read it.

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Sep 05, 2009 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, youngadult

(Note: Aussie version of Donnie Darko?? Talking bunnies, near miss plane crash?)

Another quirky novel from Rosoff. I did like this one better than What I Was, which also features a somewhat offputting male protagonist. Just In Case was more out-there. Aussie teen Justin (formerly David) psychologically links scary events and coincidences to what he decides must be his own impending doom. The perspective is third-person; usually it's Justin's, but it slips into omniscience, as several peripheral c...more

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Jul 16, 2009 Khaybe rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, work-related, recommended-for-work-outside-read

checked out from the library - i have to admit, i was intrigued by the cover!

one of the promo comments on the cover said something about a "modern catcher in the rye" and the brief description on the back sounded interesting. ultimately, i wasn't disappointed!
the protagonist is a somewhat typical fifteen year old boy- he feels frustrated his parents are neglecting him to coo over his younger brother, he can't quite manage how to talk to girls, etc, but rosoff does some really fascinating thing...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Phoebe rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, historical

The writing I could not fault. It was intuitive. It was emotive. It was what kept the story going. The plot, on the other hand, faltered then crashed. It was most unfulfilling, not to mention the protagonist was rendered immature and prone to throwing spastic tantrums. What I'm trying to get at is Rosoff's third attempt at YA novel is certainly disappointing when compared to her previous works. It lacked elegance and the heartbreak factor. In the end, Justin didn't even earn my pity, and the las...more

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Mar 13, 2012 Mar *How I see it reviews* rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, read-in-english, psychological, ya

The book started with David *Justin*'s brother standing on the balcony, ready to jump. He wants to fly. This 2-year-old boy thinks like a teenager, but talks like a 2-year-old. You can read his thoughts and read a few things from his POV, what was completely messed up in this book, which annoyed me a lot, but more about that later. It's strange to read a lot of thoughts of a 2-year-old and then see the 1 word that actually came out of his mouth. Of course, this is impossible, but still it's an i...more The book started with David *Justin*'s brother standing on the balcony, ready to jump. He wants to fly. This 2-year-old boy thinks like a teenager, but talks like a 2-year-old. You can read his thoughts and read a few things from his POV, what was completely messed up in this book, which annoyed me a lot, but more about that later. It's strange to read a lot of thoughts of a 2-year-old and then see the 1 word that actually came out of his mouth. Of course, this is impossible, but still it's an interesting way of thinking that 2 year olds can think but just can't say what they're thinking. From the moment that his little brother wants to fly, David changes his name to Justing and changes his appearance, all to run away from his fate. He thinks he's doomed. He meets an interesting girl, becomes a model, has his imaginary dog and more strange things occur.
The point of view in this book was completely messed up. In some chapters there were 3 different ones, and all the time you had to keep in mind who was talking and from whose point of view you were reading. I think an author should not use more than one point of view per chapter, to make sure that the reader is not confused.
The plot of this book had lots of interesting twists that kept on surprising me, but the main part was predictable. I didn't care about that a lot, since I was distracted by the strangeness of this book and the story that was told inside it.
Justin has this imaginary dog, which he thinks is real. That isn't the biggest problem. His friends keep on referring to the dog as if it were real, even a 6 year old girl plays along. I mean, I don't think that normal people would do that. Someone just has to wake Justin up from his dreamy life, and tell him the thruth, that there is no dog, that he should just go to school and live a normal life like everyone else, and that he isn't so special that fate has in for him. But no-one does. Not even his new friend tells him that he's crazy or something. She thinks it's just normal teenage fear, which it obviously isn't...

This entertaining quick-paced read is full of humor, but still, it's about one of the biggest mysteries in life. Fate.

3 stars(less)

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Feb 19, 2009 Amira rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-of-2009-target-50

This is a re-read.

Edit:
This was a very good book that I would recommend to every teenager. It covered many sensitive issues that were both enjoyable to read about, but also intriguing to know. It's surprising to even consider that a minority of teenagers think like this at some point in their adolescent phase. However, it was very well written (and fundamentally, is only fiction!)

On the other hand, I'm not entirely sure if I was satisfied with the ending of the novel. It was, in a sense, pretty...more

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Aug 16, 2011 Nikki Finn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2006

Když od knihy neočekáváte příliš, dopadne to tak, jak u tohoto výtisku. Při čtení prvních stránek jsem se opravdu cítila jako Alenka v říši divů... řekla jsem si však, že to nevzdám, jelikož ta myšlenka "rozmlouvání s vlastním osudem" se mi velmi líbila. V polovině knihy začalo všechno dávat smysl a šel z toho až mráz po zádech. V mysli se mi náhle začaly vynořovat řady teenagerů, kteří mohou být vlastně stejně bezradní a ztracení v sobě samých, jako hlavní postava - patnáctiletý Justin. Kdo z n...more

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Mar 22, 2011 Phanee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: british-books-challenge-2011, owned, read-in-2011

I have decided to start posting my reviews on here as well, as it will probably make it easier for those who are interested in reading what I have to say.

I actually found this book rather weird. David (or Justin) Case is a teenager who suddenly realises that life is not what it seems. After saving his brother from toppling out of the window in his bedroom, his whole life changes, as he realises that he has to outwit fate, some way or another. So, he decides to change his name to Justin and to co...more I have decided to start posting my reviews on here as well, as it will probably make it easier for those who are interested in reading what I have to say.

I actually found this book rather weird. David (or Justin) Case is a teenager who suddenly realises that life is not what it seems. After saving his brother from toppling out of the window in his bedroom, his whole life changes, as he realises that he has to outwit fate, some way or another. So, he decides to change his name to Justin and to completely alter the way he looks, in the hope of having fate pass him by - not notice him.

During the course of the book, many things happen to Justin - he meets an older girl, Agnes, and makes friends with a boy from school, Peter. He runs away from home and lives in different places, and while away, he experiences some disastrous events, which lead to him contemplating his life even more.

Just In Case was a very good read. It captures the coming-of-age of a teenager who is troubled by guilt (at least, that's how I saw it) and who tries to invent ways to counter-attack the notion of the futility of life. I didn't like Agnes' character very much, but I did like Peter and his sisters, who really and truly supported David (Justin) during his whole Justin phase.

I particularly liked the twist that came in the last few chapters of the book. It wasn't a happy twist, but it did sort-of explain why certain things happened... To me, at least. It's not a happy twist, I warn you. But it was completely unexpected. I would have never though that something like that would happen.

But I do have an important objection about this book. David (Justin) Case was supposed to be 15 years old, and his parents just let him leave home and go and live elsewhere, without showing any objection whatsoever. I thought that was very weird. Which parent would let their 15-year-old child leave home, without knowing exactly where they are supposed to be (or at least wanting to know)?? I found that part of the story to be a little off-putting, as if his parents didn't really care about him that much. I might not bother (have bothered) you, but I did not like it.

You can also find my review here:
http://funny-wool.blogspot.com/2011/0...(less)

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About Meg Rosoff

Meg Rosoff was born in Boston and had three or four careers in publishing and advertising before she moved to London in 1989, where she lives now with her husband and daughter. Formerly a Young Adult author, Meg has earned numerous prizes including the highest American and British honors for YA fiction: the Michael L. Printz Award and the Carnegie Medal.

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Quotes from Just in Case

“Fate is trying to kill me. I miss my dog. What's a doctor going to say? You're not ill, you're mad as a muffin? They'll either lock me up or tell me to get a grip and no one will believe the truth anyway.” — 10 people liked it

“I'm sorry I started all this by trying to fly and I'd take it back if I could but I can't, so please think of it from my point of view: if you die I will have a dead brother and it will be me instead of you who suffers.
Justin thought of his brother on that warm summer day, standing up on the windowsill holding both their futures, light and changeable as air, in his outstretched arms.
Of course, Justin thought, I'm part of his fate just as he's part of mine. I hadn't considered it from his point of view. Or from the point of view of the universe, either. It's just a playing field crammed full of cause and effect, billions of dominoes, each knocking over billions more, setting off trillions of actions every second. A butterfly flaps its wings in Africa and my brother in Luton thinks he can fly.
The child nodded. A piano might fall on your head, he said, but it also might not. And in the meantime you never know. Something nice might happen.” — 9 people liked it

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