There’s not much keeping Ian McDermott in Spokane, but at least it’s home. He’s been raising Sammy practically on his own ever si...
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May 12, 2010
Kelly
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Reviewed: July 26, 2009
Review:
This book, Skate by Michael Harmon, has utterly swept me off my feet. Not only is it utterly tragic, but it's something that on one way or another, everyone can relate to. Things are never perfect at home & if someone dares say to me that they are or ever were, they're definitly lying. Fights, drug-addicted parents, parents that weren't there, only one parent; regardless what, it takes a tole on both the parent(s) & the children.
That wa More...
Review:
This book, Skate by Michael Harmon, has utterly swept me off my feet. Not only is it utterly tragic, but it's something that on one way or another, everyone can relate to. Things are never perfect at home & if someone dares say to me that they are or ever were, they're definitly lying. Fights, drug-addicted parents, parents that weren't there, only one parent; regardless what, it takes a tole on both the parent(s) & the children.
That wa More...
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Jan 12, 2009
Bobby
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This story was one of the best books i have personally ever read. It explains how a family fights to stay together. This book is about a boy named ian and his younger brother sam. What makes these to kids diffrent from everybody else is that they dont have a mom or dad. they are on there own in a big world while trying to get bye.
Ian is 15 years old and goes to highschool. his teachers dont no that he doesnt have any parents and just think hes a trouble maker. Ian works at a local s More...
Ian is 15 years old and goes to highschool. his teachers dont no that he doesnt have any parents and just think hes a trouble maker. Ian works at a local s More...
Feb 27, 2011
Marrissa
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After reading "Skate" by Micheal Harmon, I was blown away. Words cannot describe how real and how raw this book is. The overall message of the story was understood at every angle. It was unpredictable to the point where you couldn't stop reading it. At one point, I honestly and truthfully thought I was reading a REAL STORY. It was amazing.
The book begins with Ian, the troubled teen that, well, hates the world and knows the world hates him back. In school he faces many problem More...
The book begins with Ian, the troubled teen that, well, hates the world and knows the world hates him back. In school he faces many problem More...
May 28, 2009
Nick
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Nov 16, 2011
Skate, by Michael Harmon surprised me grandly. I started this book just as a book I could say I was reading and could add to my booklist, but I learned to think of it otherwise. I opened the cover and automatically knew I was in for a treat. The characters were gripping, surprising, and REAL! Although I have never gone through anything even remotely close to what Ian and his brother had to grow up and deal with, I could understand everything they did and why they did it. I was glad to see that w
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Jan 31, 2010
Sharon
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Teenagers should not have to be responsible for putting food on the table, but Ian is responsible for that and so much more. He makes sure his younger brother gets to school on time and does his homework. Their mother has dropped deeper into the drug world, and they rarely see her. The rage is growing inside Ian, and usually when he and his brother skate it helps. But lately, the school has been pressuring Ian to conform, cut his spiked hair, get into sports and when the administration says he m
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Jul 16, 2010
Ali
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Nov 03, 2010
Richard
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The reason I chose this book i thought it was about skating but it turned into a whole different story and i liked it. This book is about a kid named Ian Mcdermmont his mom almost abbonded him so he now has to take care of his brother. Ian is scruggling in school yelling at teachers, he just got suspened because he punched his gym teacher in the face. He panicked and they ran away from home to try to find there dad in Oregon. Ian and his brother Sammy are almost to there dad and Sammy starts get
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Jan 28, 2010
lisa
rated it:
this was pretty gritty, but the narrator was so accessible that it really took the harsher edges off the story. i actually grew pretty fond of the little punk, and was pleased with the ending he got, even though parts of it felt like a cop-out. (i might even go so far as to call him holden-esque, at least in attitude, and well, we all know that i'm inordinately fond of holden caulfield.)
on a somewhat related note, what is the deal with troubled boys who run away and find peace living More...
on a somewhat related note, what is the deal with troubled boys who run away and find peace living More...
Nov 03, 2011
Tino
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I thought it was an amazing book. It was a story of a 15 year old skater name Ian Mcdermont and his little brother Sammy Mcdermont. Their mom is a big drug addict and is almost never home forcing Ian to raise sammy himself. The administration wants him out of there school and have him by the neck. When something goes wrong him and Sammy have to leave Spokane and find the only other relative they can think of. It becomes a journey that leads them acroos the entire state of washington. To then fin
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Mar 26, 2010
this book is about this kid his name is Ian he is a spohmore at Morrison high and he skateboards. He is one of the cool popular kids at his school that has a puck atitude and get all the girls. For his family life Hes dad leaves faraway and has ever been hurd of for awhile and for his mother she ran way becouse of one of there many fights he also has a little brother named sammy that he has to take care of becouse he has no one else that will. one day at Morrison high his Coach "Coach Fl
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Aug 10, 2010
Shannon
rated it:
From School Library Journal
Grade 8 Up–Ian McDermott doesn't have much going for him. He has basically raised himself and his young brother, who has fetal alcohol syndrome. Their mother is a deadbeat drug addict who makes rare appearances in their lives. At Morrison High School, things aren't much better; the administration wants him out. The thing is, Ian isn't going to take any guff from anyone. But one day, he loses his cool and ends up breaking Coach Florence's jaw. The teen knows that More...
Grade 8 Up–Ian McDermott doesn't have much going for him. He has basically raised himself and his young brother, who has fetal alcohol syndrome. Their mother is a deadbeat drug addict who makes rare appearances in their lives. At Morrison High School, things aren't much better; the administration wants him out. The thing is, Ian isn't going to take any guff from anyone. But one day, he loses his cool and ends up breaking Coach Florence's jaw. The teen knows that More...
Aug 12, 2008
Moni
rated it:
Skate takes place in Spokane, WA (my hometown) and is about the troubles of a skater-punk kid name Ian. His mother is a drug addict and is never home, so Ian is left to take care of his little brother, Sammy. As you can imagine, this gets very difficult for Ian to deal with and he eventually gets into some trouble at school. He decides to run away to find his father who left them when they were young. He has an address in Walla Walla and that’s all he knows about him, but it’s his only chance at
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May 11, 2008
Jennifer
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Reviewed by Mechele R. Dillard for TeensReadToo.com
Fifteen-year-old Ian McDermott already has a tough life: He's never really known his father, his mother is a drug addict and spends most of her time on the streets, and he is left caring for his younger brother, Sammy. What he needs from "the system" is some help; what he gets is placed on a list of kids who the principal wants out of his school as soon as possible. And, when he takes a swing at Coach Florence and breaks hi More...
Fifteen-year-old Ian McDermott already has a tough life: He's never really known his father, his mother is a drug addict and spends most of her time on the streets, and he is left caring for his younger brother, Sammy. What he needs from "the system" is some help; what he gets is placed on a list of kids who the principal wants out of his school as soon as possible. And, when he takes a swing at Coach Florence and breaks hi More...
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Dec 18, 2010
Mello
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One of the best books i ever read. Picked it up out of boredom and was utterly entranced from the moment I began reading. I actaully cried at several points throught the book. This author has a way of making you fall in love with the characters and hope for the best. It feels as though you go through the shit with them; this book ultimatly pisses you off, makes you cry, makes you shit yourself but in the end, leaves you a better person.
Aug 03, 2008
Marya
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This started out as a good book. The kids are in trouble, the mom they have to live with is a druggie concerned more for her own habit than for their lives, and when the plot is undertaken, it is done so in a reasonable way. The kids really are trapped in a box, so why not try to track down Dad?
And that's where it starts to suck. Dad loves them still. Dad has all the money and power needed to act as their white knight and make everything A-OK. A good gritty story gets turned into More...
And that's where it starts to suck. Dad loves them still. Dad has all the money and power needed to act as their white knight and make everything A-OK. A good gritty story gets turned into More...
Sep 07, 2009
Pablo
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Ian and his little brother end up having trouble with their family, like there mom ended up going away but then came back with a guy that they didn't even know. The guy seemed to boss her around a bit and ian and max got pretty mad but their mom didn't seem to do anything about it. Ian had a bad reputation at school and only lived with his brother sam since their mom and dad went away. They had a pretty tuff life living by themselves.
Dec 14, 2011
Mark
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Harmon is something of a poet of anti-authoritianism: it's pretty much the subject of all of his novels, usually involving school, police, parents, or all three. This one is just as good as the others, despite one scene which unnecessarily makes things implausible (the protagonist stands up to a drug supplier and the guy lets him live - the whole scene could have been written with a less high stakes setting).
Mar 25, 2010
Alyssa
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This was not a book I usually pick up, but I really enjoyed it througholy! It's a story about keeping a family together, and the love from one brother to another. It's something I'd reccomend to anyone who can stand crying at the end, because I know I did - it was something completely unexpected. I rarely EVER cry at the end of a book - this was a real gem of a book, a real exception.
Dec 23, 2009
Christie
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Ian has to learn to fen for his brother and himself. Their mother is a drug addict and his father abondon them when Ian was a child. Now with his mother gone and the authorities in search for him, he goes in search for his father with his brother Sammy. He discovers that his father is the superintendent of the penitiary in Walla Walla. He then has to be strong for sammy and turns himself in but first tries to convince his mother to get clean. Considered as a loser at his school by the principal
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Dec 31, 2011
Graham
rated it:
I don't know how I missed this book when it first came out (2006), but it was one of the best reads I've had in quite a while. It spoke to me on many levels, and gave me gobs of emotional tugs. It's the kind of story Chris Crutcher would tell, and Lord knows I love Chris's books. SKATE is awesome. I want more from Micheal Harmon, and am going searching. Highly recommended!!
Dec 09, 2010
Kelvin Lee
rated it:
This story really helps you appreciate your life. I read this book when I was in 9th grade so my memories are very blurry but the things I remember are shocking. The protagonist deals with a lot of issues at home and practically has to be the parent for his brother. This story is a sad story but in the end their is a big suprise.
Apr 10, 2009
Pamela
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I absolutely love this book!!!! HA! Something that I find interesting....FINALLY!!! I'm not the girly-girl type to read that kind....as you can see, I prefer real-life skater situations. (To all my BFFS: You all know that I am DEFINITELY in love with skater guys! Haha, Maddie C., you know what I'm talking aboutt....;]) Oookaayy....So, I think that this book is really sad and interesting at the same time. I'm still reading it, and it's going on my top list of "Books that I'll read over and o
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Jan 16, 2012
Kat
rated it:
A fast, absorbing read with beautifully drawn characters and relationships! I read it in one big swoop. I really felt close to Ian and his dilemma, and really loved his relationship with his brother as well. This is a dynamic character-driven story, modest but genuine...loved it.
Jan 21, 2009
Starry
rated it:
Eh.. I liked it. :3
If I hadn't, I probably wouldn't have read it at all. xD
Joking, I still would have read it.
Anyywayyysss, good book. Reccomend it to people who like stories about kids running away. Er.. skating away, in this case. Well, actually a mixture, I guess.
If I hadn't, I probably wouldn't have read it at all. xD
Joking, I still would have read it.
Anyywayyysss, good book. Reccomend it to people who like stories about kids running away. Er.. skating away, in this case. Well, actually a mixture, I guess.
Jul 12, 2010
Jessica
rated it:
This is about a boy who doesnt really have a mom or dad around so he takes care of his little brother. One day he gets amd and hits a teacher so he has to run and he will go find someone to help him out. He will skate and skate just to make sure his brother will always be safe.
Aug 04, 2011
This is a fast-paced, page-turning, not over when you think it's over read. Highly recommended, especially for reluctant readers. The story-line will hook them. A 13 year old boy recommended it to me and I passed it along to a friend of mine.
Apr 18, 2011
Nita
rated it:
I loved this book, it was real and the story takes place here in washington. It's very easy to relate to because it's about a teenage boy who often gets in trouble in school, and pretty soon gets in trouble so much that he has to leave his home.
May 11, 2011
Bryan
rated it:
I did like this book but it also said that it could happen and could not happen. Some propestives are not so realistic. I like how it ended, Ian turns himself in and leaves his brother in a foster care and his mother in a hospital until she recovers.
