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The Nature of Jade

by Deb Caletti (Goodreads Author)

3.88 of 5 stars 3.88 · rating details · 6,505 ratings · 445 reviews

I am not my illness. "Girl with Anxiety," "Trauma of the Week" -- no. I hate stuff like that. Everyone, everyone has their issue. But the one thing my illness did make me realize is how necessary it is to ignore the dangers of living in order to live. And how much trouble you can get into if you can't. Jade DeLuna is too young to die. She knows this, and yet she can't quit...more

Hardcover, 288 pages

Published February 27th 2007 by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

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Jun 30, 2011 Nomes rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, mixed-feelings

I enjoyed my second Deb Caletti book much more than the previous one I read of hers (Honey, Baby, Sweetheart but I still have conflicted feelings...

Caletti writes beautiful prose, with sentiments about the finer details of life that make you pause and contemplate. It's a fantastic skill for a writer to have b/c it lets the reader get right inside the characters head and connect.

Maybe it's the faux fire and the rain and the sinking couch, I don't know. Or maybe it's his soft clothes and warm eye...more

16 likes · like · see review

Sep 27, 2007 Gwen the Librarian rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: teenbooks

I finished reading The Nature of Jade, by Deb Caletti, a couple of days ago. I felt a real sense of mourning when it finally finished. Not because it was a sad book, but because I hated to end such a satisfying and well-written one. I would follow these characters forever.

Jade is a sixteen-year-old living in Seattle. Senior year is approaching and all of her friends and even her family are going through major changes and growing pains. Jade herself has anxiety, panic attacks. The only thing tha...more

17 likes · like · see review

Jan 19, 2009 Misty rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is by far one of the best books I have read. I would venture to say that it is now my favorite book. I couldn't put the thing down and was completely engrossed in the characters and their lives. I couldn't get enough of Jade, her brother Oliver, Sebastian and little Bo. I read another review where someone said that they could read about these characters forever and I have to agree with that. I also really enjoyed the story with the Elephants that Jade worked with. I learned a lot about elep...more

6 likes · like · see review

Jun 25, 2008 Wendy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, girly-books, read-or-reread-in-08

I wanted to like this book. And there were some things about it that I really did enjoy. But there were more things that bothered me. Some things specifically about the book, and other, more general issues that I will get to.

First, the good:
The main character, Jade, is well-written. She's interesting and sometimes pretty insightful. Like when she talks about how people get caught up in all the little, meaningless things in life so that they don't think the BIG THOUGHTS about death. Or when she...more

21 likes · like · see review

Nov 06, 2012 Hannah rated it 3 of 5 stars

warning: you may suffer from severe enjoyment while reading this book.
Please read responsibly

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May 05, 2011 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Kate by: Teen Book Club selection

Shelves: teen-book-club, 2011, age-ya, psychological

Jade is a senior in high school who suffers from anxiety attacks. She takes medication and goes to a therapist, but the one thing that keeps her calm is the elephants. She lives only a few blocks from the Seattle Zoo, and watches the elephants on the Elephant Cam (like this one, at the San Diego Zoo). The elephants go about their lives like very calm people.

Then Jade sees a boy about her age watching the elephants, and he has a baby with him. Jade begins to wonder about this boy and comes up wit...more Jade is a senior in high school who suffers from anxiety attacks. She takes medication and goes to a therapist, but the one thing that keeps her calm is the elephants. She lives only a few blocks from the Seattle Zoo, and watches the elephants on the Elephant Cam (like this one, at the San Diego Zoo). The elephants go about their lives like very calm people.

Then Jade sees a boy about her age watching the elephants, and he has a baby with him. Jade begins to wonder about this boy and comes up with a plan to meet him, by volunteering with the elephants. It's two months later and Jade has grown really attached to the elephants before she sees the boy again. Slowly, Jade begins to let go of her anxiety and lets herself care for Sebastian and his son, Bo.

I liked Jade as a character. She had her faults, but her anxiety attacks were not the "problem" of the novel. She put a lot of pressure on herself to do well in school, and when she is presented with the problem to how to meet this boy in the red jacket, she comes up with a great solution which gives her work experience, allows her to meet new people (and befriend the elephants), and helps her toward a goal of one day working with animals. The facts about animal behavior at the beginning of each chapter are interesting in themselves and related to the family dynamics. The dynamics of Jade's family, compared with those of Sebastian's family, and the dynamics of the human families in relation to the elephant/animal families were complex and deep, and the author did not allow for an easy, tied-up-in-a-bow ending (though the outcome was a positive one). Moreover, Jade and Sebastian's relationship was believable and sweet. I found myself tearing up toward the end as Jade tried to work things out with her mother.

There was a bit of strong language (including a few f-bombs), but overall I agree with the professional review that placed this novel for ages 12+. While it is indicated that Jade and Sebastian become intimate in their relationship, none of it is described. Jade is 18 and Sebastian is 20, and their relationship is a mature one, more about family and enjoying each other's company.(less)

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Sep 19, 2008 Sierra rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Teens

The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti is about 18-year-old Jade, who suffers from panic attacks. The only thing that helps calm her down is the elephants that reside in the zoo a few blocks away from her house. She even has a live webcam that films the elephants 24-7 from the zoo, on her laptop, so she can see them whenever she wants. Once, while she was watching the webcam, a boy in a red jacket appears on the screen, watching the elephants. And he has a baby on his back!
Jade is interested in this...more

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Nov 06, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Kylie for TeensReadToo.com

Since being diagnosed with Panic Disorder, Jade DeLuna does not know how to cope with the shortness of breath and dizzy feelings, but could this all change when she meets the boy in the red jacket?

Jade,18, is in her senior year of high school when she is diagnosed. She knows nothing good can come out of it and she thinks not even the support of her family can help her through. Not only that, but her other family members have problems of their own.

Like her...more Reviewed by Kylie for TeensReadToo.com

Since being diagnosed with Panic Disorder, Jade DeLuna does not know how to cope with the shortness of breath and dizzy feelings, but could this all change when she meets the boy in the red jacket?

Jade,18, is in her senior year of high school when she is diagnosed. She knows nothing good can come out of it and she thinks not even the support of her family can help her through. Not only that, but her other family members have problems of their own.

Like her little brother, Oliver, who loves reading THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA books, but their dad has other plans for him. Dad wants Oliver to love sports, but even though Oliver has tried many times with soccer, baseball, and football, he can't seem to enjoy them. Jade and Oliver both notice their parents' marriage is falling apart, with mom always at PTA meetings and dad locking himself downstairs with his wooden city sculptures.

With all of this, Jade doesn't feel relaxed a bit.

Soon Jade finds an escape from everything, and that escape is the elephants. Not only do the elephants calm her down, they make her feel important and not so tied up in her schoolwork. Jade puts a video cam on the local zoo's elephants cage so she can have the elephants anytime she wants on her computer screen -- but one night she notices on the live video a boy in a red jacket with a toddler. Jade is so intrigued by the young man and the toddler that she volunteers at the zoo's elephant park. One day, while leaving the zoo, she finally meets the young man. The moment he speaks, Jade knows she likes him and she knows she wants to see him again.

Will I ever see the mysterious young man and the toddler again ?

If I do, will it develop into a relationship?

And is the toddler his kid?

These are all questions that Jade asks herself, and if you read this book you will find the interesting answers.

THE NATURE OF JADE by Deb Caletti is a great novel that keeps you attached and interested until the end. Ms. Caletti definitely knows how to write an engaging life story and I totally recommend this book to anyone who loves reading.
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Jan 14, 2008 Erika rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: females

This book is written about Jade, a girl with a panic disorder. She is a senior and she lives near a zoo. She finds the elephants most mesmerizing and calming, which help her with her disorder. She leaves up the 24 hour elephant watch from the zoo's website in her room everyday. Jade goes through life averagly. She has friends, a regular family and pretty good grades. She does however think about every possible thing that could go wrong with every little thing.

One day while watching the elephant...more

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Mar 15, 2008 Kyla rated it 3 of 5 stars

***YA Book***
Two chapters in I was jealous of this book - not only had the author "stolen" the setting of my own YA book in progress (Ballard, WA) but she was using the real life elephants of the Woodland Zoo, including Hansa, the baby elephant that had a key role in my now-husband and I declaring our love to each other (true story!)
But as the book went on - and on - and on, it became clear this book would have benefited from a little judicious editing. Too many elements clutter the book to be d...more

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Nov 23, 2008 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Nature of Jade is a compelling story of a girl, a boy, and... elephants (Yep, not your average teen romance novel). Jade Deluna has been diagnosed with Panic Disorder. Jade is a shy and cautious girl, and her disorder has made her even more so. But one thing helps Jade through her illness- visiting elephants at a local zoo, only blocks away. Jade even keeps a live zoo webcam on in her room to soothe herself over daily stresses. This is where things change for Jade. She meets Sebastian.

Normal...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Gabby Harrell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jade has really bad anxiety like really bad. She is watches elephants with the zoo monitor in her room to comfort her. One day she sees a boy with a baby from the monitor and becomes obsessed in a way. The plot pretty much is her summer before college and how she deals with everything.
So the plot sounds like a love story. IT IS NOT. It's just about Jade growing into her own skin and becoming independent, her growth of friendships and overcoming anxiety. I adored this book because the plot was l...more

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Sep 18, 2012 Bayan Basri rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: characters-in-school, female-pov-only, no-love-triangle-thank-god, realistic-fiction, stand-alone

I had mixed feelings about this book. Sometimes I liked Jade and sometimes I felt like she was utterly naive and Sebastian too, it was like he was the male version of Jade in my opinion. I loved Tess, Oliver, Micheal, Akeelo and Bo (by the way how is his name pronounced? Bow? Boo? Bu??). The book was really fast paced right after Jade met Sebastian but uneventful,and I thought Jade's anxiety wasn't really a big part of the book as you'd think. I liked the setting of the book but mostly I liked t...more

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Jun 19, 2012 Janell rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This was a really good book. It is about Jade Deluna and she has panic disorder. She goes to the zoo to watch the elephants which helps here come down. When she is not at the zoo she is watching the elephants on her laptop on the webcam they have set up. She first see's the red jacket boy when she is watching on the webcam. She notices that he has a small child with him, but she doesnt know if the child is his or not. She starts to volunteer at the zoo and becomes friends with Damion. She loves...more This was a really good book. It is about Jade Deluna and she has panic disorder. She goes to the zoo to watch the elephants which helps here come down. When she is not at the zoo she is watching the elephants on her laptop on the webcam they have set up. She first see's the red jacket boy when she is watching on the webcam. She notices that he has a small child with him, but she doesnt know if the child is his or not. She starts to volunteer at the zoo and becomes friends with Damion. She loves working around the elephants it makes her feel safe. She then gets to talk to the red jacket boy. She finds out that the child is his son and his son's name is Bo and his is Sebastian. He lives on a houseboat with his grandmother. They talk three times before she goes on a date with him. This date is at the bookstore that he works at. They start to get closer and closer. She goes over to his house for dinner one night and as she is leaving the grandmother see's her. She tells Sebastion to invite her over for dinner so she can get to know Jade. After dinner she makes the mistake of saying that Tiffany died during a car accident. Tiffany is Bo's mother and Sebastion told Jade she died during childbirth. Jade gets really confused because he is mixing up his story. He then tells her that she wanted nothing to do with Bo when he was born. But then she decides she wants him and Sebastian doesnt like that so he goes on the run. He took Bo and moved in with his grandmother and no one knows where he is not even his parents. Jade ends up telling her mother about him but she doesnt beleive the whole childbirth death. Jade tells her the real story and her moms says she is going to call the dad. Jade begs her not to because it would ruin her relationship with Sebastion. Her mom ends up calling Tiffany's dad and telling him everything. Jade tells Sebastian and he is not upset about it. He tells her that he is moving again and that she should come with him. She agrees and tells him she will meet him later that night. When she goes home she see's her little brother and ends up calling Sebastian and telling him she cant go. He is upset but also happy for her. She graduates two weeks laster and goes to college in New Mexico where he is. (less)

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May 25, 2012 Alexa Avenell added it

The Nature of Jade caught my eye with the subject matter in it alone. Anxiety and Panic attacks aren't usually the focus of most young adult novels. Caletti addresses a topic that so many young adult deal. It is done in such a way that many readers can easily relate. When talking about the anxiety that comes with applying to college and leaving your family behind, Caletti is spot on. She took the words out of my mouth. Jade DeLuna is a character that the reader wanted to get to know. This book i...more

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Dec 27, 2011 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

A slowish-moving, throughtful novel about a teen girl, her family, her anxiety disorder and her new and problemtic boyfriend. Would suit a reader who likes family, friends and romance novels, and has enough stamina to keep reading through the first part which is a little too introspective to grab a less persistant reader.

Jade is in her last year at school, and comes from an achieving middle class family. There's no money worries, everyone has their health, but everyone is quietly unhappy. Jade s...more

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Sep 11, 2011 Farrah rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Nature of Jade is about a girl with an anxiety disorder. She loves watching the elephants in a nearby zoo because they always seem to calm her. One day, while watching the elephants from a zoo webcam, she sees a boy with a baby on his back stop and watch the elephants. He comes everyday and Jade eventually decides that she has to meet him. Jade finds out that the boy (Sebastian) has a troubled past with the mother of his baby (Bo). But she is still drawn to their chaotic, cozy life.

I loved...more

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Jun 28, 2010 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-lit, 2010

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

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Jan 23, 2010 Jenny Renee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, books-i-own

What first made me interested in this novel is the fact that the main character Jade has anxiety and a panic disorder. I don’t suffer from a panic disorder but I do have anxiety and panic attacks so I thought I might like reading a story about something I can relate to, and I loved it! This book was filled with romance, friendships, family drama, and the love of animals—and I think that it was a perfect mix.

Overachiever Jade loves elephants. She loves just looking at them and they calm her down....more

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Jun 05, 2009 Stephanie Loy Son rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: summer-2009, books-i-own, favorites, young-adult, gap-year-2012-2013

I wish I could give this book a 4.5 instead of a 4 because it was a fabulous read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I believe that this is one of the few "teen reads" that makes your time worthwhile. It is beautifully written and provides insights to the behavior of animals.

"The Nature of Jade" by Deb Caletti is about a high school senior named Jade who deals with a severe case of anxiety and volunteers at the zoo working with elephants. From this experience, she meets Sebastian and gets pulled into...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Tina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, reviewed

I think this book is very original, even for a contemporary YA novel set in a high school setting. The writing itself, however, doesn't quite met my standards.

The beginning of the story makes Jade sound like a stalker obsessed with some guy in a red coat with a baby. It's also a bit too slow paced. I my opinion, Deb Caletti also introduced too many of Kade's friends. I found it mildly difficult to keep track of them. Michael and the Ugandan exchange student were easy to keep track of but I conti...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Caitriona rated it 3 of 5 stars

I am told that this is a love story. Not just by the blurb, by the rave reviews on the back cover or by the shelves people have put it on on Goodreads - I am also told this, repeatedly, by the author as she recounts Jade's story. For the most part, I certainly see it as one. But the book as a whole is about 70% love story, 20% drama about family and anxiety and 10% tangled mess.

The story follows Jade DeLuna, eighteen-year-old anxiety sufferer. Her little brother, Narnia-obsessed Oliver, suffers...more I am told that this is a love story. Not just by the blurb, by the rave reviews on the back cover or by the shelves people have put it on on Goodreads - I am also told this, repeatedly, by the author as she recounts Jade's story. For the most part, I certainly see it as one. But the book as a whole is about 70% love story, 20% drama about family and anxiety and 10% tangled mess.

The story follows Jade DeLuna, eighteen-year-old anxiety sufferer. Her little brother, Narnia-obsessed Oliver, suffers as a result of a sportsmad father, and Jade herself suffers as a result of a popularity-obsessed mother. However, in a life full of worry the elephants at the local zoo calm her down, and lead to her meeting Sebastian. The boy with the red jacket and the baby son and who will become - yep, you've guessed it - her true love. Oh sob, oh cry, oh isn't it bootiful.

Sorry, I'm being mean. I'm tired and seriously lack energy in this heat. Besides, I have to get up at four tomorrow morning to get to the ferry to Ireland. Anyway, the point is I did actually really like the first 60-70% of the book. Jade was a character I could really personally relate to, as I too suffer with anxiety. I loved her bond with the elephants (she ends up working with them at the zoo, you see) and her relationship with Sebastian started off sweet and genuine, before it got grating and too Mills-and-Boon-esque to be realistic.

What didn't I like, I hear you ask? Well, there's the whole Sebastian thing, but the guy can't take sole credit. His little 'family' were too quirky to be charming, and just became irritating as a result. Also, there were a couple of really 'earth-shattering' dramatic twists that Jade could have spotted a mile off and saved herself the heartbreak. I mean, even somebody unfortunate enough to have been born without eyes could have seen them coming. They made the final 20-30% of the book a tangled, pacy mess - a stark contrast to the gentle, meandering nature of the majority of the book. You get the sense that Deb Caletti was being hassled to finish the book, and decided to do this by wrapping everything up as quickly as possible.

All that said, 'The Nature of Jade' really was a touching, intriguing story - the majority of the time. The rest of the time, it was as if someone had condensed what would have been two hundred pages into almost a hundred. Hence: three stars.

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Aug 05, 2012 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: family-issues, favorites, ms, reality, romance, young-adult

This was the first book I have read by Deb Caletti, and I will definitely be reading her other titles. It was wonderful - a beautiful coming of age story with superb writing. Examples of phrases I loved: "'Well, if you don't feel secure, safe, you'll never feel free. If you're not free, you can't be secure,' Damian says." (spoken to Jade by Damian, p. 93); and "The pain of being without him - butterflies crashing against rocks." (Jade's narrative about missing Sebastian, p. 277). The quick summa...more

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Apr 19, 2012 Victoria rated it 3 of 5 stars

The novel “The Nature of Jade” is a good book about high school student Jade DeLuna who at the age of eighteen has a serious condition, Panic Disorder. She finds comfort in daily visits to the local zoo where she watches the elephants and also watching them through the live zoo webcam. One day while she is watching this webcam in her room, suddenly she sees an image of a boy who is wearing a red jacket. She is curious, who is this strange boy who has a child and why does he sneak into the zoo so...more The novel “The Nature of Jade” is a good book about high school student Jade DeLuna who at the age of eighteen has a serious condition, Panic Disorder. She finds comfort in daily visits to the local zoo where she watches the elephants and also watching them through the live zoo webcam. One day while she is watching this webcam in her room, suddenly she sees an image of a boy who is wearing a red jacket. She is curious, who is this strange boy who has a child and why does he sneak into the zoo sometimes at night to look at the stars? She later finds out that his name is Sebastian. Throughout this book it tells of the struggles that she faces daily and I found it interesting because it had a little romance. This book is also a good ‘self boost’ book because it makes you realize that you may have life easy while others are worse off than you.

I think the main ideas in this book are to live life to the full but also to smile and realize what you have. These are main ideas because they are shown throughout the whole book and because they are what the main character struggles with a lot. “It was one of those times you feel a sense of loss, even though you didn’t have something in the first place. I guess that’s what disappointment is-a sense of loss for something you never had.” This quote further justifies the main ideas and gives a good example of Deb Caletti’s style of writing. These two main ideas, to live life to the full and also to smile and relies what you have, relate to our world today because they should be part of our lives but because of various reasons, some unexplainable, not everyone see’s there life this way. For example people who are unhappy can go through tough times but should smile and be happy.

I like this book especially because it helped me stay positive through a hard time and i can only smile and thank god and also thank Deb Caletti for that.I however didn't enjoy the casual swearing in this book so i can only give this a three.Nice ideas though and it never was boring for me.
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May 28, 2013 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars

3 of 5 stars

Eighteen-year-old Jade copes with an anxiety disorder and a touch of OCD, a distant father obsessed with her reluctant little brother's intramural sports, and a tone-deaf mother with her own anxiety/control issues. When Jade spies a boy in a red jacket, carrying a toddler on his shoulder on the zoo webcam she keeps on 24/7, she sets out to meet him and falls in love for the first time.

Pros: Jade is a complex, flawed, and well developed narrator. I love that she is successfully deali...more

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Feb 02, 2012 Katieeoh Lacanlale rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chic, life, love, loyalty, realization, young-adult, romance, teen

One word to describe this book: HOPE.

This book is just amazing. I actually bought this because of the cover, its one of the sweetest book covers that I’ve ever seen, simply romantic, that’s the way to put it. And the book is something I really treasure. Similar to Sarah Dessen’s books, typical love story, but this one is a bit different. As you can see, Jade isn’t the type of person you always see, since she’s having a panic disorder, she realizes the lessons of life that she cherishes the most....more

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Feb 05, 2009 Devon rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Sarah Dessen fans

Recommended to Devon by: Emery

Shelves: own

Emery sent me this book and another for my birthday, and I began this one first. I'll have to agree with her and say Dessen > Caletti. However, I really enjoyed the book. It was funny, hilarious even at times. Also, fluff. Yay! I like these contemporary teenager novels that have nothing to do with fantasy, sometimes. It's like taking a break from work. Which is weird, since if anything these should be MORE taxing for the brain. I guess it's just taking a break from understanding parts of a wh...more

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Apr 23, 2010 Maddie rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was a simply breathtaking. Deb Caletti weaves a story about a girl who gets panic attacks, trying to get her life together after high school. Maybe it wasn't the plot that I loved so much, just the way Deb Caletti puts such thought and detail into every sentence. This was everything I hoped it would be and more.

I loved how Deb Caletti chose to have the main character have panic attacks. It shows that even the ones who have little flaws like this can be just as good as us - maybe even b...more

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Feb 02, 2013 Shane Harris rated it 3 of 5 stars

*Spoiler Alert*
This and other reviews on my blog: http://booksinmynook.blogspot.com/

Jade is our main character and we see the story evolve through her eyes.
She experiences panic attacks and has learned to control her anxiety with medication and counselling.
Jade loves her little brother - who enjoys nothing more than reading his fantasy novels, but is forced into a multitude of sports by a demanding Father who insists that sports will make him a man. Jade's mother is re-living high school (and d...more *Spoiler Alert*
This and other reviews on my blog: http://booksinmynook.blogspot.com/

Jade is our main character and we see the story evolve through her eyes.
She experiences panic attacks and has learned to control her anxiety with medication and counselling.
Jade loves her little brother - who enjoys nothing more than reading his fantasy novels, but is forced into a multitude of sports by a demanding Father who insists that sports will make him a man. Jade's mother is re-living high school (and drowning her depression of moving to the city and an unhappy marriage) by getting involved in every PTA function available - including going to Prom.
Jade loves the zoo which is a couple blocks from their house and watches the zoo-cam regularly, particularly the elephants. She sees a boy with a baby on the webcam and he catches her eye because he is cute, but also her imagination with who he is and if the baby belongs to him. Eventually Jade gets a part-time job at the elephant enclosure and learns a lot about the animals from their caretaker. We meet Sebastian and baby Bo when they return to visit the elephants once more.

Jade and Sebastian get to know each other more, and there is a definite connection. As we hear Sebastian's story of single fatherhood at such a young age, we discover he is hiding a big secret that could affect not only him, but his 18 month old baby boy, Bo. Jade's parents eventually find out about Sebastian and his secret, which causes her mother to make a call to the authorities and puts Sebastian, his Aunt, and Bo on the run again.

Jade's parents go through their own evolution, as her mother's indiscretion with the HS Librarian is discovered by other students and brought to Jade's attention. Her Father moves out and starts to do things he enjoys again, and Jade's little brother is relieved to be rid of endless sporting commitments.

Sebastian and Bo are still in touch, and moving to New Mexico. Jade decides she knows what she wants and who she wants to be with. She transfers from her 'safe' university near home to start living free from her fears, at a school in Santa Fe.

This story is about finding yourself in the chaos of your world. It is about discovering what we as people are willing to do for family and for love. (less)

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Mar 19, 2013 Natalie R rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

I went into The Nature of Jade with no expectations whatsoever. I had never read a Deb Caletti book before, and no I know had or had told me about any of her books. This was just a spur of the moment “what random book do I have on my shelf” kind of read. And I can tell you, I’m glad I picked it up! It’s not the best book I’ve read by a long shot, but it was a book that I could relate to on a lot of levels.

Jade is a girl who is just one year younger than myself and is finishing up her last year o...more I went into The Nature of Jade with no expectations whatsoever. I had never read a Deb Caletti book before, and no I know had or had told me about any of her books. This was just a spur of the moment “what random book do I have on my shelf” kind of read. And I can tell you, I’m glad I picked it up! It’s not the best book I’ve read by a long shot, but it was a book that I could relate to on a lot of levels.

Jade is a girl who is just one year younger than myself and is finishing up her last year of high school. She’s worrying about keeping up with all of her AP classes and assignments, trying to figure out which university to attend, and of course, there’s a boy who has piqued her interest!!! Last year, I was going through all of those things myself, luckily though, I do not suffer from anxiety like Jade. Even so, I was totally able to relate to how she was feeling about having so many important decisions to make at what we both believe is such a young age! Jade’s relationship with her mother was something I could also draw parallels with. Some of the conversations she was having with her mom were the exact same one’s I’ve had with mine. I swear to you, DEB CALETTI RECORDED MY CONVERSATIONS AND USED THEM IN THIS BOOK. Just kidding, obviously, but it totally seemed like that!!!

Oh right, the boy. Jade first sees “red jacket boy” on her computer screen while watching a live feed of the elephants at the zoo near her house. He simply shows up with a baby on his back, and watches the elephants. He caught Jade’s attention though, and she wasn’t planning on never meeting him in real life!! When we finally meet the boy, we learn his name is Sebastian, and that the baby is in fact his. I don’t want to give away anything too important here, so I’ll just say this: he has a secret, and a bad one at that. Also, he works in a bookstore!! How awesome?! I wish the boy that I started to date last year worked at a bookstore, and a quaint and cozy one like Sebastian!

Although slow to start, The Nature of Jade began to pick up about 70 pages in, and I am so glad I stuck with it. I loved how Jade spent a lot of her time volunteering at the zoo with the elephants, because any time the elephants and their actions her written of I just absolutely loved it! I was never a huge elephant fan before this book, but now they seem so sweet, and it’s cool to see how much they can act like humans in their emotions. This is a great book to read if you’re a teenager just starting to make their way in the world at college or university, if you’re in high school like Jade, if you too suffer from a panic disorder, or even if you just plain like contemporary YA books!(less)

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About Deb Caletti

Deb Caletti is an American writer born in San Rafael, California. She was a National Book Award finalist, as well as the recipient of other numerous awards including PEN USA finalist award, the Washington State Book Award, and SLJ Best Book award.
Deb went to Lake Washington High School in Kirkland, Washington, U.S.A., and graduated in 1981. She earned a BA in Journalism/Communications from the Uni...more

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“It was one of those times you feel a sense of loss, even though you didn't have something in the first place. I guess that's what disappointment is- a sense of loss for something you never had.” — 465 people liked it

“Are you getting your period?" She narrows her eyes.
No! God. I hate that. I hate when every negative act is blamed on your period." Sometimes bitchiness is just bitchiness, happily unattached to anything hormonal. It should get full credit.” — 133 people liked it

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