I was proud of my sister, but that year, something began to rankle beneath the pride.
Louise has had enough of h... read full description
reviews
May 20, 2011
Mariel
rated it: 
This book embarrassed me a little. It embarrassed me more than a little. I'm no stranger to self pity and talking myself into not doing things.
It is also embarrassing because it is cloying and whiney.
Louise (nicknamed Wheeze) slumps in the shadowed footsteps of her twin sister, Caroline. Caroline is very clever. Wheeze is not a sexy nickname. She totally eliminated the competition with that strategic strategy. The fam and Caroline, as well as their whole island, love ever More...
It is also embarrassing because it is cloying and whiney.
Louise (nicknamed Wheeze) slumps in the shadowed footsteps of her twin sister, Caroline. Caroline is very clever. Wheeze is not a sexy nickname. She totally eliminated the competition with that strategic strategy. The fam and Caroline, as well as their whole island, love ever More...
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Oct 14, 2007
laaaaames
rated it: 
I remember loving this book as a kid, so I picked it up the other day. I'm not exactly sure why I liked it so much, because this time around I didn't find it nearly entertaining. Also I didn't feel sorry for Louise this time around; most everything Caroline got that Louise didn't was due to Louise's inability to speak up, or because her attempts to get something for herself completely backfired due to her passive-aggressive ways of doing so.
Also, I must say, I got a little wigged out More...
Also, I must say, I got a little wigged out More...
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(13 people liked it)
Oct 18, 2008
Margaret
rated it: 
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Oct 09, 2007
Erin
rated it: 
I highly recommend this book to teen girls and their parents. The central girl is foiled at every turn in her life by lack of money, lack of parental support, lack of beauty... and also by her overbearing and truly gifted sister. When she connects with her grandmother, listens to her and learns to let go of all these restrictions, to let go of any resentment, frustration or bitterness and to get out and do what she needs to do to live her own life, she does!
She finds peace, happi More...
She finds peace, happi More...
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(5 people liked it)
Jun 12, 2008
Penny
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Sep 01, 2008
Denise
rated it: 
Lines that I loved:
It would have been harder to stay away and imagine what people were staying about me than to go and face them.
How could I face a lifetime of passive waiting?
For a moment is our sorrow. Joy forever in the sky.
But to fear is one thing. To let fear grab you by the tail and swing you around is another.
Annoyance drove out panic.
But I was not a generous person. I couldn’t afford to be. Call was my only friend. I More...
It would have been harder to stay away and imagine what people were staying about me than to go and face them.
How could I face a lifetime of passive waiting?
For a moment is our sorrow. Joy forever in the sky.
But to fear is one thing. To let fear grab you by the tail and swing you around is another.
Annoyance drove out panic.
But I was not a generous person. I couldn’t afford to be. Call was my only friend. I More...
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Jul 09, 2008
Kathryn
rated it:
Sheesh, I absolutely hated this book. It doesn't even give you the satisfaction of seeing Miss Perfect Goldilocks get hers in the end (or at least, seeing her admit what a hell she made for her sister).
I really don't get why this received the Newberry. I read it bc I felt I had missed something but now I wished I hadn't. Books tend to become part of your soul and this one gave (and continues to give) me the creeps! The most depressing story I've ever read in my life.
I really don't get why this received the Newberry. I read it bc I felt I had missed something but now I wished I hadn't. Books tend to become part of your soul and this one gave (and continues to give) me the creeps! The most depressing story I've ever read in my life.
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Dec 16, 2009
Sarah
rated it:
The book covers probably about a decade of time and is from the POV of an older twin sister. The thick teenage angst of this book detracts from the more interesting stories of Captain Hiram, Auntie Braxton, the dementia of the protagonist's grandmother, Call and Caroline. Until I read the last two chapters, I was going to rate this book lower but these chapters, the last one especially, give the protagonist a chance to mature and redeem herself.
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(2 people liked it)
Jan 20, 2012
Erin
rated it:
This book makes a great case for the importance of guided reading, as well as getting the age group right on the audience. While Sara Louise is thirteen, the themes are not really appropriate or understandable for younger kids. I was given this book as a gift (I forget at what age- maybe 11?) and hated it when I read it because I couldn't understand it. Reading it for the second time in an adolescent literature class, I loved it. The discussion and classroom questions helped focus my thought
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(1 person liked it)
Apr 23, 2008
Becky
rated it:
I read this beautifully written book in one sitting. It's the story of Louise, a young girl growing up in the shadow of her beautiful, talented twin sister. In the course of the book, Louise endures the youthful tribulations of falling in love (first with a man who's almost old enough to be her grandfather, then with a childhood friend who used to seem "second-rate" to her) and finding a place for herself doing "man's work" in the tiny, insulated island community in which she
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(2 people liked it)
Oct 21, 2007
Megan
rated it:
One day my somewhat eccentric fifth grade teacher Mrs. Gray saw me reading this book at my desk. It was probably my third time through the book, but to be honest had only read the bits that interested me. She wanted to know how I liked it. Our class had started reading "Bridge to Terebithia" that month so I think she thought I liked that work so much I wanted to read more Katherine Patterson. I didn't, I just liked the cover art and had found the sisters' story easy to relate to. I rer
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(1 person liked it)
Mar 24, 2008
Talia
rated it:
Jacob Have I Loved, winner of the 1981 Newberry Award, explores themes of sibling rivalry, jealousy, and being torn between desire and duty. All her life, Sara Louise has been overshadowed by her prettier, talented twin sister Caroline who calls her the distasteful nickname “Wheeze”. Caroline’s singing voice allows for a life filled with opportunities, but what can Louise do other than help with crabbing and oyster fishing? When a mysterious sea captain comes to the island, Sara Louise hopes tha
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(2 people liked it)
Apr 12, 2008
Linda
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Feb 01, 2008
Janssen
rated it:
There's no use lying about it; I was deeply disappointed in this book. I absolutely loved Bridge to Terabithia, which I read about two years ago, so I had high hopes for this book. It was a small book, with a nice cover, and I liked the feeling of holding it in my hands. Basically, I would have enjoyed this book far more if I'd just held it instead of actually opening it and reading it. I started it in the car on the way up to Oklahoma City and finished it the next day. And I only really enjoyed
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Apr 23, 2007
Melinda
rated it:
I bought this book for my classroom, but it's more appropriate for older teens. Paterson (Bridge to Terebithia) tells the story of two young women growing up on an island off the SE coast. Sarah Louise, a thin-skinned tomboy, has to deal with intense feelings of jealousy as her sister Caroline seems to get everything, including the strange, serious boy Sarah befriends. Sarah's crazy, religious grandmother gives the book its title. Paterson was a Presbyterian missionary at one time, but the book
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Jun 28, 2007
Rachel
rated it:
I read this when I was little and loved it, but couldn't remember any of the details. It showed up on my student's summer reading list so I thought I'd read it again. It was just as good now as it was then. Wonderfully written, though perhaps a bit mature for 6th grade, it tells the story of a girl in the 40s growing up on an island in the Chesapeake. She's a twin, and spends the book trying to deal with being the less favored sibling, and a girl on a fishing island where there is little a g
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May 20, 2008
Kathleen
rated it:
I have to say I wasn’t too sure about this book. I haven’t read any other Katherine Paterson although I did see the movie, Bridge to Terabithia. The summary just didn’t really grab me. However it wasn’t long into the book before I didn’t want to put it down. I felt pure anger towards Caroline and the parents for their treatment of Louise. I was enraged quite a few times during the book.
I liked the writing style and the story and look forward to reading more Katherine Paterson. I can More...
I liked the writing style and the story and look forward to reading more Katherine Paterson. I can More...
Nov 02, 2009
Sara Louise is a prickly, difficult character, and not the easiest person with whom to identify, but Paterson's writing kept me involved. I loved learning about a new setting (Chesapeake Bay) and profession (crabbing, oystering). I've never known twins who didn't have some sort of connection with each other, so I found it sad and possibly unbelievable that "Wheeze" could hold so much anger at Caroline without sharing any bond.
Yet, giving over my disbelief in the twins' lack More...
Yet, giving over my disbelief in the twins' lack More...
Jan 21, 2009
Liz
rated it:
I read this book as a "preview" for an 11 year old girl. I had purchased it for her as a gift (knowing that it is a "children's classic"), and as she was having so much trouble getting through the first few pages, I told her I would read it and help her with the setting, plot, vocabulary, etc. Well, it is a very well written book (much better than many of the books written for adults that I have read lately), but I don't think that the audience should be 8-12 year olds (as
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Dec 14, 2011
Nicole
rated it:
I remember seeing this book all the time on the library shelves when I was in middle school and high school, but for some reason I never read it. I think it was because I thought it was a romance ("Jacob Have I Loved") and I didn't want people to see me reading a romance. But I knew I would read it one day, and last week I found it as a discard in the public library, so I got it and read it. I'm glad I never read it in high school, because I think I would have liked it even less than I
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Nov 08, 2011
Alibiserver
rated it:
Every year, I haul nearly 30 or so books in a large carton, troop to the nearest shipping company and pay nearly 1,000 pesos (about 25-30 dollars) just to send off the books from my place in Manila to my home in Davao. As an annual activity done every December, all the books I have collected and finished so far had to be sent back home so that I begin anew, with my collection and reading.
Why in the world am I including it in this review?
That’s because I planned to shi More...
Why in the world am I including it in this review?
That’s because I planned to shi More...
Oct 15, 2011
Carolyn
rated it:
wide reading for CI 546
I was originally reading this as an add-on for our "historical fiction" but given that the time its set in is just briefly mentioned here and there, I think I would be more likely to classify it as "realistic fiction" but "dated" rather than "contemporary".
grade level: middle to high school--fairly adult themes.
genre: realistic fiction.
themes: bildungsroman, growing up, family, friendsh More...
I was originally reading this as an add-on for our "historical fiction" but given that the time its set in is just briefly mentioned here and there, I think I would be more likely to classify it as "realistic fiction" but "dated" rather than "contemporary".
grade level: middle to high school--fairly adult themes.
genre: realistic fiction.
themes: bildungsroman, growing up, family, friendsh More...
Sep 13, 2011
Jael
rated it:
I've thought about checking out this book for a long time. After all, I loved "Bridge to Terabithia" in all its gut-wrenching, tear-invoking depressingness.
This one, though... I dunno. I didn't care about most of the characters. They just weren't likeable folk. I read most of it yesterday, couldn't handle any more, and today when I picked it up there was massive disconnect for the remaining few chapters, like my psyche just wasn't going to allow myself to get drawn back in em More...
This one, though... I dunno. I didn't care about most of the characters. They just weren't likeable folk. I read most of it yesterday, couldn't handle any more, and today when I picked it up there was massive disconnect for the remaining few chapters, like my psyche just wasn't going to allow myself to get drawn back in em More...
Aug 14, 2011
Lisa
rated it:
I picked up this book last night on a whim. I have owned it for a while because I would like to eventually read all the newberry award winning books. Yet my reading is much more mood based that I would like to admit.
I enjoyed the book. Even though I'm not a twin I could relate to the competition and difficulty in sister relationships growing up. I could relate to the church of this small town with the silly rules and blanket judgements. I laughed when I saw that Rook was accept More...
I enjoyed the book. Even though I'm not a twin I could relate to the competition and difficulty in sister relationships growing up. I could relate to the church of this small town with the silly rules and blanket judgements. I laughed when I saw that Rook was accept More...
Jul 28, 2011
kari
rated it:
I know this one is the winner of the Newberry Medal and while I do enjoy the writing, I didn't really love the story all that much. The first half seemed to drag along while the ending seemed very abrupt. I'm sure as it's an award winner that it's just me and my reading of it. Others likely find it much more enjoyable that I did.
I liked the character of Sara Louise and I understood her feelings about her beautiful, talented and universally beloved delicate twin sister, Caroline. I understo More...
I liked the character of Sara Louise and I understood her feelings about her beautiful, talented and universally beloved delicate twin sister, Caroline. I understo More...
Jul 26, 2011
Rachel
rated it:
Who is Sara Louise's biggest enemy?
1) Caroline, her twin sister. Sara Louise is unhappy because Caroline is so happy, so talented, so loved. The reason Sara Louise is unhappy is because Caroline was loved more than her, from birth.
2) Her parents and grandmother. They just don't love Sara Louise. They are ever trying to find ways to give Caroline more privliges, stealing what little Sara Louise has.
3) Call and the Captain. Both, in different ways, cast thei More...
1) Caroline, her twin sister. Sara Louise is unhappy because Caroline is so happy, so talented, so loved. The reason Sara Louise is unhappy is because Caroline was loved more than her, from birth.
2) Her parents and grandmother. They just don't love Sara Louise. They are ever trying to find ways to give Caroline more privliges, stealing what little Sara Louise has.
3) Call and the Captain. Both, in different ways, cast thei More...
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Jul 11, 2011
Vicky
rated it:
What I learned from this book: angst-filled teenagers eventually grow up and become reasonable human beings. Have hope all you parents of those creatures called teenagers.
The main character Sara Louise is one of those teenagers. She and her family live on a little speck of an island in the Chesapeake Bay. Her younger twin, Caroline, is both more beautiful and more musically talented than Sara Louise. It's not fair, and Sara Louise feels this acutely. She feels that her sister s More...
The main character Sara Louise is one of those teenagers. She and her family live on a little speck of an island in the Chesapeake Bay. Her younger twin, Caroline, is both more beautiful and more musically talented than Sara Louise. It's not fair, and Sara Louise feels this acutely. She feels that her sister s More...
Jun 21, 2011
Jared
rated it:
I finally finished this book, which is by one of my favorite authors: Katherine Paterson. Indeed, Bridge to Terabithia is pretty much my favorite book of all time.
Don't get me wrong, I've read better books, but Bridge had a profound effect on me as a young lad, which effect has continued into my adult life.
Unfortunately, Jacob Have I Loved is NOT as good as Bridge. Truth is, I found it pretty disappointing. There was plenty of truth and nice craft in the book, but it was a More...
Don't get me wrong, I've read better books, but Bridge had a profound effect on me as a young lad, which effect has continued into my adult life.
Unfortunately, Jacob Have I Loved is NOT as good as Bridge. Truth is, I found it pretty disappointing. There was plenty of truth and nice craft in the book, but it was a More...
Apr 13, 2011
Lisa
rated it:
I have to say that this historical fiction book was very well written, but I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought that I would. I was always waiting to feel emotionally attached to the characters, but felt nothing towards them or towards the situations in the book. Although this book was a Newberry Award winner, I am not sure that I would consider this one of my favorites. Paterson did an excellent job describing the life of these two sisters and her friendship with Cal. Sara Louise aka Whee
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Mar 08, 2011
Pikachu
rated it:
I'm giving this book three stars because I really liked the writing and Bridge to Terabithia was poignant and basically amazing. But the main character of this book, Sara Louise, pissed me off sooooo bad. Not just in that cringey way you get with a character who's so realistic that it forces you to look at parts of yourself that you don't really feel like examining--no, I'm talking truly wretched. Maybe even border-line psychotic. Her behavior is NOT normal, people!
Here is the list o More...
Here is the list o More...
