Ready or Not

by Mary Stolz

Brilliantly and sympathetically written, this is the sometimes happy, many times troubled story of Morgan Connor and something of the story of her gentle and kind but incapable father and of young Ned and Julie. It is the story of the transition from adolescence to adulthood, of the period in every life when the adult is being born in the child and a new voice affirms itself. Ready or Not .

Genres: Young Adult, Coming Of Age, Fiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1953

About the author

Mary Stolz was a noted author for children and adolescents whose novels earned critical praise for the seriousness with which they took the problems of young people. Two of her books ''Belling the Tiger'' (1961) and ''The Noonday Friends'' (1965), were named Newbery Honor books by the ALA but it was her novels for young adults that combined romance with realistic situations that won devotion from her fans. Young men often created more problems and did not always provide happy ever after endings. Her heroines had to cope with complex situations and learn how to take action whether it was working as nurses (The Organdy Cupcakes), living in a housing project (Ready or Not), or escaping from being a social misfit by working for the summer as a waitress (The Sea Gulls Woke Me).

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A YA novel from 1953 that is in tone rather similar to the author's earlier book, To Tell Your Love, in that it has lots of internal ruminations on the part of many characters about their relationships and conflicted feelings and self-doubts, but with an urban, slightly gritty setting. The motherless Connor family -- teenage Morgan, adolescent Julie, and nine-year-old Ned -- have to move apartments yet again because their hapless dreamily poetic father's salary can't cover their rent. They are happy to at least be moving to a brand new development of brick red buildings on the East River (I think this is probably Stuyvesant Town, nowadays not always considered as the good thing this family finds it to be). There they are befriended by a more well off family, and we follow the various paths the children take over the course of a year. I quite liked it. Much of the subject matter is rather grim and cynical, but the family is close-knit and likeable, and the author allows them some happiness while keeping the story fairly realistic. The title comes from the realization that as the family grows up -- especially Morgan, who, finishing high school, has to search for a job -- they must face adulthood and the rest of their lives "ready or not."

[Stephanie A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another simple classic, this reminds me very much of her Noonday Friends, but with an older voice.

[Emily-Jane Orford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Morgan is just finishing High School. For several years, now, she has undertaken the job of mothering her two younger sisters. Her mother passed away and her father works hard at a night job that takes him away from the family six out of seven evenings a week. Julie, Morgan's younger sister is just finishing elementary school and Ted, the youngest, depends on his older sister, Morgan, the most. The family is forced to move yet again because Morgan's father's income can no longer support the rising rent. So many moves in so many years; Morgan is tired of moving. Her escape? fantasy, a dream world that she creates to soften the stress of her real life. As she matures during her last year of High School, she finally comes to the realization that she really doesn't need this escape, she just needs to believe in herself enough to create a real-life fantasy. This book was written in and about the early 1950s New York City. It's a real dose of realism, good, vivid descriptions. The title suggests the childhood game of hide and seek; life is like that, as one comes of age and moves beyond childhood games and fantasies. This was a good read, but rather sad as it looks into the struggle of lower income single parent families. Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford, the award-winning author of "The Whistling Bishop".

[Carolynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Morgan tries to hold her family together: a disengaged father, troubled sister Julie, lovable brother Ned. She meets Tom, a boy who appreciates her.

[Vee Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not your ordinary YA novel. It is extremely well-written and paints a vivid picture for the reader to feast on. It was published in 1953, but many of the challenges the characters face are still relevant today.

Morgan Connors lost her mother 3 years ago. She's in the 12th grade now and manages to take care of her younger sister and brother as well as her father. She meets and falls in love with a college boy that lives at the new apartment complex she recently moved to. Does he share her feelings? You'll find out, but that's not really what this book is about, in my opinion.

This book is about the challenges one faces in growing up. I'd call it a coming-of-age novel as Morgan completes high school and figures out how to navigate life's eccentricities. Some of the challenges are in figuring out what to do once she graduates from high school as well as how to handle her mother's death and the fact that all of us one day die. Finally, the unspoken theme in this book is that too many people get in a destructive pattern and never get out. There were multiple people in the book in situations that they didn't like and instead of working to get to a better place, they just put up with their problems. However, there were those in the novel who DID take control and made their lives better as a result. Please be like the latter.

I'd highly recommend this novel first because it's an interesting vignette of what life was like in the early 1950s. As well, the author paints people so well that you are drawn into their lives. Finally, the main character is sympathetic and it makes for an enjoyable read to see what decisions she makes as she navigates adulthood.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Morgan has a tough time of it growing up. Trying to be mother to a family who lost the glue which held them together, she tries to keep looking on the bright side, but it's hard when they keep moving and everywhere they go is a worse place than the last. They can't seem to get ahead.

This is a story written in the 1950s and it gives a very hard look at what it was like to live in poverty in the big city at this time. This isn't a setting or time period we're used to seeing, making this a unique story from the start. The way the family pulls together is heartwarming, and you can't help but love all of them and hope they'll someday find better than what they have right now. I loved Morgan and was cheering for her at the end as things came together.

This is one of the best examples of why I love vintage books so much. They're such a great glimpse into a world we'd never see otherwise. I want to find more books by this author to collect!

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

An engrossing read, though not a comfort one! The main character, Morgan, was hard for me to really root for; she had trouble even reading the newspaper because it was boring and hard for her to follow. I think the romance she finds is doomed as a result, and this was a little depressing. The family circumstances were also depressing, with Morgan having to be mother to her two younger siblings while their father occasionally thought about how he didn't really know any of them....and they are poor, and in New York city, which is grimy and gritty....

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little depressing but probably a good representation of teen relationships in the time in which it was set.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It gave me a glimpse into a different era, but the book was very wordy. The descriptive narration was distracting.