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There are currently 38 member reviews
for Young Jane Young
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Chris (Wisconsin)
Fresh, Unusual
This story is told from several different viewpoints, and uses unusual formats—one section is composed of a teenager's emails to her pen pal in Indonesia. That provides a fresh feel to a plot that might seem to have been used too often recently—a young woman has an affair with an older, married man and has to change her name and move to a different part of the country to escape the scandal that has caused. I had some trouble getting into the book at the beginning, but found it to be an entertaining read altogether and would recommend it.
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Joanne W. (Ossining, NY)
Growing up Jane
So enjoyed this book!
Each of the main female characters (and this is definitely a book for and about women!) had their turn in moving the story along. Their voices were unique and interesting. I especially enjoyed Ruby and her relationship with her mother, Aviva. She is a child who has trouble fitting in but is like every other thirteen year old when it comes to judging her mother. Aviva has become a successful adult with a full life even though she was taken advantage of and shamed as an young impressionable college student. They come to understand and appreciate each other as they begin to truly know each other.
This is a contemporary light read full of humor with fully drawn characters. I definitely recommend.
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Kate G. (Bronx, NY)
A Worthy Follow-Up
Young Jane Young is a different story than The Storied Life of AJ Fikry, but Gabrielle Zevin has such a great writing style that I kept turning the pages and flew through it. Jane Young made poor decisions while in college and they haunted and followed her after graduation. She successfully remakes her life, moving away and raising her daughter. As always, when secrets are kept, they are revealed in the most uncomfortable ways. This story is fairly light in tone, and a worthy addition to your TBR.
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Bonnie B. (Fairbanks, AK)
Avivagate
Aviva Grossman is the Monica Lewinsky of South Florida. While she is in college at the University of Miami, she begins an internship with a congressman. The internship leads to her having an affair with the married congressman and she charts the intimate aspects of their affair on her blog. Though her blog is supposed to be about an 'anonymous' person, it is obvious that her lover is the congressman. After being shamed, Aviva changes her name to Jane Young and moves to Maine where she works as an event planner. She has a daughter who she is raising as a single mother. All appears to be going well for Jane until she decides to run for mayor of her small town and her past comes out. I found the dialog trite at times and did not feel much compassion for any of the characters, all of whom seemed to be without much depth.
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Patricia W. (Richmond, VA)
Three women react to one huge mistake
I enjoyed reading this book while in my mind categorizing it as a beach read--not at all a heavy read. The story unfolds in a three person narrative but the first part was a bit difficult to get into. It picks up considerably with Aviva's story and is generally interesting until the end. The ending wasn't particularly satisfying perhaps leaving an opening for a sequel. All in all, I was happy to have read it.
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Freya H. (Towanda, PA)
Young Jane Young
Having read and really liked "The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry", I was looking forward to "Young Jane Young".
It was a disappointment. If you want a fast read with
characters who are not particularly likable, this is for you. I will say, though, that Jane was a real survivor.
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Patricia T. (Fallbrook, CA)
Young Jane Young, Gabrielle Zevin
Washington DC, a Congressman, an Intern, a blog that refuses to die, and comes back to haunt. The story is largely moved along by dialogue, sometimes funny and witty, sometimes bratty, sometimes warm and human, but ultimately for me, rather irritating. People just don't talk to each other in short, snappy sentences, not all the time. The final section was gimmicky, and this book did not do it for me.
