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Thanks to a bully in gym class, unpopular Nate suffers a broken finger - the middle one, splinted to flip off the world. It won't be the last time a middle finger is raised on this day. Dreamer Claire envisions herself sitting in an artsy café, filling a journal, but fate has other plans. One cheerleader dates a closeted basketball star; another questions just how, as a "big girl," she fits in. A group of boys scam drivers for beer money without remorse - or so it seems.
Over the course of a single day, these voices and others speak loud and clear about the complex dance that is life in a small town. They resonate in a gritty and unflinching portrayal of a day like any other, with ordinary traumas, heartbreak, and revenge. But on any given day, the line where presentation and perception meet is a tenuous one, so hard to discern. Unless, of course, one looks a little closer - and reads between the lines.
W.E.B. Du Bois was one of the most important civil rights activists in US history. Were you aware that he founded The Crisis? Did you know about his affair with Jessie? Does knowing about his relationship with Jessie change your opinion of him?
Part of why I was a hugh fan of this book was how I felt I was immersed in the story while having the opportunity to learn so much as I obviously knew so little about the actual lives of these famous historical figures. I was aware of Web DuBois role as a founding member of the NAACP but had no a...
-Terri_C
There are a number of conversations in the novel about whether books or plays portraying Black characters in a positive light are of value if they are not written by Black authors. What do you think?
African American voice here! Let's start with Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. The term "Uncle Tom" is extremely negative in the Black community today as a result of the way Tom was portrayed in the book. Ms Stowe was unable to see Tom as a total human being. Her primary goal was just ...
-Joyce_Montague
Bertie is often preoccupied with Gert's whereabouts, especially after WWII. In what ways is his preoccupation reasonable? In what ways is it detrimental? Where is the line, if any, between healthy and unhealthy concern about a loved one?
I interpreted Bertie's second-guessing about Gert as a combination of survivor's guilt; shame & self-recrimination about not destroying the records of other clients of the Institute, including Gert; and the torture of not knowing with certainty what happened to Gert. The lack of irrefutable proof...
-Janie-Hickok-Siess
"Starred Review. A fascinating study of misperceptions, consequences and the teen condition." - Kirkus
"Achingly truthful... The short story format could tempt reluctant readers, and many young adults will see shadows of themselves in the well-drawn characters. Hand this one to fans of dramatic realistic fiction and those who enjoy slice-of-life novels." - School Library Journal
"Issues of absent parents, conflicted sexuality, eating disorders, and various forms of abuse are dealt with succinctly but tenderly, and some nuances are subtle enough that multiple levels of reading are possible, with a twist at the end so understated you may miss it. This is likely to speak to any teenager in a stage of transition." - Booklist
"The plot device of inserting a raised middle finger into each story wears thin after a while, but the idea of looking past an angry gesture to understand what led to it makes for an empathetic approach to understanding random hostility. Teens who read these stories will likely never see a raised middle finger again without wondering what the story is behind it. Ages 14–up." - Publishers Weekly
This information about Read Between the Lines was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Jo Knowles is the author of the young adult novels Lessons from a Dead Girl, Jumping Off Swings, Pearl, and See You At Harry's. She has a master's degree in children's literature. Some of her awards include the PEN New England Children's Book Discovery Award, YALSA's Best Fiction for Young Adults, YALSA Quick Picks Top Ten, YALSA's Popular Paperbacks, International Reading Associations Young Adult Choices List, Tayshas List, and Bank Street College's Best Books for Children (Outstanding Merit). Jo lives in Vermont with her husband and son.
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