Living with Jackie Chan

Starred review from July 29, 2013
In an afterword, Knowles writes that this companion to Jumping Off Swings (2009) sprang from readers asking what happened to Josh, whose one-night stand with Ellie led to a baby given up for adoption. Teen pregnancy stories from a male perspective are few and far between, and this one deals with regrets rather than responsibility, since Josh bails completely, never speaking to Ellie about their encounter and changing high schools to avoid seeing her after she gives birth. He moves in with his über-energetic Uncle Larry and agrees to help him teach karate summer camp at the Y, where he’s paired up with Stella, a pretty classmate who lives in their building. This is an especially well-crafted sequel—readers need not have read the first book to get caught up in Josh’s agony—but there isn’t a lot of plot. It follows Josh’s interior journey from self-hatred to self-forgiveness, as he slowly accepts that he’s a good person who made a bad choice, and takes the first step toward moving forward from it. Ages 14–up. Agent: Barry Goldblatt, Barry Goldblatt Literary.

September 1, 2013

Gr 9 Up-Seventeen-year-old Josh expected to be hanging out with his friends and going to parties during his senior year, but all that changed after a one-night stand ended in an unexpected pregnancy. Afraid to face the girl whose life he believes he ruined, Josh moves in with his Jackie Chan-loving Uncle Larry and begins a new life at a new school. Yet no matter how hard he tries, he can't escape his past. Overcome with guilt and regret, Josh concentrates on helping his uncle with his karate class. His growing friendship with his neighbor, Stella, forces Josh to face his past in an attempt to find forgiveness, especially from his own worst enemy: himself. In this companion to Jumping Off Swings (Candlewick, 2009), Knowles provides readers with an intimate look at Josh a year after the events of the first book. Tormented by his past actions, Josh is constantly at war with his feelings, denying himself any happiness as penance. As the emotional core of the book, Josh is a complex yet incredibly likable character with whom readers will empathize. Similarly, both Larry and Stella possess dynamic, well-developed personalities, making it easy to believe how crucial a role they play in Josh's recovery. Divided into four parts, the compelling narrative offers an honest and frank look at teen pregnancy from the male's perspective, and while the book could have been a depressing read in another author's hands, Knowles succeeds in writing a character-driven story that is as uplifting as it is heartbreaking.-Audrey Sumser, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Mayfield, OH

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 15, 2013
In this delightful and moving follow-up to Jumping Off Swings (2009), 17-year-old Josh moves away from his hometown and in with his ever-sanguine uncle to avoid confronting a crisis of his own making. He's been tormented by immeasurable guilt after a one-night stand resulted in a teen girl's pregnancy and, ultimately, the delivery of his baby. Uncle Larry, corny and sentimental, opens his arms to his troubled nephew, hoping to give him both guidance and room. As an avid Jackie Chan fan and a sensei, Larry spouts daily tenets about what makes a "true karate man"--which in its simplest terms means being a kind, decent person who unflinchingly helps those in need. But Josh's escape to the city isn't without frequent reminders of his indiscretion, and every time he passes a stroller or hears a baby wailing, he experiences severe anxiety attacks--which makes it especially difficult when Stella, a girl of intrigue for Josh, turns out to be the nanny for his upstairs neighbor's baby. As their friendship grows, Josh struggles to keep his moral transgression under wraps, but he soon discovers that Stella has baggage of her own. Josh's first-person, present-tense narration brings readers into his anguish and incrementally charts his recovery. Knowles' knack for developing relationships and creating authentic and memorable characters is truly superior, and the story positively brims with intelligence, sensitivity and humor. Readers will be behind Josh all the way. (Fiction. 14 & up)

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September 1, 2013
Grades 9-12 Last seen in Jumping Off Swings (2009), Josh, who accidentally got Ellie pregnant when he was 16, is struggling deeply with the aftermath of his actions. Trying to escape his guilt, Josh moves in with his Jackie Chanobsessed, karate-instructor uncle, Larry, hoping to just keep his head down, finish high school, get into college, and forget his mistakes. Larry has other plans, though, and quickly recruits him to assist his karate classes. As he spends his days with his irrepressibly cheerful Zen master of an uncleeating healthy food; not drinking; practicing karate; and befriending Stella, the beautiful girl upstairshe learns how to be a true karate man, epitomizing the values of leadership, strength, and honor, all of which help him accept his past and take responsibility for his mistakes. Knowles compassionately depicts the consequences of teen pregnancy from the boy's perspective, and Josh's journeyaided in no small part by the kind (and perky) wisdom of his uncleis touching and honest. Josh's anger, sadness, and regret are palpable, but his ultimate steps forward are quietly triumphant.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)