Saving Jasey

January 28, 2002
As the saying goes, if a gun appears in scene one, it must go off by the final curtain. This rather melodramatic first novel follows suit, as it chronicles one family's dysfunction and another's misfortune. Eighth grade narrator Gavin is bullied by his 15-year-old brother, Blake, and infatuated with the sister of his best friend and neighbor, Trist. Trist and his sister, Jasey, are dealing with Huntington's disease, which spurred their father's suicide and threatens to claim their beloved grandfather. Gavin, meanwhile, struggles with school, his father's emotional and physical abuse, and his mother's withdrawal from the world, as he watches his father's legacy being handed down to his older brother. To make matters worse, Gavin discovers that Jasey is dating Blake. In a tabloid ending, Blake attempts to shoot first his mother, then Jasey and, in a turn of events, Jasey prevents him from taking his own life, but not from paralyzing himself. In one moment, Jasey realizes she has been saved, Gavin's father is softened, and the balance of power is shifted between Gavin and his brother. A few qualities help to redeem this overwrought tale: the first-person narrative will draw in readers; the author nicely weaves in Gavin's reading of Gary Paulsen's Hatchet
(though unnamed) as a parallel story; and many of the protagonist's feelings at the cusp of adolescence are believable. Unfortunately, Gavin's evil father and brother, and his weak mother, come off as cardboard stand-ins that detract from the hero's more full-blooded rendering. Ages 12-up.

April 1, 2002
Gr 7-9-Gavin's older brother, Blake, says hurtful things "just because he can." His depressed mother takes the abuse, and his father, a bully in his own right, belittles Gavin any chance he gets. The boy takes refuge at his friend Trist's house. Trist's older sister, Jasey, has been sneaking out at night lately and shows a lack of interest in the family, which worries Gavin. He has a crush on her, and his concern turns to fear when he discovers that she has been hanging out with Blake and the local drug dealer. On top of all this is Trist's family's denial of the Huntington's disease symptoms that his grandfather is now exhibiting. What no one wants to admit is that Trist's father may have committed suicide to avoid the disease's debilitation, and now Jasey is on a path of self-destruction in fear that she may eventually get it. Tullson masterfully conveys the chaos and fear in both houses, with Gavin in the middle. He struggles to stay away from his father and brother's violent outbursts, yet can't help but defend his mother when Blake starts to strike her. The explosive climax is realistically portrayed. This story is so well written that most readers will feel empathy for its protagonist even if the situations are not familiar. Gavin's loyalty to his brother, as rotten as he is, will have universal understanding.-Karen Hoth, Marathon Middle/High School, FL

Copyright 2002 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.