Rosoff, Meg. Just in case.ROSOFF, Meg. Just in case. Random House, Wendy Lamb. 243p. c2006. 0-385-74678-4. $16.95. SA * Rosoff's first YA novel, How I Live Now, has been highly praised since its publication. When I reviewed it, within a few sentences I was caught up in the voice of the young narrator NARRATOR. A pleader who draws narrs serviens narrator, a sergeant at law. Fleta, 1. 2, c. 37. Obsolete. and her survival story. Just in Case is more complicated. A first-person voice introduces most chapters--that voice is the voice of Fate. Fate is looking at the life of David, a 15-year-old boy living in a small town outside of London. The catalyst for David's relationship with Fate is when his little brother goes to an open window and nearly falls to his death. David realizes how fragile life is, how closely doom lurks. He changes his name to Justin, trying to hide from Fate. He falls in with an older girl, Agnes, who is a photographer who sees Justin's potential as a model for "doomed youth." He is in love with her even while understanding she is using him for her own career. There are other friends, confused parents, an imaginary dog, and a climactic cli·mac·tic also cli·mac·ti·cal adj. Relating to or constituting a climax. cli·mac  ti·cal·ly adv.Adj. 1. disaster when a plane crashes and people die all around Justin, while Agnes's camera clicks away. Like How I Live Now, the writing is superb and the plot inventive in·ven·tive adj. 1. Of, relating to, or characterized by invention. 2. Adept or skillful at inventing; creative. in·ven . There is a touch of British absurdity--not quite Monty Python Monty Python('s Flying Circus) British comedy troupe. The innovative group, formed in the early 1960s, came to prominence in the 1970s, first on television and later in films. , but a bit of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, perhaps. I think the novel will appeal to readers who enjoy that approach to telling a story, rather than to the readers who like How I Live Now. I'm thinking readers may be more attached to Agnes than to Justin. Since she is looking back at adolescence adolescence, time of life from onset of puberty to full adulthood. The exact period of adolescence, which varies from person to person, falls approximately between the ages 12 and 20 and encompasses both physiological and psychological changes. with loving concern but a certain detachment detachment /de·tach·ment/ (de-tach´ment) the condition of being separated or disconnected. detachment of retina , retinal detachment , the story will appeal more to the oldest YAs and to adults. Claire Rosser, KLIATT S--Recommended for senior high school students. A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries. *--The asterisk (1) See Asterisk PBX. (2) In programming, the asterisk or "star" symbol (*) means multiplication. For example, 10 * 7 means 10 multiplied by 7. The * is also a key on computer keypads for entering expressions using multiplication. highlights exceptional books. |
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