Chasing Jupiter

by Rachel Coker

Paperback, 2013

Status

Available

Call number

F COK

Collection

J High School (blue)

Call number

F COK

Genres

Young Adult

Fiction

Publication

Zondervan (2013), 240 pages

Description

Scarlett Blaine's life in 1960s Georgia isn't always easy, especially given her parents' financial struggles and the fights surrounding her sister Juli's hippie lifestyle. Then there's her brother, Cliff. While Scarlett loves him more than anything, there's no denying his unique behavior leaves Cliff misunderstood and left out. So when he wishes for a rocket to Jupiter, Scarlett agrees to make it happen, no matter how crazy the idea might be. Raising the rocket money means baking pies, and the farmer's son, Frank, agrees to provide the peaches if Scarlett will help him talk to Juli. The problem is, Scarlett really enjoys her time with Frank, and finds herself wondering if, someday, they could be more than friends. Just as she thinks everything might be going her way, Cliff suffers an accident that not only affects the rocket plans, but shakes Scarlett's view of God. As the summer comes to an end, Scarlett must find a way to regain what she's lost, but also fulfill a promise to launch her brother's dream.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member SarahGraceGrzy

I am waffling back and forth between "THIS IS THE WORST BOOK EVER", and throwing the book across the room, AND "THIS WAS SO BEAUTIFUL" and hugging the book.

Oh well.

Soooo . . . This book was really good, but fell just short of the hype I had been hearing on it.

The characters were so good. I feel

like Scarlet, the MC, fell a bit shy in the emotional climax and resolution area. She was really really good, don't get me wrong, but I was expecting this uber-emotional, super wonderful climax in her inner struggle, and that . . . just didn't happen. Otherwise, she was great! Cliff was without a doubt the best part of this book. My goodness! He was just so sweet and adorable, and . . . and . . . I can't even! Just loved him! Fantastic character! Frank was also a good character, but his crush on Juli drove me crazy . . . Crushed in general tend to drive me nuts. The ending was so sweet though! *melts* Juli was rather an "ehh - don't get it" kind of character. I don't feel like her storyline was wrapped up very well, also.

The storyline was incredible, and I love Coker's poignant writing style! Just beautiful! And I give the author big kudos for publishing a book through a publishing house at such a young age. And a homeschooler, too! Woot woot! We homeschoolers gotta stick together. ;)

I also feel like the Christian aspect could have been incorporated and been a bigger part of the story. It was there, but it wasn't there, if you know what I mean. I was really hoping that would shine through and resolve the characters' emotional struggles, but it didn't really do that.

All in all, this was a very good book. I would recommend if for ages 14ish for the crushromance side of things, and I think that's the youngest age that would understand and appreciate the story.

CONTENT NOTE: A little boy is severely injured, although nothing is graphically described. Deals with crushes, grief, and slight romance, all pretty minimal.

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