Triggered

by Vicki Grant

Mick decides that his long-term relationship with Jade is finally over. After ending it, he realizes the hardest part will be saying goodbye to her little brother, Gavin, who suffers from severe migraines. Mick's friends suspect that Jade's constant calls for help are just too convenient to be real. What are the chances Gavin would relapse every time Mick is out with someone new? Mick admits they're not very good—but he's seen the boy. A four-year-old can't fake an illness like that. Turns out both Mick and his friends are right.

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Teen

128 pages, Library Binding

First published October 1, 2013

About the author

After a long and messy adolescence, Vicki Grant stumbled into writing. She worked her way up from 30-second ads to 30-minute television scripts to full-length novels. She's written sixteen young adult, middle-grade and high-low novels. Her most recent YA novel, 36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You, has been published worldwide in over twenty territories.. Vicki lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Juvenile (2006): Quid Pro Quo
Red Maple Award: Not Suitable For Family Viewing
CBC Young Canada Reads: The Puppet Wrangler.

Reviews

[Izabel’s Reading Portal🔮 · Rating 3 out of 5]

TRIGGERED...Not everything is always black and white.

I initially picked up this book for a quick easy read, and it was that and more. For a shorter book it sure does pack a lot.

If you thought you could predict how this book was going to end or how the plot would unfold, get it out of your head because I don't think it would hold up. I went from laughing out loud at how totally different the situation was perceived from both povs to physically and mentally getting thrown for a loop and needing to get a grip. The plot twist was something I was not prepared for and didn't anticipate.

This book was definitely easy to read as it was to follow, but there definitely weren't any "attention gripping" factors other then the plot twist which came down to the very end (which is what gave the book 3 stars in the first place). However, I definitely would say that this may be a great read to expose young teens to the psychological aspects and effects life can have.

Rating: 3⭐️
Genre(s): Fiction/Teen/Young-Adult
Theme(s):
🧠Coming-of-Age
🧠High School relationships
🧠Mental Health

[Neil T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Triggered, written by Vicki Grant, published by Orca Book Publishers, and published October 1, 2013. The total number of pages is 122. Triggered is a great book with showing emotions and has overall felt of being a detective while reading.

It starts off with Mick and Jade, who had just broken up their 3-year relationship. Jade has a little brother named Gavin who becomes extremely sick with constant migraines that only Mick can deal with. Mick doesn't know how the migraines keep happening as he was never feeding Gavin food that could trigger his migraines. His only clue is that it could be Jade who has malicious intent for attention.

During a scene where Mick and Jade had bumped into each other, the author shows both sides. One side of mick's point of view and the other is Jade's diary. The book's key theme was about mental illness because, in the end, it was Jade who was unstable. I agree with the theme because, throughout the story in Jade's diary, her tone had a slight underline of bad intentions.

I really enjoyed reading the book with the scene where they bumped into each other and the author showed both points of view. The only connection I could make is that they are still in school. I would recommend the book as it's a short story that tells a lot about how people act and behave, then using your understanding to try and make an evaluation.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book Triggered by Vicki Grant is about a 17 year old boy named Mick dating this girl named Jade for the past year old 3 years. Mick decides that his relationship with Jade will finally be over. He feels that the hardest part of ending their relationship is to say goodbye to Jade’s 4 year old brother, Gavin that is having a hard time with migraines. Mick tells himself that he has been going out with this girl for so long and he can't just leave her now because her little brother needs him, since Gavin is so used to being with Mick because Mick was always there for him and Jade needs his help too. Its harder for Jade and Mick to meet up now to take care of Gavin because Mick is in a relationship with someone else, and Jade is feeling really flaky about that for the reason that Mick cheated on her before. The only reason Jade is okay with Mick coming over to help take care of Gavin is because, Gavin only listens to Mike and Gavin can really use Micks help right now. I feel that this book is name "Triggered" because the main characters (Mick, Jade, Gavin) all have something they're upset about. Furthermore, Mike is feeling a bit thrown away since he still has to help his ex brother, he thinks taking care of Gavin, and seeing Jade often is holding him back for his current relationship, so he doesn't know what to do. Jade is upset because she has to deal with Mick, due to the fact that Mick is her only hope for Gavin. Lastly Gavin. He is going through such a hard time, and lots of pain with Constant headaches and only in the age of 4.


I personally would give this book 3 stars for multiple reasons. Starting with the very simple vocabulary. I've noticed that in this book there weren't really any "grabbing the reader's attention chapters/paragraphs", which made the readers want to continue reading this book." There were a few new being added towards the end which didn't make sense. At all. Who is "Jadie" and where did she come from? I feel that this book is romance and mystery type at the same time, since the author was talking about a long term relationship and how they're having trouble with their break up. The author left a mystery towards the end, not explaining what happens to Jade and Micks relationship and what they both decided to do about taking care of Gavin together? Moreover, this book is more preferred towards the ages around 10 and 12, since the words aren't to difficult to understand, there not much of romance going on so the reader/kids won't be disturbed by the language being used, and the message is pretty straight foreword for them to understand but they still have things to question about.

[Hailey Kerton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Triggered is a book with a very creative and different story. Not only is the book gripping but it tells the story from multiple perspectives. This book is a great read whenever you’re bored or wanting time to pass by quicker. Triggered’s tiny size makes it very convenient to bring with you. This book will grip you in and will make you want to read it all. It teaches great lessons about red flags and how our emotions can get in the way of our judgement. What was cool was when I reread the book it was still interesting and I wasn’t bored at all. That really says a lot about how this author tells this story. The way it is written makes it feel more personal, possibly because one view was from a diary. The author doesn’t over complicate situations making it easy to understand and picture it. I would recommend this book

[Bless · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish Jade didn't have to turn out this way, but I guess something was bound to happen. Mick should be happy to move on and I'm glad that he shows love for Gavin. A good book to read. Good job Mrs. Grant!

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read! Great drama for young adults.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great quick read - great characters, good story line.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

The twist in this one was obvious to me from the beginning, but this was a good one.

[Sherri · Rating 3 out of 5]

When teenager Mick finally ends his three-year relationship with 17-year-old Jade, he realizes he will miss her four-year-old brother Gavin the most. Gavin is a sweet kid who adores Mick, but also experiences debilitating migraines.

Since Jade’s mom is single, she spends most evenings working to keep the family together, which leaves Jade in charge of Gavin. While Jade appears happy, alternating chapters reveal the true feelings she writes in her diary; Jade wants Mick back. When Mick starts dating Dalma, every time he’s out with her, Jade calls with another crisis about Gavin. Because Mick still cares about Gavin, he leaves Dalma and rushes off to help. Is Jade really experiencing trouble or is she just trying to prevent Mick from dating someone else?

This fast-paced hi/lo novel will appeal to reluctant readers due to its fast pacing and realistic drama and romance. This book’s reading level is 3.1.

[Elaine Fultz, Teacher Librarian, MLS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Orca books take a pounding sometimes by reviewers because of their lack of complexity, but sometimes effective storytelling doesn’t need to be complex. Triggered features Mick and his emotionally abusive ex-girlfriend. As Mick is trying to break up with her, Jade uses the illness of her little brother to keep bringing him back. The novel is an accurate snapshot of how people, often girls, use manipulation as their tool to bully and control. It’s a worthy addition to classroom and library collections as a interesting quick read and as a balance to the stories of other kinds of dating violence and bullying.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Orca hi-lo books are a mixed bag. Some - Down - are quite good, while others are aren't. "Triggered" isn't great, but it is completely serviceable as it reveals a relationship between Mick and Jade that he's ready to move on from and she's holding onto. It alternates between his voice and her diary entries, and over all is quite readable. For an experienced reader, the Munchhausen twist is easily predicted, but the target audience will possibly not see it coming. This is a good pick for those seeking an 'after-school-special' kind of story.

[Dominique · Rating 4 out of 5]

I literally just picked this book up and decided to read it. It turned out to be a nice quick read. I liked how the book used an old story but put a little originality to it. Around three fourths of the way in, the ending starts to become clear and the book doesn't waste time getting to the conclusion.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping and believable. A great hi/low for both males or females. Thrilled to receive an ARC through Ampersand.

[John Sorensen]

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