Losing Joe's Place

by Gordon Korman

Jason and his two best friends are about to have the ultimate summer experience, because they've just taken over Jason's cool older brother's apartment for the summer.

Now all they have to do is say no: No parents. No rules. No problems.

Right?

Wrong.

And Jason's brother hasn't even found out what happened to his apartment. Yet.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Humor, Realistic Fiction, Canada, Middle Grade, Childrens

240 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 1990

About the author

Gordon Korman is a Canadian author of children's and young adult fiction books. Korman's books have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide over a career spanning four decades and have appeared at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list.

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I remember reading this for the first time so clearly. I was probably ten or twelve or thereabouts. I didn't think it was as immediately funny as other Gordon Korman books, but I remember telling my friend that it built to an amazing crescendo, where all its threads came together in a way that made me laugh until I couldn't breathe.

I learned something this weekend: I don't only like the books I read when I was younger because of nostalgia. I like them because they're good books. And I know that because this one just doesn't hold up.

It'll probably be great for the 10- or 12-year-old who loves Gordon Korman, like it was great for my 10- or 12-year old self. Just don't try it a decade or so beyond that.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gordon Korman is one of the great Canadian authors not because his writings are commentaries on life but because his writing is just so entertaining. For example, this particular book has a character named Rootbeer Racinette. For those of you who do not read French, that's Rootbeer Rootbeer.

[Freda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that I know is corny, and not very good, but I liked anyway. It's a teenager book, and I know this. No one else is going to like it but teenagers. But I enjoyed it all the same. It's like that one action movie that you know sucks and are embarrassed to tell anyone you like but you watch it over and over again all the same.

[Rabia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was Great I've been searching every where on what this book was called because i forgot.i finally found it. My brother brought it home one day from school. it was just lying there on the floor so i read it one day, and i could not stop. I totally recommend this book for boys and girls.

[Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely one of my favourite books of all time. I know, it's corny, it's simple, and it's written for children. Probably 3/3 of the necessary ingredients for a successful book (at least in my opinion)

[LobsterQuadrille · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Hyperactive and sometimes repetitive, but still a lot of goofy Bruno-and-Boots style fun! I would have liked more breathing room between jokes and quips, but most of it is very funny. Rootbeer is so bizarre that the story takes on an almost surreal quality around him, and more importantly he provided an opportunity for Korman to sneak Gavin Gunhold's name into another one of his books. I laughed out loud at one point in the carnival scene, when Rootbeer's game prize of a life-sized plush water buffalo falls into the dolphin pool. As over-the-top as his plots can be, Gordon Korman still has a great knack for making some things absolutely hilarious in their sheer absurdity. Losing Joe's Place is one of his more cluttered stories, but there's plenty to like whether you are a Macdonald Hall fan or just someone in need of a fun, silly read.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grab a bowl of Chocolate Memory and settle in for a fantastic read. You will be laughing from the beginning as Jason, Mr. Wonderful and The Peach have the summer of their lives. The only rule for the summer is that they cannot lose Joe’s “best deal in town” apartment and of course shenanigans ensue. This is definitely a Gordon Korman classic!

[William Leight · Rating 5 out of 5]

I keep coming back to Korman because he is (or was, at least: for a while he switched to writing adventure stories for middle-school boys, a sad waste of his talents) an amazingly funny guy, and “Losing Joe’s Place”, which I’ve read many times, is some of his best work. As in many Korman books, the central character — here the narrator, Jason — is sort of an everyman (well, everyboy, he has just finished his junior year of high school). He, along with two friends, a jock and a nerd (so as to underline how normal Jason is) are subletting a Toronto (because Korman is Canadian, though he’s not really interested in the particularity of Toronto and any city in Canada, or for that matter the US, would probably have done just as well) apartment from his brother, the titular Joe, for the summer. It’s an exciting adventure for three boys from a small town, but also a test: to be forced to admit defeat, probably due to money problems, and slink home before the summer is over would be a disaster. Threatening to force them to do so are not just the usual perils of the big city, but also a couple peculiar to Korman. There’s Plotnick, the penny-pinching landlord from hell who must nonetheless be conciliated at all costs lest they lose the lease and incur Joe’s wrath. And there’s Rootbeer, Joe’s gigantic friend and their unexpected and unwanted new roommate, who must also be conciliated at all costs because people who make him upset tend to have bad luck (i.e., a large and muscular man beats them up). Plotnick makes for a perfect comic-opera villain, but Rootbeer is a truly special comic creation. He makes a living by winning a series of ridiculous bets which revolve around his strength (enormous) and pain tolerance (ditto). In between biting through tires or letting himself be hit in the stomach with a two-by-four, he engages in a series of unexpected hobbies (photography, stamp collecting, etc.), generally pursued ultra-intensively but only for a week or two, in order to help him relax and avoid the dangers of executive burnout.

The plot is mostly a collection of incidents, tests of the boys nerves and bank account, but they’re hilarious incidents, and Korman uses repetition and running gags to keep things cohesive. My favorite of the latter (after Rootbeer’s hobbies) is the one in which each disaster is followed by a postcard from Joe warning of the possibility of such a thing and advising what to do if it occurs: one of several great jokes that would be totally ruined by cell phones. Of the former, the most important is the fact that every month the boys have to pay the rent, which turns out to be a bit problematic when both Jason and Don, his jock friend, lose their jobs after a week (thanks to efficiency improvements in the factory they are working in suggested by Ferguson, better known as Peachfuzz, the nerd) and then have trouble finding new ones. Rootbeer turns out to be quite helpful in this respect but not in others: for one thing, when he shows up, he borrows Joe’s car without telling them, leading Jason to report it stolen. The failure of the the cops to take it off the list of stolen cars once everything is sorted out leads to a series of escalating confrontations with the police, always at the worst possible time. Then there’s Jessica, the love interest, who is dating both Don and Peachfuzz for most of the book, while getting Jason to help her with her makeup home ec class (by having him do her homework assignments). Plus, the book is quietly a coming-of-age story for Jason, who gets a bit of character development in between the laughs: there aren’t too many books of this type in which the hero finds himself empathizing with his mother. Don and Peachfuzz mostly remain fairly one-dimensional, and Jessica’s actions sometimes seem to be driven by the needs of the plot rather than the logic of her character, but as long as Korman keeps the pace brisk and the reader laughing, and he always does, these minor flaws can be ignored. “Losing Joe’s Place” doesn’t quite have the large-scale exuberance of earlier books like “Don’t Care High” or “Son of Interflux”, but it makes up for it with superior characterization. Highly recommended to anybody with a sense of humor.

[Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the book called “Losing Joe’s Place” by Gordon Korman. This is the first time I have read one of his books. This book was very entertaining and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I liked the way it is written and the humor is reoccurring. Overall it was a great read and I would read it again.

The book starts out with Jason and Joe fighting over losing his apartment in Toronto. Joe is Jason’s older brother. Joe is a bodybuilder and model. Joe went overseas to shoot for a calendar while Jason, Ferguson Peach, and Don Champion look over his place. When they first arrive, the stairs leading up to the apartment almost break, and Ferguson Peach threw a fit. It would not be until the next day when they met their landlord, Mr. Plotnick. Mr. Plotnick is an old man, and loves to save money more than spend it. After meeting Plotnick, the group went to their job at a plastic manufacturing company. It would not be long until the Peach found some way to make things more efficient for the front line. After his raise and promotion, Peach lost Jason and Don’s jobs after only one day, Jason and Don then go and search for a job. This ends up taking a few weeks. During these few weeks, Jason found his love for cooking. Don ended up getting a delivery job, riding a bike and delivering random items. Rather than staying with one hobby, Rootbeer Racinette bounces from one hobby to another. Rootbeer is Joe’s long time friend who just came back from a trip in Florida. Mr. Plotnick ends up getting injured and put in the hospital a while later. Jason took over the deli and renames it Chocolate Memories. It becomes a major hit in town. After practically making bank, Plotnick comes back to the money and does not say anything to Jason about it. After paying off August rent, they leave and find out that Plotnick needs a payment for September also. Joe will not be back until the end of September. Soon, Jason and Joe are fighting again, until a phone call comes in. After Rootbeer’s stint in comedy, Joe is invited to be Rootbeer’s manager on tour. This quells Joe’s anger, letting Jason go.

The group of boys in this book become better people and characters throughout. Jason realizes his responsibility the hard way. Jason has to run Chocolate Memories and finds out what it is like to run a business. The Peach gets a great job and is away a lot of the time, but also finds out his share of responsibilities. Don does not mature a lot and focuses more on girls and having a good time rather than having a job.

The setting takes place in Downtown Toronto, Canada. The building the group of friends are in is above The Olympiad Delicatessen. Most of the area around the building is like downtown should be. A mixture of houses and businesses line the streets. The book does not explain the time period, but i suppose it is around the early 1990s.

I would recommend this to grades eight through twelve. The way this book is written is sort of childish, so ages 12 through 18 would enjoy it.

[Carol L. Millman · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time favourite books when I was a teenager. The characters are fantastic, the story is funny, and the themes of unemployment, trying to make rent, and finding your niche are all very well done.

[Slizzards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. I picked it up because it was written by one of my favourite authors, Gordon Korman. It had an amazing storyline and ending too go with it too.

[Ashton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a funny, entertaining book.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

i still try to avoid "executive burnout." this book is funny even as an adult.

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lighthearted, with some good points for thought/discussion. Good for Gr. 7 or 8, as content, while definitely downtown rough-around-the-edges, is still good for younger readers.

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have now read over 50 volumes from the masterful pen of Gordon Korman, I am about halfway through his whole canon. My son who is 17 still loves his books, my daughter in 14 picks and chooses, But I am trying to work my way through his complete catalogue, in my mid-50’s.

Most of the titles by Korman I have read, I read over the last 6 year. I had read a few back in 2009 when the 39 Clues first came out. I do not recall reading any when I was young, but with my dual form of dyslexia I did not read many Children’s or Middle Grade books. It was only later I learned to really read.

My son and I started reading Gordon Korman books together six years ago, when he was given one as an end of year gift by his teacher. She gave the whole class the same Scholastic edition and wrote a note to each student in their copy of the book.

When reading Korman books; some he reads to me, some we use adaptive technology and listen to in the car, and some I just read on my own. This one we listened to in the car on a trip to and from seeing a production in Stratford.

The description of this book states:

“Jason's going to have the summer of his life - as long as he doesn't lose Joe's place.

Sixteen-year-old Jason is looking forward to spending the summer in the big city with his friends Don and Ferguson. They've convinced their parents to let them sublet Jason's older brother Joe's apartment in Toronto. All they have to do is pay the rent each month and not, under ANY circumstance, put Joe in jeopardy of losing his lease. Easier said than done.


What they didn't count on was dealing with Joe's eccentric landlord, Mr. Plotnick, or his strange friend, Rootbeer. And they certainly weren't expecting Joe's Camaro to be mistaken for a stolen car and get towed away. One crisis after another conspires to ruin their summer, but with Gordon Korman's trademark wit the journey is guaranteed to be both inventive and hilarious.”

An older description states:

“Joe Cardone is about the coolest big brother a guy could ask for...at least that's what Jason thinks. How is going to let Jason use his apartment for the entire summer and drive his black Camaro. But there is one catch: Jason cannot under any circumstances put Joe in jeopardy of losing his lease.”

According to Goodreads there are 12 editions of this book, as of the writing of this review. All published by Scholastic, published between 1990 and 2013. To date there are multiple eBook editions of this story.

Which group of teenagers would not think a summer in Toronto and a great ride would be the best time of their lives. And that is what the three friends from up north are expecting at the beginning of this story. But things do not always go as expected. Yet the three persist and keep trying, one moving up through the company they all started at, one who loses job after job after job, and one who finds he is becoming his mother in looking after the place, cleaning, laundry, cooking and more. But when Joe left town before they got there and forgot to pass on key information the summer of fun soon turns into a summer of stress and conflict. Throw in a girl who is dating 2 of the friends, and a super cranky landlord and deli owner, over which they live and we are in for some serious laughs. Oh and let's not forget the giant in a poncho who crashes and stays with them off and on who goes by the name Rootbeer Racinette. (By the way Racinette is French for Rootbeer so from the introduction of the character we know we are in for some extra laughs.)

To find out if they make it through the summer without calling home for help, and who ends up with the girl check out this fun story that does show some serious insight into life in the big city and first time away from home.

This was a really fun story and one that I can easily recommend. A great read from Korman’s masterful pen!

[Lindsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

As a long-time fan of Gordon Korman, this book was a massive disappointment.

The most abrasive part of the book was the main character’s constant whining about how girls take advantage of Nice Guys TM, especially the girl he and his two roommates are interested in (and of course it’s her fault that he doesn’t stand up for himself, and it’s her fault that he won’t tell her he’s interested, and so on). The target demographic for this book is young adults, especially young men, and that makes this narrative just pure incel fuel in 2024. I strongly warn people away from it.

Aside from the main character, none of the other characters are likeable whatsoever (with one exception that I’ll get into at the end of the review), they’re just a little less grating than the MC (although I think that’s only because we hear from them less - they’re just as annoying as the MC is).

I assume the constant misfortunes encountered by the characters were supposed to be comedic, but the situations were too extreme and the author really missed the mark. I found the book to be extremely stressful and never funny.

I will say that the character of Rootbeer really grew on me - his numerous hobbies are very endearing, as are his other quirks, and his mission to avoid “executive burnout” really resonates with me as an adult. And in our current world of “side hustles” and “grind culture”, Rootbeer’s outlook on hobbies is refreshing: “I gotta have a hobby, but nobody says I gotta be any good at it.”

1 star out of 5, with that 1 star going solely to Rootbeer. Strong do not recommend, largely because of the sexist messaging.

[Laina SpareTime]

Cross-posted from my blog where there's more information on where I got my copy and links and everything.

This was actually pretty funny. I really loved Gordon Korman’s books as a kid, and I don’t think this would have been one of my favourites, but it’s pretty solid for what it is. It’s a silly, completely unrealistic book, but Korman is really good at that kind of book.

Korman has a great knack for some really wild sentences, like “Our sleeping arrangements consisted of the bed, the couch, and the beanbag chair with Rootbeer taking the floor directly over where he happened to be standing the instant he declared himself officially tired.”

There’s a few things that haven’t aged super well, like entirely too many fat jokes, but overall it’s not bad. I also read most of it by flashlight because we were in the middle of a power outage, so it was a good thing to not have to think too much about. I probably wouldn’t recommend any modern reader seek this out specifically, but I am keeping it because I liked it enough.

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rootbeer is the only character that has aged well since I last read this almost ~15 years ago.
Don is a prophet for the work of Roosh V and will grow up to gaslight and abuse many women. Ferguson literally isn't a character, just a rough sketch of a Revenge of the Nerds parody. Jason is a bit of a 'why don't women like nice guys like me' incel, which to be fair is resolved by the end of the book.
And while I totally agree with Plotnick being a terrible person since he's a landlord, there are a host of other distressingly awful tropes he plays into. Of the mere 3 female characters in the story, two only exist insofar as the boys want to date them (and for Don to threaten to murder if she won't date him), and the third is an out-of-left-field bit of fat phobia existing in a single paragraph to moan orgasmically about a dessert because *of course* she would, the cow.
So... I guess give this one a miss?
#NeverRevisitYourChildhoodFavs

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Losing Joe's Place is an excellent book, but it occupies a somewhat awkward, transitional stage in the Korman canon. It's more mature than the MacDonald Hall books, but not as sophisticated as some of his other works, like Don't Care High or Son of Interflux. It's not a farce like MacDonald Hall, and not quite slapstick like Who Is Bugs Potter? It's more of a straight comedy, if you will, with a strong character element.

As always, the best part is the supporting characters. Rootbeer Racinette is a delight, and I've come to appreciate his point of view more and more as I age. Plotnik, meanwhile, isn't quite as despicable as I remember him.

Speaking of memory, it's funny - my recollection was that the "Chocolate Memories" part of the story occupied at least the second half of the book, but it's only a few chapters at the end. Oh well.

[Kevin Hogg · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been years since I read this book, and I enjoyed it just as much--the story of three teenagers trying to survive a summer in the big city. With an apartment and jobs taken care of, everything should run smoothly. Naturally, they encounter dozens of obstacles when nothing goes as planned.

Interestingly, the most memorable characters probably aren't the boys themselves (who are fine characters, but two people they meet make the book particularly fun). For a book that begins with somewhat of an epilogue, it really leaves the reader wondering how things are going to turn out. The boys face adversity, leave a lasting impact on the city, and deal with a complicated dating scene. One of my many Gordon Korman favourites, and definitely recommended.

[Child960801 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this one out loud to the children, and while it is very dated -- the prices for things are hilarious and it actually mentions that its in 1990 -- it's still super funny. The children enjoyed it as well and laughed along with me.
The story is about a group of three teenage friends from small town Ontario who are living together, by themselves, for the summer in an apartment in down town Toronto. The apartment belongs to the brother of the main character who is given only one rule: don't do anything that will lose the lease. Misadventures ensue.

[David Wasser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very funny story about 3 small-town high school kids who spend the summer in the city of Toronto, Canada at the apartment of the main character's older brother who has gone to Europe for the summer. Madcap situations occur and a host of quirky characters parade through this hysterical romp. A compelling and hysterical story. Highly recommended!

[David Erkale · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was funny and immersive, with its own twists. Jason brings his friends to downtown Toronto in order to maintain his older brother's apartment. They get into a load of chaos finding jobs, paying rent and all that amazing stuff. While it is a great book, it was kind of sad when the Chocolate Memories place had to shut down at the end on account of the D-Lishus company. 4 stars, solid.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like a typical Korman book, it fallows the adventures of boyhood friends, with even more comedy than most. It also features Rootbeer, who’s probably the most interesting character Kormans ever made. His habit of constantly taking up new hobbies reminds me of Chet Morton from the Hardy boys books.

[Constance · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book about three friends; The Genius, The Ladies Man, and The “Protagonist”. Their stay in NYC brings them in contact with the denizens of the Big Apple including the world’s greediest landlord, a Pretzel Connoisseur, and Sasquatch.

[Qt · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Stephie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very reminiscent of my preteen days. Ridiculous but a nice light read.

[Vihaan]

is losing Joe's place appropriate for 4th graders

[Reva · Rating 4 out of 5]

awesome

[Madeline Pratchler]

Can't go wrong with Gordon Korman, took my son a few chapters to get engaged but once he did, he enjoyed it!