Becoming Jonika

by P.J. Devlin

"Becoming Jonika" explores inter-racial understanding through a young woman’s growing awareness of herself and the complexities of her culture. It is a gripping novel about coming of age during a time of cultural upheaval and re-imagination of the American dream.

After Joni Byrnes meets nineteen-year-old Ishmael, she stops caring about home, school, and swim team. Instead, she embraces Ishmael’s hippy lifestyle of music, pot, and Hermann Hesse. When she sells marijuana for Ishmael, Joni gains notoriety as Joni Juana — but her newfound popularity ends in a bust. Ishmael goes to prison, but Joni avoids juvenile detention by agreeing to spend the summer of 1969 at Camp Saint Augustine of Hippo teaching inner-city black kids to swim.

Genres: Young Adult

270 pages, Paperback

First published September 24, 2015

About the author

After a civilian career with Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, PJ Devlin decided to pursue an MFA in Fiction from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA, where she studied with Susan Shreve, Alan Cheuse and Courtney Brkic. Devlin tells stories about relationships. Her characters meet at the intersection of acceptance and rejection and their choices impel them to understand what it means to be human. Whether writing of a witch, a dwarf, an elderly woman, or a black indentured servant, Devlin’s characters exist in the Philadelphia of her birth and share her love of the Wissahickon Creek.

PJ’s short stories have been published in print and on-line. “The Witch” may be found in Rose Red Review. “The Decline and Fall” was runner up in Saturday Evening Post 2013 Great American Fiction contest.

Reviews

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've just recently discovered Devlin's books and am delighted. Her writings, her use of language and her tight structures are spot on. I especially like Becoming Jonika. It's a perfect young adult piece with accurate historical references, pop culture, and a theme that endures. Devlin is a whiz at creating the baby boomer teen years ! Can't wait for her newer books!!

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice coming of age book, set in the tumultuous 1960s. This book is definitely intended for a YA audience.

[Arf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I've never read anything like it. Becoming Jonika is a fresh, original story about coming of age in the 60s. The historical allusions were handled gracefully and woven in to the story in a way that wasn't heavy-handed because we saw them through the character's eyes. The characters themselves were wonderful—Jonika was a sympathetic character and I found myself rooting for her the whole way. All the characters at the camp were complex as well, even characters that didn't have that much screentime. Characters that I found irritating at first even became sympathetic later when I learned more about them. Everything that happens in the story is also pretty realistic; I didn't feel like Jonika's development was rushed or anything. My one complaint is that I don't think the book was edited properly; I found several errors like magazine titles not being italicized consistently. However, these errors did not detract from immersing myself in the book. I would recommend it!

I received a free copy in return for an honest review.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book through Goodreads. WOW, I really loved this book. A big fan of Jonika. I read this so quickly. It was just so good, just couldn't put it down. Heartfelt & just really wonderful.