Watching Traffic

by Jane Ozkowski

Emily has finally finished high school in the small town where she has lived her whole life. At last, she thinks, her adult life can begin.

But what if you have no idea what you want your new life to look like? What then?

While Lincoln gets ready to go backpacking in Australia, Melissa packs for university on the east coast, and a new guy named Tyler provides welcome distraction, Emily wonders whether she will end up working forever at Pamela’s Country Catering, cutting the crusts off party sandwiches and stuffing mushrooms. Is this her future? Being known forever as the local girl whose mother abandoned her in the worst way possible all those years ago? Visiting her spacey grandmother, watching nature shows on TV with her dad and hanging out with Robert the grocery clerk? Listening to the distant hum of the highway leading out of the town everyone can’t wait to leave?

With poetic prose and a keen eye for the quirks and ironies of small-town life, Jane Ozkowski captures the bittersweet uncertainty of that weird, unreal summer after high school — a time that is full of possibility and completely terrifying at the same time.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBT, Fiction, Canada, Coming Of Age

192 pages, Hardcover

First published August 9, 2016

Reviews

[CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is kind of a perfect book; not a book for everyone, but a book that does what it sets out to do in a seemingly effortless, quietly powerful, nearly flawless way. Emily lives in small town Ontario, haunted by her mother's suicide when she was 3; everyone in the town has a hard time seeing her as anything else. It's the end of the summer after her last year of high school and her friends all have plans, but she doesn't. Ozkowski perfectly captures that late teenage invincibility and the disorientation of arriving at 'adulthood' which you've been waiting for forever but now that it's here you have no idea what to do with. Emily is a genuinely weird character, not in a mainstream adorkable way, but really weird, which I loved. Also, queer subplot!
See my full review on the blog.

[Michelle (FabBookReviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

At just under two hundred pages, I am tempted to call Jane Ozkowski's young adult debut a true gem of a book. However, I feel that 'gem' might not be a potent enough word for the unexpected beauty and depth of this book. Watching Traffic is a solid entry into the world of coming-of-age, contemporary YA and an introduction to a great voice in Canadian literature.

Recent high school graduate Emily is our narrator in this story, and through her sometimes meandering, sometimes blunt, peculiar yet strangely comforting first-person narrative, we are taken on a maelstrom of experiences. From the possible disintegration of her longest standing friendship, to coming to terms with her other best friend leaving town and country, to worrying about her forgetful and hoarding grandma, Emily has a multitude of problems presenting themselves. Entwined in Emily's attempt to confront (or avoid) these issues, is Emily's albatross: the reason why Emily lives the life she is in, is known in town, pitied, patted and petted like a fragile yet unknowable pet, who may go off, unhinged, at any moment.

In the early pages of the story, we learn that Emily's mom committed suicide when Emily was just a few years old. The suicide is one factor, but it is the grisly public details of the tragedy which have accounted for her somewhat notorious status in her small town. At a time when the friends closest to her are attempting to break free of their town and its sameness, Emily wonders if her mother's brief yet memorable history will limit or define her. While Ozkowski here applies an oft-used YA convention of a stalled and uncertain girl meeting a new boy to challenge said girl, the author goes against most all convention when navigating their relationship. For example, when Emily begins spending more time with Tyler, her complex situations with her best friends (and grandma) are not ignored or forgotten- nor does Emily herself magically transform. Ozkowski also tackles well-tread themes of small-town quirks, feelings of post-grad hopelessness and wanting to break free, but again, by strength of writing and detail, the author makes it feel new. Unmined. All in all, the seamless nature and pure quality of Ozkowski's writing, in tandem with the story's core uncompromising nature, wonderful oddness, and great characters is what makes this story stand out.

Overall, Watching Traffic is a literary young adult novel that I highly recommend. Any readers interesting in searching for more Canadian lit; finely-tuned, beautifully and intriguingly written YA; something that can make you laugh, pause and ache all in a short space of page- this could be just the right read for you. Readers who enjoy the work of authors such as Miriam Toews, Lisa Moore, Susin Nielsen or A.S. King might especially love reading Ozkowski's splendid debut.

I received a copy of this title courtesy of Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and comments are my own.

[Ellen McClure · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
This is a demonstration in the beautiful subtly of normal life. There were so many moments where I couldn't believe the character said things I thought earlier in my life. The pressures facing us at that age are unreal. I loved the quiet nature of most of the characters and their persistence with life. However, the main character did feel a little flat and I would have loved a bit more revelations. Life isn't like that though so I understand. Not everything has to happen all at the time. It is a journey to be lived.

[Ameema S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished the ARC for this book. I was really attracted to the description of it, it just seemed really interesting. To be honest I only found it okay, it was kind of cool and edgy, but at the same time, kind of predictable. I feel like it was kind of just missing something, and I don't know what! I feel like it will definitely have a niche though, for people who like slightly darker reads with messed up characters.

[Alex Nonymous · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a 'small town ontario 18 year old girl starting the summer after high school' I am the definition of this book's target demographic so I was pumped.

Until I wasn't. Watching Traffic just felt like it was trying a tad too hard. There were some beautiful metaphors and while I'm sure out of this book I would have loved it, it was so bogged down that they all ended up feeling forced. Same goes for teen talk. It's just that little bit into the uncanny valley of "do I sound like a teenager yet!".

Watching Traffic was a very middle of the range read for me which was upsetting because Jane Ozkowski's writing is so wonderful that I was sure I'd love it.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quirky but believable characters and themes about finding your path in life make for a pretty good read in Watching Traffic. It felt a bit like a Kevin Smith movie, with its focus on the small, ordinary and sometimes stupid moments in life that build up to shape the main character in unexpected ways. It is sort of a small town Mallrats that follows Emily through a few pivotal weeks of the summer after graduation. Most readers won't have trouble empathizing with Emily, a character who has been defined by a spectacularly lurid event in her early childhood. She longs to leave her past behind, but struggles to find her first step towards that goal. She is joined by a cast of secondary characters who society would consider unworthy of notice, but they all manage to contribute something to the making of the glorious, weird girl that is Emily. From the local bootlegger/pothead grocery store worker to the dippy grandmother, these characters were given their own brand of dignity as they contributed gems of advice or imparted the gift of acceptance to her. This book probably has its flaws, and it won't be for everyone simply because it isn't your typical contemporary coming of age story, but it sure has its moments. Language and situations are most appropriate for grades 10+, but NA fans and adults can enjoy it as well. I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isa a difficult book to judge, because the story is about a dull place, and a dull time. The writing itself is very well done, but what can you do when you have that sort of set-up.

First thing you should know about this book is the nick name of the town, where the action takes place is "the armpit of Canada". And it goes from there.

As I said, the writing is excellent, which such lines as

...the cracks aren't just about the eggs but abut life, the universe and something enormous and buried that's been troubling us and all humans for as long as humans have existed.

or

Small Business Managment sounds like something you'd make kids in juvie take as a cruel and unusual form of punishment...

and

Remember this moment and remember how he looks, but it feels like I'm grabbing fistfulls of water out of a lake.

Lines like the above kept me reading, but not sure what can be done with the story as a whole. So three stars for well written voice, but no further stars because you can't shine dull.

Thanks to NetGalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that hits so many notes despite so few plot points. Watching Traffic is about the twilight weeks of summer from the perspective of Emily, a recent high school graduate. She narrates her experiences with friends moving away, a new relationship, her troubled past and the current struggles of her best friend. The non-descript location of her hometown, somewhere within a two-hour vicinity of Toronto, serves as the mundane yet relatable setting for most middle-class suburban young adults. This beige framework is coloured beautifully by Ozkowski's prose that bring you deep into Emily's realistic world. The writing is highly sensory, but it not only makes you see, but feel as the characters do. The story does not shy away from sex, drugs and alcohol making this a good pick for anybody familiar, or unsure of the cultures surrounding each topic. Great pick all around. Read it.

[fetacheeseenjoyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book takes place in small town ontario. not a lot happens in small town ontario. not a lot happens in this book.

that’s not entirely a bad thing, though. i really liked the writing style and the character voice. at times, it was funny, dry, and sarcastic, and other times it was sad, and gave me this oddly specific feeling of “what now?”-ness, if that makes any sense. i don’t usually get sad at books (mainly because i don’t read a lot of sad stuff), but this one had that drawn-out, looming sense of sadness, even during its happier moments. that might just be a me thing though. i think the main character and i share the same worries. circling back to the writing style, there was a lot of weird, oddly-specific figurative language, which i just loved.

but like,,, idk, i just don’t feel too strongly about this book. it had some things i really liked about it, but i just wasn’t excited about reading it. there were some parts i loved, like, wow she’s just like me fr fr (lives in ontario and is worried about her future), but there were also some stretches of the book that were just like… ok? sure? just, no strong feelings. maybe it’s just because not a ton happened? maybe ontario’s just kinda like that. i just wasn’t feeling it. but, it’s a quick read, and other people on here seem to like it a lot, so maybe give it a try?

overall, i loved the writing and the character voice, and i found the main character to be surprisingly relatable. so good job with that!

i’m torn on the rating. i’ve always sucked at these. depends on the day tbh. 3-ish sets of gold teeth out of 5, iykyk.

[Angela James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is like a lot of media I enjoy- quiet and contemplative with a lot of insight being allowed into the characters. I really enjoyed the balance in the author’s writing between using beautiful and sometimes startling metaphors on occasion and generally keeping the prose crisp so the story moves at a good pace. I glanced through the other reviews and agree that the main character, Emily, is a bit of a weirdo and I love her for that.

[Ampersand Inc. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this little YA book! At 192 pages it’s a quick read, but it packs a punch. The entire story takes place in a span of about two weeks, the last two weeks of summer before everyone Emily has ever known is leaving town to go off to university. The voice of the story is very reminiscent of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, yet the story is uniquely its own. Would definitely recommend!

[Darsi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually enjoy book with an open ending cause that gives you the opportunity to write your own, but this was too much for me. I understand that what this book is trying to say is to found your own way, at your own time, but all the book is about things that happen but really don't matter (?). Honestly is entertaining but doesn't leads you to a point.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would recommend for someone struggling with what to do after high school when it seems like everyone else is moving on. Also would recommend for a young lesbian, as it has some some lgbt story lines.

[Silverina La Mees · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was amazing. I really loved it. I liked the way Emily thought and talked. I liked how the universe was painted. I loved how it felt like I was looking at the things happening from faraway. I really loved the descriptions of everything. There were some hilarious scenes that made me laugh out loud. Emily was loveable.
The relationship between Emily and her dad seemed at first as if they were not interested in each other, but then reading on it became apparent that there was a relation in some way and that they loved each other.
There is a kind of detachment in this book that I really love, a kind detachment that I find really interesting and I don't meet it often in books.
I really loved this book.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been a while since I read a teen book. I really enjoyed it!

[Danica T · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was going through my TBR shelf on Goodreads and seeing which books I had yet to read and could find on my library’s eBook webpage. Saw this one and read this summary and knew I wanted to read this right away. It’s set during a time that I am sure a lot of people who’ve graduated high school will feel relevance to. She’s from a small town in Ontario and all her friends are moving on to bigger things and she is staying behind. You get to watch as she deals with her friend going off to another continent for the travel experience and her best friend moving to another province for university. It’s a feeling that I can relate to as I stayed in my home town when I pursued post secondary education but most of the people I knew decided to go elsewhere. I thought I was missing out on an experience but now years later I am happy with my decision (I definitely saved a lot of money!).

The characters were all unique and quirky and pretty believable in my opinion. Emily was definitely the quirkiest of them all! The writing was surprising for such a dull plot location. Being from Ontario myself it was definitely cool to see it in a novel!

I definitely recommend this for those graduating high school presently or in the future!

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was pretty meh for me, mainly because it was about a pretty meh subject-a character who is going nowhere in a nowhere town while the rest of her friends are off on their own life adventures. Sort of hard to turn that into a riveting story.

[The Book Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not your average young adult story. This is a YA book that I surprisingly enjoyed. This is a small novel that is a fast read. The writing is beautiful and extremely thought provoking. I feel as if Jane Ozkowski, will soon be my favorite author.

As I said earlier this book isn't like the regular young adult books filling the market that seems weighed down by issues. This is a fresh and delightful tale .This is an unexpectedly beautiful and deep novel. Watching Traffic is the perfect novel about coming of age, and finding your place in this world.


I loved that it was set in Canada, I really like when books are set there. I have a love for all things Canada, and I can pretend that I live there. Obviously, I have zero ideas if anything in the book is truly accurate but I have hope because Jane Ozkowski, lives in Canada I believe.

The story follows recent high school graduate Emily, who is telling her story. She is extremely passionate, extremely sarcastic, grim at points, and very blunt. She has an interesting story and many challenges. She has to overcome a tragic past, work through her issues of abandonment, and worry about her failing friendships.

To be honest, her friendships are falling, they are just changing due to them leaving the area. She has to deal with unhealthy adults like a hoarding grandmother, and a dad who doesn't seem to really care about her.

She is flooded with a multitude of problems. She is complete lost and trying to avoid these issues at all cost. Unfortunately, you can't pack way problems they just keep resurfacing. She is an extremely fragile girl regardless of the tough persona she tries to put on.

She is bullied and completely humiliated by strangers because they know what her mother did. Everyone knows what she did. It will be a label on Emily's forehead for as long as she lives in this town. Her life is like a stick of dynamite that might go off at any moment.

Early on we learn that Emily's mother has chosen to commit suicide right after Emily was a couple of years old. She was described as a blood covered toddler. This is the most heart-wrenching part of this novel. The suicide is completely exposed to the public. Everyone knows the gruesome details of this horrific event. She is desperate to not have her mother's past define her life.

Some people label her dumb and even broken. A woman in her town acts as if she is dumb, and wonders if she can properly spell words. This is due to Emily pretending she was trapped and trying to escape. What a horrible feeling for a child to have.

I felt so connected with Emily throughout the story. I felt like we could have been friends in real life. We have similar tragic pasts, all though mine wasn't quite so notorious thankfully. I faced a lot of the same challenges when facing adulthood. This really made me more interested in the book.

This is unlike any YA book, while parts of the story are similar so much is fresh and new. The tackling of new topics like coming of age, small town issues, and tragedies is a breath of fresh air. The author unveils an unconventional story that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Overall, this is a young adult novel that I can not recommend enough. Anyone that is interested in a great new ya story should check it out. If you want to explore some Canadian literature this is a great start. This book will make you laugh, cry, and sad all at the same time.

I received this book from Groundwood Books, in exchange for my honest and one hundred percent unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Sophie Bergeron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this books from some very lovely people over at Groundwood Books, in exchange for an honest review.

Books like this exist to let you know that you're not alone.

It wasn't love at first sight with Watching Traffic, but man can I say that this books found its way to my heart and on my shelf of favorite books!

I'll be honest here, what makes Watching Traffic so great isn't the plot: the summer of a girl after high school? Nothing extraordinary here, so don't expect me to go on and on about it. Yet, despite that fact, it's probably the best story I've read this year.

Leaving the plot behind, one thing I found really nice was the writing. I'm not one to typically notice the writing style in a book, but Jane Ozkowski did something right because here I am, telling you about how great of an author she is.

Besides her writing, what really separates Jane Ozkowski from everyone else is how she's able to communicate a message in such a way that it goes straight to your soul. This summer is my summer after high school and that feeling of being in limbo? I get it. I feel it. And Jane Ozkowski manages to write it in words. Although I might actually be going out of town, contrary to Emily, I still have this feeling of excitement and anxiety mixed together as I'm standing at the edge of my life, at the beginning of a new chapter. I still have no clue as to what I'm doing or what next year will bring. I am in limbo. That's what made me love this book so much, to be able to relate to a character so much, to know that even in literature, where everything is often sunshine and butterflies, someone understands how I feel.

...remember this moment and remember how he looks, but it feels like I'm grabbing fistfulls of water out of a lake.

Well, that and the little things. Like the story with her mother, which was a really nice reminder that we are not defined by our past, that we can get passed it. How some diversity was subtly included in the story. Or this.

...and I remember that people don't just have sex to brag to their friends or to check off on their bucket list. People have sex because it feels good.

A bit silly I know, but it was moment like this that made this book so real, so exactly right.

Maybe it was simply a case of reading the perfect book at the perfect time for me, but I sincerely encourage every high school senior to read Watching Traffic, preferably during the summer after graduation. You are not alone. It's okay to be a little lost. Everything will find its way. You will find your way.

[Micaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75-4 stars

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest, this is not a very good book. The protagonist feels like a Mary Sue and isn’t described enough for me to be immersed when I need to be. I like the cover though, and the descriptions/comparisons the protagonist uses, and the feeling of being trapped it brings out. I think the thing I like best about this, though, is the fact that the love interest has long hair.

[Matthew Marcus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found Watching Traffic by Jane Ozkowski to be a very authentic book. It was amazing really: it was written from an incredibly deep perspective; however, the writing style was incredibly fluid. The title is also spot-on to the themes of the book. Emily has just finished high school and while everyone else around her has a plan of what they would like to do with their future, she is uncertain.

The book is unpredictable and it felt really organic and not following a stylistic format that most teen books follow (girl meets boy, they fight, they reunite and live happily ever after, etc.). I feel like a lot of people in Emily’s situation can relate to this book, watching, as everyone has figured out what they want to do with their lives while you’re on the sidelines not quite sure. Therefore, I think book will be a good recommendation also for those in their early-to-mid twenties (as well as teen readers).

Emily comes across as a real teenage; yes she made some mistakes, but I generally wanted to be her friend, she seems that real. Emily develops a relationship with Tyler which ultimately ends badly (but what I liked about the relationship is that it didn’t change Emily, or magically help her decide what she wants to do with her life). I think this was because Emily is still trying to figure out what she wants out of life. There was one point in the book where Melissa and Emily (who had been fighting sporadically through the book) were walking; I thought Melissa was going to kill Emily. I don’t know if this was intentional on the author’s part; but, it really did keep me on the edge of my seat. Honestly, I’m glad she didn’t actually kill her.

The book doesn’t really have a definite ending; even so, I really appreciated this as it makes this book seem so much more real - as the ending should be real as well. By the end of the book Emily still hasn’t decided what the do, but it doesn’t really matter as much to her anymore. I loved the writing in this book; it was brilliant and the author didn’t come across as trying to be artistic or edgy, the author came across as very real and authentic.

[Sumaya Musse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good but I didn't enjoy the open-endness of it... For a full review, follow the link: https://suereadingcorner.wordpress.co...

[Michelle Kidwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Watching Traffic

by Jane Ozkowski

House of Anansi

Groundwood Books
Children’s Fiction

Pub Date 09 Aug 2016

I was given a copy of Watching Traffic through the publisher and their partnership with Netgalley in exchange for my honest review which is as follows:

Everyone in town called Emily Robinson the Suicide Baby because when she was three she was found wandering the street covered in blood.

Her Grandmother who raised her after her Mother’s death is eccentric.

Emily Robinson’s Mother committed suicide when Emily was a little girl.

Emily has finished highschool in the town she grew up in. Her friend Melissa is going away to college on the East Coast and Lincoln is going to be going backpacking in Australia and Emily fears she will be stuck in this town forever working at Pamela’s County Catering.

Will Emily figure out what she wants to do with her life?

I give Watching Traffic Four out of five stars

Happy Reading

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Jane's first novel "the best and most beautiful" because I know Jane as an interesting person and I wanted to know what she would write about.
I loved "the best and most beautiful" and could find the Jane I know on every page.

I brought "watching traffic" because I enjoyed her first short novel quit a bit. But "watching traffic" was different. Emily Robinsons isn't Jane Ozkowski and she isn't anything - anyone I read before. She is something different and getting to know her, trying to understand her more and more from page to page is the core of the story. I enjoyed it and I can't wait to see what Jane will write next.

I say it here and now: Jane Ozkowski is an author to watch!

[Sam - Spines in a Line · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very lovely getting to meet the author, and I'm so glad I stumbled across her book.

This coming of age book follows our MC as she and her friends graduate high school and have to determine next steps. Unlike her friends, Emily has no idea what to do or where to go and is just trying to understand what she wants -- definitely connected with her as I graduate and try to figure out what I want to do with my life.

Emily is a very odd girl, constantly seeing the world in these strange hallucinations and metaphors, but it's kind of nice and fun to go along with her perspective on things, and funny to read along with her quirks.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC from netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. This was an interesting ya read. The author's style took some getting used to for me. The main character goes off on these fanciful tangents, almost playing make believe in her own mind. Not sure if that's because of her past, or just to pass time, as she lives in the "armpit of Canada". The characters were interesting, the story is a bit dark, but well-written.

[Jholbroo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superbly written and full of wonderful quirky details. Lucky "young adults" to have this new author writing for them.

[Elen Ghulam · Rating 3 out of 5]

a fun read

[Jonnie Ricketts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book to give a high school graduate!