Saving Jazz

by Kate McCaffrey

Jasmine Lovely has it all—the looks, the grades, the friends. But when a house party spins out of control, Jazz discovers what can happen when your mistakes go viral. We know our kids are at risk of becoming victims of cyberbullying. But do we know how at risk they are of becoming perpetrators? This controversial new novel tackles cyberbullying from a whole new perspective.

Genres: Young Adult, Abuse, Social Media, Friendship, Realistic Fiction, Family, Contemporary

206 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2016

About the author

Kate grew up in Perth’s northern suburbs. She has a degree in English and Art and a diploma in Education.

Kate is the author of three award-winning novels for young adults: Destroying Avalon (2006), winner of the WAYBRA Award for older readers and the Western Australian Premier’s Book Award for Young Adults; In Ecstasy (2008), winner of the Australian Family Therapists Children’s Literature Awards; and Beautiful Monster (2010), named a 2011 White Raven, selected from newly published books from around the world as especially noteworthy by the International Youth Library in Munich, Germany. She is currently putting the finishing touches on a fourth novel to be published by Fremantle Press in 2014.
Awards

Winner, Australian Family Therapists’ Award for Children’s Literature, 2008
Highly Commended, Australian Family Therapists’ Award for Children’s Literature, 2007
Winner, Western Australian Premier’s Book Award, 2007
Notable Book, Children’s Book Council of Australia, 2007
Winner, West Australian Young Readers’ Book Award, 2007

Reviews

[Ryan Buckby · Rating 4 out of 5]

gone were the days when you lived in fear of what someone could do to you. now you lived in fear of your worst mistakes being paraded around the globe to take you down.

very surprised by this book i enjoyed it very much, i think Kate's writing has a way of sucking me in to the story she's telling and i loved every single page i read. This is the second novel by Kate i've read and i honestly want to read more of her stuff because her writing and story telling just goes perfect together.

There were many themes explored in this book, rape culture, victim blaming, social media shaming, cyber bullying and how people treat each other in different situations. I love how Kate decided to tell this story from the point of view of a girl who was popular and already had friends and a life in her small town and not of a girl who had just moved to the town and didn't have any friends. It really showed how one drunken night and social media can ruin the lives of not just one person but multiple people. Jazz is the main protagonist as you could tell from the title of the book of course so that gives it away for you, she is a typical popular student in a small town she has the looks, good grades and the friends so it's pretty much smooth sailing for her. However one night everything is brought to a halt and the lives of 4 teenagers are changed dramatically in the space of a couple of hours at a party. Jazz is involved in an act towards a girl that is unacceptable that has a damaging effect on Annie. It was interesting that when i was reading it i didn't know that Jazz was involved in it because the way it was played out it sounded like she just tried to help her a little. Jack who's Jazz's best friend and his friend Tommy are the ones who are the main instigators of this disgusting act, but there actions are not revealed until a couple of days after the party.

Tommy's character was a complete asshole and decided to put a picture of Annie on facebook and it soon went viral and was shared not only around the town but got even further then that. Then it's also revealed that a video that tommy and jack made is put on Facebook also by Tommy also goes viral ruining the reputation and life of Annie. The video also reveals that Jazz did in fact have something to do with what happened that night. The fall out of the incident is almost instant Annie is rushed to hospital after trying to take her own life, Tommy and Jack are both sentence to time in prison on multiple charges and Jazz is sentence to 10 hours community service. I feel with social media as big as it is this thing happens way to often with such social media sights as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat its giving teenagers a way to send nude pictures of themselves and then have people share them by screenshotting a photo. I feel kids and teenagers need to made aware of the dangers of being online and parents to be more involved in what there kids are getting up to online to try and help stop this from happening so much because its happening way to often.

I think teenagers think that the problem will just go away and not impact them again but once its put online it is out there forever and there is no way of going back from that, so i think this novel has a serious message for teenagers but also i think parents would benefit reading this book, because it deals with Cyber bullying etc.

I liked the way the story was written as a form of a blog post i don't think i have ever read something that was written in the form of a blog post. I feel the blog post really did fit the style of the story that was being told.

Jazz Lovely is the main protagonist of the book she goes from popular high school student and one night everything is ripped away and her actions cost her friends and family. Her parents send her of to live with her Uncle and Aunt, Jazz receives her sentence from the judge which in my opinion was a little to light for what she had done even it was so small it did ruin a life and changed it forever. Jazz starts to see a psychologist on a regular basis and decides to finish school and attend university to study Psychology. I feel that Jazz did slightly change as a person and she was sorry and felt remorse for her actions but i feel that she got her happy ending that was a little to much for what she deserved.

This book was good and i enjoyed the story that was told, this book carries a good message on how one drunken night can change your life forever and the actions that you display can effect you and those around you forever. I would recommend this for Teenagers and Adults as it deals with some pretty serious issues.

This book has some trigger warnings:
RAPE
SUICIDE
SELF-HARM

[Sy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate McCaffrey is astounding! I've yet to come across a book of hers I don't like. She has an absolute talent in creating books that so many people need to read. So deep and meaningful but always with characters you really feel and ride the journey with them from beginning to end.
Not to mention I love that her books always have an Australian based setting!!

[Mon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher Fremantle Press in exchange for an honest review

**Full review**

McCaffrey has such a captivating writing style and I was hooked from start to end. Told through a series of blog posts written by Jazz (cool idea), we are instantly drawn into this small town high school setting where one too many drinks at a party leads to a heinous crime and four lives changed forever.

The night in question has varied degrees of emotional and physical pain for the four main characters; Jazz, Jack, Tommy and Annie. I personally found it really interesting to witness the actions of these characters before, during and after the incident and I thought the author did a great job of putting you in the mind of our narrator, Jazz.

I’ve read books told through letters before and I found the blog format to have a similarly refreshing tone. Jazz takes you on a journey from her early years explaining how she became friends with Jack, Tommy and Annie and how social media had slowly become a ‘slut-shaming’ tool in her Perth high school; all of which become important as the story progresses.

I’m so thankful that when I was in high school, there was no Facebook, Twitter or Snapchat because even though we didn’t do anything near as stupid or incriminating as the events in this book, we were young, dumb and thought we were invincible; similar to the characters in these books.

It’s sad to say that these kids that populate this town – the ones who share the naked photos that are circulating, the ones who call these girls sluts on Facebook and the ones who are ready to jump on any online take down are not new characters; they exist in schools world wide.

This is a confronting tale about the power of social media in today’s culture and I thought the whole issue was tackled beautifully. If you enjoy contemporaries and don’t mind some heavy topics being addressed then you should definitely pick this up. I know that after reading this I will be looking into McCaffrey’s other books.

[Helen Stower · Rating 4 out of 5]

Synopsis:
A Year 10 party mixed with booze and social media has repercussions that will change, and maybe even end lives.

SETTING: Contemporary - Western Australia

PROTAGONIST: Jasmine Lovely is a sixteen-year-old who has behaved atrociously and done the unthinkable. Now she is trying to live with herself.

STRUCTURE: This story is written as a series of blog posts. Using this structure has allowed Kate McCaffrey to capture the voice of a smart, terribly hurt teenager.

THEMES: adolescents, teen drinking, sexual abuse, social media, suicide, resilience & self-acceptance.

RECOMMENDED FOR: every teenage girl aged 14+

FAVOURITE QUOTE: “- for what are we if not the sum total of all our experience?” p.297

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

A confronting read, which deals with the very real consequences of getting drunk/stoned and not remembering what you have done. Add the tendency to capture everything and share it on film and things can and do go horribly wrong. The book certainly pulls no punches and lets everyone see the results of what happens.

[NicoleHasRead · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

Review can be found at: http://nicolehasread.blogspot.com.au/...

[Maha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been surprised by how powerful this book has been. As it’s YA fiction (and I don’t read much YA generally), I was duty-bound by my current studies to delve into the first two sections. I was sucked into this world from the Prologue. Despite being written for a younger audience, I found myself fascinated by the contemporary issues being discussed in such fiction today.

At the risk of sounding cliché, it was un-put-downable. Starting and finishing it in within 24 hours is testament to that fact.

McCaffrey handles her shocking and controversial subject matter with deftness and sophistication. Alcohol and sexual abuse serve as a trigger point for discussing a multitude of issues facing teenagers today. And despite some distressing moments in the story, she still manages to bring her characters out at the other end a little beaten by hard truths but with grace and hope for a brighter future.

I find myself delving into my own teen years long ago, wracking my brains, trying to recall if I had ever read anything so honest about these “difficult years” that we all have to face. Nothing springs to mind or has even come close… I wish there had been more writers like this back then. 🙂

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recently stumbled across Kate's young adult novels after she made a visit to my school. I was deeply entranced by her whole presence and found her blunt and honest character inspiring and hilarious at times.

After reading two of her books, destroying avalon and saving jazz I can clearly see her personality translated into her written style.

Saving Jazz centres around a 15 year old girl who has admitted to raping a girl. From the very beginning the character is remorseful and disgusted about her behaviour that led to the event of that significant night. This odd narrative from a character who was the antagonist in a sense was quite refreshing and showed a side to bullies that we don't usually consider.

The story progressed solidly and shows the difficulties that Jazz faces as she grows older. At the back of her mind, Jazz still is distraught over her actions years later. She's ashamed of her past and this is consciously present as she discusses her relationship and life at university.

Although the book dealt with real issues in society and was insightful I found many aspects to be quite unrealistic. In her later years visits to Jack in Bali seemed to neatly tie the story and leave it on a happy note.

Tommy also lacked a certain depth to me. His reasonings for sharing the photos and doing what he did seemed like an unreasonable reason. He was described earlier in the book as a twisted individual and made out to seem 'evil' by the narrator. However as Kate's story neared its end he was made out to seem like a victim of society's pressures on males about how they wanted to be seen as 'strong' amongst their peers.

Overall Saving Jazz was a pleasant read despite some minor story line and character issues. I would gladly recommend this book to friends as a light read however I believe that this story could have had so much more depth to it.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review also appears on my blog, Reading with Jenna.
I received a copy of this book for review from Fremantle Press. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Saving Jazz is a new Aussie YA novel that tackles some of the most prevalent issues in modern day society. It explores cyberbullying, rape culture, victim blaming and the way people treat each other, especially through social media. This is a really important read, especially with the ever increasing cases of sexual assault in society today, as well as objectification of women on the internet. I was reminded of the disgusting piece of news that broke a few weeks ago in Australia about a website that men and high school boys use to exchange inappropriate pictures of high school girls that they’ve stalked and taken photos of without consent. I’m glad that this book tackles issues like these and makes it relevant to the technologically advanced society today.

The book begins with the scheme of a mother trying to rescue her daughter who has just attempted suicide. The rest of the novel is then written as a series of blog posts by Jazz, the protagonist of the book. She introduces her blog and herself by describing herself as a rapist and soon it becomes clear that she’s had something to do with the attempted suicide of the girl from the first chapter. The first half of the book has a wonderfully intriguing plot, as we try to find out what happened during the night that has since been called Greenheadgate. I enjoyed this mystery aspect of the book and found myself really immersed in the story as I tried to discover what Jazz meant by ‘rape’ and how it occurred. This first half of the book was simultaneously intriguing and disturbing at the same time. The way that these teenagers treated each other and treated themselves was quite upsetting for me. The boys in the book didn’t really see girls as anything except something that was there for their enjoyment. And the girls were equally horrible to each other. They said very vicious things about each other and didn’t really consider that these were people they were talking about. It was quite distressing to read about.

However, as important as I think this book and its message is, I had a couple of things that I didn’t really like. I found it to be a little bit problematic that the girls and victims in this novel saw cyberbullying as something that will just blow over and doesn’t need to be addressed. And in a lot of cases this might be true, but this book has a focus on cyberbullying through the posting and sharing of and commenting on nude/inappropriate pictures. I thought it was slightly problematic that these girls were not concerned about their privacy being violated as much as they were angry about being talked about. This was particularly true of the events that occurred during the night of Greenheadgate. The victim was raped and had her body violated while she was unconscious and she didn’t really seem to care about that. She doesn’t report it and seems to think that all is fine if other people don’t know about it. I just had a bit of a problem with this aspect of the book.

I really enjoyed the blog post format of the book because it gave Jazz a very distinct voice but I felt like there wasn’t a clear timeline. There were no dates or time stamps included and it was sometimes hard for me to grasp when things had taken place. It wasn’t too much of a problem but there were parts that felt draggy and parts that just skipped over things quickly. It just made the transitions a bit awkward. I also thought that the last 100 pages of the novel dragged on and on forever. The mystery of what occurred on the night of the rape was revealed in the first half of the book and the rest is about how Jazz deals with the aftermath. Because of this, it felt like the climax and resolution of the story was towards the middle of the novel and the remainder of it just seemed unnecessarily long. There were one too many issues explored towards the end of the book and it just felt never-ending.

This was due in part to the fact that I don’t think Jazz’s character really developed all that much. While we do see her guilt and her remorse, and how the events of that one night has changed her life, I thought overall her character development was pretty stagnant. She’s given the easy way out, in my opinion. She’s sent away by her parents as part of her punishment but things start going uphill for her as a result of not being in that high school environment. She finds romantic love and familial love from her aunt and uncle who she’s staying with. She studies through distance education at home and gets a job that she likes. It all came across to me as Jazz getting her happily ever after as a result of her punishment, and not really because she grew a lot as a person.

I definitely enjoyed the first half of the novel a lot more than the second half but overall, despite some problems that I had with the plot, I thought this was a book with really important messages that are very relevant to the world today.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great take on the perils of social media, alcohol and living with the consequences of your decisions and actions for teens

[The Basic Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

The full review is available on The Basic Bookworm

Saving Jazz by Kate McCaffrey is a realistic fiction novel that appeals to young adult readers. I’m so happy that I picked this book up – it was so good! I read it so quickly, and couldn’t get enough.

I found the plot to be very interesting and relatable, so I found it difficult to put the book down. I just have one question: why isn’t it in the English curriculum for high school students? I would have loved to have studied this over Lord of the Flies. I would definitely recommend this to high school students, as many experience cyber-bullying (I know I have).

Character development played a significant role in the book, which was interesting. I enjoyed seeing how Jazz learned to distance herself from the bullying, while (although I didn’t enjoy reading it) Jack went from Jazz’s friend to someone she barely recognised. It gave me chills, just watching it unfold.

My favourite character was Jasmine, also known as Jazz. She was sweet, sassy, loyal (most of the time) and relatable. Her thoughts were very similar to that of an average teenage girl, especially around body image. I loved that she was a loyal friend to Jack, Annie and Casey. I just couldn’t believe that she did what she did to Annie at the party. While I was reading, I expected Aunty Jane to be my favourite character, as she proved to be supportive and played the role of Jazz’s “mum” really well! For that, she is a notable character.

[Lulu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Confronting and realistic, this novel does not shy away from the repercussions of decisions made while drunk or stoned (or both). The world of Big Brother is here and now and Jazz's story explores the fallout from the events of one terrible night. The characters, mainly young people trying to figure out where they fit in, are by turns sympathetic, vulnerable and at times unlikeable - in other words, ordinary, imperfect human beings. Although dealing with serious subjects, the writing style is deft but not heavy and the storytelling benefits from Jazz's first-person perspective and insights. The target audience is teens but parents of teens will also benefit from reading this and understanding how the unforgiving nature of social media shapes youths' behaviour.

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jazz and her friends are dealing with life in a country town in WA, and with a number of issues most teens today can relate to - trying to find their own place in the world, the constant social media presence in almost every aspect of life, partying hard and sexting. Jazz in particular is torn between the misogyny of the boys at school, especially from her friend Jack and his mate Tommy, but also her desire to fit in and look 'sexy'. One night at a party they all get drunk, Jazz finds her best friend, Annie, naked. Then the photos start to appear on social media and the fallout gets bigger and bigger.

[Michele Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book left me heartbroken, because this same scenario is happening all over Australia. Teenagers, alcohol and social media destroying young lives! This book highlights the disparity between the generations, teenagers posting everything on social media not thinking about the consequences.
Jazz is a typical teen and it shows how easy it can happen to anyone! While horrified by her actions it's easy to see how one mistake can destroy so many lives. It's well written, simple language that conveys a strong message to teens. I think this simplicity and style of writing increases it's appeal.
I would hope this is a book read by many teens.

[Jess White · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book punched me in the face, in a really great way. It sucked me in from the first sentence, and i didn't want to put it down until I'd finished. The storyline and themes are quite confronting, but definitely relevant to today's teens engaged in social media and the drama that comes alongside it. I love McCaffrey's writing, I'd read a grocery list if she wrote it, but this is definitely one of her best works.

[Tina Jameson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hard hitting. This book has a powerful warning to offer, and many parents will find it confronting with its strong language and graphic scenes of abuse and its consequences. Older teens will find it pretty riveting, though to me it came across as a rather heavy handed with the delivery of its message.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was great. Must read for young adult readers. Kate McCaffrey has done it again.

[Shreema · Rating 4 out of 5]

My rating: 4/5 stars
This book is an emotional and psychological thriller and it left my emotions in conflict.
On one hand, I felt Jazz did the wrong thing and therefore didn’t deserve to have a new, happy life, especially with Annie in the conditions that she was in. But on the other hand, I couldn’t help but feel that people change, that they deserve second chances and an opportunity to learn from their mistakes.
Through this McCaffrey shows us how we shouldn’t ignore and repress our mistakes, or let them define who we are, but try to accept them, make them a part of who we are, learn from them and become a better person by our own standards.
Although I’m still not sure whether I’m with or against this book, I sure know that I feel that McCaffrey has masterfully entwined the protagonist’s own guilt and hate for her actions, as well as her remorse and struggle to live a normal life again.
Shreema

[Xanthe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saving Jazz is one of the most confronting books I've ever read, but not just because of it's content, I'm not shocked, but because of how much this relates to me and my schooling career. I am currently a young adult and I can assure everyone that this really does happen, I've heard of it. The book is heavy hitting and difficult to get through. The misogyny and the 'slut shaming', that wall of hatred that Annie was up against made me what to reach into the book and hold her in my arms, let her sob into my shoulder and tell her everything was going to be ok. It makes me sick how much I can relate to these stories of misogyny and hatred as a woman. This book embodies my unknown feelings of going through high school as a woman. Good read, but not to be taken lightly as a book.

[Amber Crotty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel was very good. I loved how it is written as a blog-journal that is written by someones perspective of their life. The main character was a bit annoying at the beginning, but when you read throughout the book it gets better. You feel about about other characters and how it sounds familiar with other teenagers in society now.
How social medias can ruin someones life by a viral video or photo that can course a big scene of others cyber-bullying the person.
I love the author and cant wait to read her other books.

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow this book taught/reminded me of so many things. It really reminded me that you never really know a person and what they are going through. It also reminded me how, especially young people get so caught up in social media and fitting in that it literally can screw us over. I loved the personal growth that Jazz goes through, and I love how McCaffrey shows the affects that one mistake can have, and how different people turn their lives around. I feel like I can relate to Jazz in some ways.
I must admit it is not the most exciting book-but it is worth the read!

[Lori Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate McCaffrey, you've done it again. Love all her books!

[Melanie Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gee....Kate McCaffrey has done it again! I read Destroying Avalon last year and Saving Jazz this year. These books spare no detail and are brutal with reality.

[Špela Zupan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Splet, alkohol in vse pasti, ki temu sledijo. Odlično branje tako za mlade, kot za starše.

[Iza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zelo zelo lepa knjiga.

[Georgia Goode · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate McCaffrey is one of my fave authors, I do love a good trauma mixed with a bit of romance. Second time reading it was just as good as first

[Sarah Thornton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only person who can absolve someone is themself.
Three people commit a crime, and each of them find different ways of coping with it. The choices they make aren't always right, but at least they feel honest. This one will stick around a while.

Edit: a week later and I'm still thinking about this book, but mostly the privilege of the main character to just disappear and be a cute girl with a boyfriend after being such an absolute shit. She does go on a journey of redemption and self loathing but it's not satisfying somehow.

[Hannah Banks · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this because a year 9 girl was reading it and I was worried about some of the adult ideas in it and wanted her to be able to talk about it. It was an interesting read and a good insight into what teens are reading at the moment.

[Eugenia (Genie In A Book) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Thank you to Fremantle Press for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Saving Jazz is a novel which was much more intense than I was first expecting. A story which confronts the topic of sexual assault in not only the issues surrounding how it occured, but the aftermath, it just goes to show that the perpetrators are not always the 'type' you would expect. This book is one which is particularly relevant in society as we know it, where one post can spiral out of control, and it's not only the 'reputation' of a person affected at stake, but their lives also.

Jasmine was quite a complex character to say the least. She clearly feels responsible for what happened that fateful night where the unthinkable happened to one of her closest friends. It was interesting to see how the definition of 'rape' was explored in the novel, and its boundaries challenged. The format of the novel told through blog posts by Jazz herself allows us readers to really understand her side of the story, and how she in some respects, was both a perpetrator and victim. While especially towards the end a whole host of other issues raised drew attention away from the main events in the first half, I could appreciate the message about how social media can be so easily exploited, and that young women becoming objectified is more prevalent than we may think.

In all, Saving Jazz has reminded me of the likes of Risk by Fleur Ferris. If you are interested in an intense read which tackles this very real problem appearing on both the internet and reality; this is for you.

[Linley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book to illustrate the whole timeline of what could happen. Written in an easy-to-read style, yet with a serious content (for older teens). Maybe this tale could help some realise the seriousness of their actions and reactions and the effect they can have on others.

Recommended to older teens (15+) as this is not a light-hearted matter. The central character starts the story aged 16.