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14 Hollow Road
The night of the sixth-grade dance is supposed to be perfect for Maddie; she'll wear her beautiful new dress, she'll hit the dance floor with her friends, and her crush, Avery, will ask her to dance. Most importantly, she'll finally leave her tiny elementary school behind for junior high. But as the first slow song starts to play, her plans crumble. Avery asks someone else to dance instead--and then the power goes out. Huddled in the gym, Maddie and her friends are stunned to hear that a tornado has ripped through the other side of town, destroying both Maddie's and Avery's homes.
Kind neighbors open up their home to Maddie's and Avery's families, which both excites and horrifies Maddie. Sharing the same house . . . with Avery? For the entire summer? While it buys her some time to prove that Avery made the wrong choice at the dance, it also means he'll be there to witness her morning breath and her annoying little brother. Meanwhile, she must search for her beloved dog, who went missing during the tornado. At the dance, all she wanted was to be more grown-up. Now that she has no choice, is she ready for it?
Kind neighbors open up their home to Maddie's and Avery's families, which both excites and horrifies Maddie. Sharing the same house . . . with Avery? For the entire summer? While it buys her some time to prove that Avery made the wrong choice at the dance, it also means he'll be there to witness her morning breath and her annoying little brother. Meanwhile, she must search for her beloved dog, who went missing during the tornado. At the dance, all she wanted was to be more grown-up. Now that she has no choice, is she ready for it?
288 pages, Hardcover
First published June 13, 2017
33 people are currently reading
1656 people want to read
About the author
Jenn Bishop
5 books242 followersJenn Bishop is also the author of four other novels for young readers, including the Parents’ Choice Gold Award winner Things You Can’t Say. Her books have been named Junior Library Guild selections and Bank Street College of Education best books and have been finalists for state book awards. She currently calls Cincinnati, Ohio, home. What team do you think she roots for? Visit her online at jennbishop.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
June 16, 2017
Jenn Bishop wowed me with her first book, The Distance to Home. And now, after being fortunate enough to read an ARC of 14 Hollow Road, I can say that this author has most certainly earned a place on my list of writers I'll faithfully support. Give me the well-written bond between a kid and their pet and I'm hooked. Pair it with a pitch-perfect humorous voice and I'm a fan for life. Mix all of that up with the heart-wrenching story of a character dealing with loss during the most impressionable moments of their life, and you've got one special book. And 14 Hollow Road is most certainly a special book that I cannot recommend enough.
December 7, 2016
Jenn Bishop does it again! Fans of her debut, THE DISTANCE TO HOME, will be absolutely thrilled with 14 HOLLOW ROAD. The story is sweet and serious, and the characters are so realistic and relatable that I half expect to see them anytime I walk into a middle school. A wonderful second book by an amazing author!
December 15, 2016
14 Hollow Road, the latest book by Jenn Bishop, is a wonderful blend of heart and humor tucked into the life of a twelve-year-old-girl named Maddie. Maddie’s family loses their home when a tornado sweeps through their town, upending Maddie’s plans for the school dance and landing her in a neighbor’s home with her crush for the summer. Complicating things, Hank, the family dog goes missing. Throughout the story, Bishop does a wonderful job capturing the chaos and heartbreak that comes when life goes off track. Maddie will tug at your heart, as she navigates loss, friendships, and her first crush. A wonderful read!
I was given an arc of this story for an honest review.
I was given an arc of this story for an honest review.
November 16, 2016
I adored 14 HOLLOW ROAD by Jenn Bishop. The story follows Maddie's summer after her home was destroyed in a tornado. The tragedy results in Maddie and her family spending the summer in a neighbor's house. Complicating things is the fact that her crush, Avery, is also staying in the house with his family since his home was damaged in the storm. Bishop deftly balances the bittersweet moments of early middle school friendships (a trio is always tricky) and first crushes, all within the framework of a family working to put their home back together (literally). This book brought back lots of memories. I have never encountered a character who so thoroughly embodied my middle school experience with boys. Oh how I wished I had a bit more Gabriella and a little less Maddie in me. Jenn Bishop has again knocked it out of the park with her authentic, hopeful sophomore book. I was thrilled to be able to read the ARC.
June 2, 2017
This is exactly the type of middle grade I would have loved as a kid.... actually, I enjoyed it now too :)
I think middle grade readers will love the drama of the book - both from the coming of age story as well as the characters dealing with a tornado and how it changes their lives.
Jenn Bishop is definitely a writer that knows her audience!
I think middle grade readers will love the drama of the book - both from the coming of age story as well as the characters dealing with a tornado and how it changes their lives.
Jenn Bishop is definitely a writer that knows her audience!
March 19, 2017
I binge-read this book in a day. Such a wonderfully middle-grade book that leaves you smiling. Remembering those days of middle grade blues, and the small things that were absolutely the END OF THE WORLD. Because they really were. The tingly hand touches. The summertime camps. All of it. I felt like I was back in 6th grade.
In 14 Hollow Road, Maddie is crushed when her crush doesn't ask her to dance at the 6th grade dance. Instead he asks her friend. But all that is swept aside (literally) when a tornado hits their Massachusetts town (yes, Massachusetts!), and destroys her home and everything in it. Worse, she learns she'll be sharing a house with her crush for the summer, whose home was also destroyed.
What I loved most about this book is that without being preachy, it really encourages us all to see things from another's point of view. We tell our stories about what happened, but so often we are wrong. We're too limited in our view (and unwilling to broaden it) to understand the truth of a situation. Often, we aren't the only ones hurting, and those who seem to have it all, really don't. We're all just muddling through a difficult situation as best we can. And that difficult situation is called life. Well done, Ms. Bishop! Well done. :)
In 14 Hollow Road, Maddie is crushed when her crush doesn't ask her to dance at the 6th grade dance. Instead he asks her friend. But all that is swept aside (literally) when a tornado hits their Massachusetts town (yes, Massachusetts!), and destroys her home and everything in it. Worse, she learns she'll be sharing a house with her crush for the summer, whose home was also destroyed.
What I loved most about this book is that without being preachy, it really encourages us all to see things from another's point of view. We tell our stories about what happened, but so often we are wrong. We're too limited in our view (and unwilling to broaden it) to understand the truth of a situation. Often, we aren't the only ones hurting, and those who seem to have it all, really don't. We're all just muddling through a difficult situation as best we can. And that difficult situation is called life. Well done, Ms. Bishop! Well done. :)
October 31, 2016
I received an advance reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Fans of Jenn Bishop's outstanding 2016 book, THE DISTANCE TO HOME, will eagerly dive into 14 HOLLOW ROAD. Once again, Bishop invites us into the life of an endearing middle grade character during one pivotal summer.
When Maddie's home is destroyed by a tornado, her family moves in with neighbors she barely knows... and as if that's not intriguing enough, it turns out the boy she's got a major league crush on and his family are bunking there, too. Maddie does her best to navigate loss (besides her home and all of her belongings, her dog went missing right before the tornado) while finding a way to forge ahead through a summer of very confusing friendships, and ultimately realizes she's ready to face a more grown-up future filled with hope.
Jenn Bishop has a knack for nailing the emotions, viewpoints, and funny details of being twelve, not to mention her engaging writing style that pulls you in and whisks you along to the very end. Highly recommend for middle grade readers!
Fans of Jenn Bishop's outstanding 2016 book, THE DISTANCE TO HOME, will eagerly dive into 14 HOLLOW ROAD. Once again, Bishop invites us into the life of an endearing middle grade character during one pivotal summer.
When Maddie's home is destroyed by a tornado, her family moves in with neighbors she barely knows... and as if that's not intriguing enough, it turns out the boy she's got a major league crush on and his family are bunking there, too. Maddie does her best to navigate loss (besides her home and all of her belongings, her dog went missing right before the tornado) while finding a way to forge ahead through a summer of very confusing friendships, and ultimately realizes she's ready to face a more grown-up future filled with hope.
Jenn Bishop has a knack for nailing the emotions, viewpoints, and funny details of being twelve, not to mention her engaging writing style that pulls you in and whisks you along to the very end. Highly recommend for middle grade readers!
December 12, 2016
Bishop's first novel, THE DISTANCE TO HOME, was one of my favorite reads of 2016. She's done a wonderful job again with 14 HOLLOW ROAD. The story takes us along with Maddie and her family as they face a big, unexpected challenge. I'm sure many kids will identify with the main character and will love the supporting cast as well!
I received an advance reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received an advance reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 10, 2017
I am such a huge fan of Jenn Bishop books! I loved her first novel, THE DISTANCE TO HOME, and I am happy to say that I also loved her newest book, 14 HOLLOW ROAD!
Middle school is hard enough - changing friends, changing bodies, changing emotions - without a tornado destroying your home. But that's exactly what happens to Maddie when, on the night of the sixth-grade dance, a tornado blows through town and ruins her home along with several others. To make things worse, her dog, Hank, also goes missing.
Maddie and her family have to move in with a neighbor for the summer while they rebuild. BUT they're not the only family moving in - so is the family of her crush, Avery. Ahh!!!
I love how Bishop explored the shifting dynamics of friendships in this book. Maddie's friend Kiersten has a new friend and Maddie feels replaced. It was a very honest portrayal of what middle schoolers feel. I also felt that the portrayal of life after this natural disaster was so well done - Maddie is upset and her family had to deal with this upheaval, but Maddie's other problems (crushes, friends, jealousy) felt so big to her, too. Life continued to go on for her and she had to find a way to deal with her problems after facing such a big loss.
I also love a book with a great dog and Hank is a GREAT dog. I also liked the cat cameos and any book that mentions Taylor Swift and her cats is one I'm going to love.
I am so, so excited for readers to find this book. I also can't wait to see what Bishop writes next. Absolutely recommend this to middle school readers, their teachers and librarians. Get this for your classroom library!
Middle school is hard enough - changing friends, changing bodies, changing emotions - without a tornado destroying your home. But that's exactly what happens to Maddie when, on the night of the sixth-grade dance, a tornado blows through town and ruins her home along with several others. To make things worse, her dog, Hank, also goes missing.
Maddie and her family have to move in with a neighbor for the summer while they rebuild. BUT they're not the only family moving in - so is the family of her crush, Avery. Ahh!!!
I love how Bishop explored the shifting dynamics of friendships in this book. Maddie's friend Kiersten has a new friend and Maddie feels replaced. It was a very honest portrayal of what middle schoolers feel. I also felt that the portrayal of life after this natural disaster was so well done - Maddie is upset and her family had to deal with this upheaval, but Maddie's other problems (crushes, friends, jealousy) felt so big to her, too. Life continued to go on for her and she had to find a way to deal with her problems after facing such a big loss.
I also love a book with a great dog and Hank is a GREAT dog. I also liked the cat cameos and any book that mentions Taylor Swift and her cats is one I'm going to love.
I am so, so excited for readers to find this book. I also can't wait to see what Bishop writes next. Absolutely recommend this to middle school readers, their teachers and librarians. Get this for your classroom library!
November 6, 2016
This book, man. It made me tear up (in public) — then laugh out loud a few chapters later.
Maddie's family lost their home in a freak tornado that decimated their neighborhood, and now she has to live with neighbors while their house is rebuilt. In the same house as her secret crush, who also lost his family home in the same tornado.
Meanwhile she's struggling with friendship issues and strange power of crushes under the overreaching horror of losing everything. This book shows a character facing both the big things that happen in life and the smaller realities of being a young person, and is a great read for middle school students balancing so many issues in their own lives.
(I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review)
Maddie's family lost their home in a freak tornado that decimated their neighborhood, and now she has to live with neighbors while their house is rebuilt. In the same house as her secret crush, who also lost his family home in the same tornado.
Meanwhile she's struggling with friendship issues and strange power of crushes under the overreaching horror of losing everything. This book shows a character facing both the big things that happen in life and the smaller realities of being a young person, and is a great read for middle school students balancing so many issues in their own lives.
(I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review)
November 27, 2017
This book is just so wonderful. It takes you deep but also gives you moments to breathe and smile. Great portrayal of family, friendship, CRUSHES that actually crush, and all of it so perfectly placed in the aftermath of a tornado. Jenn Bishop weaves the world of an almost middle-schooler with all the sticky awkwardness and does so with HEART.
September 13, 2017
This novel of recovery is a good pick for readers trying to wrap their minds around what's ahead for the people affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.
May 21, 2017
No, seriously, this book is amazing! I read it aloud to my 5th grade class and they NEVER wanted me to stop. Even to go to recess. They already want a sequel. I cannot say enough good things about this book. Go get a copy now.
June 18, 2017
I love Jenn Bishop's writing and 14 Hollow Road does not disappoint. A beautifully-written tale about the aftermath of a tornado and its impact on the life of our heroine, Maddie. This coming-of-age story is beautifully told, woven with a mixture of regret, grief, longing, and the awkwardness that is the hallmark of the age. I loved Maddie and her friends so much, and the pain and frustration of her interactions with her first crush and childhood friend, Avery, are fantastically developed. An amazing sophomore novel!
June 30, 2017
Loved this sophomore novel by Jenn Bishop. Such a great depiction of having a crush, and the turmoil of growing up is so perfectly mirrored in the tornado.
May 6, 2017
When you're a tween, you're old enough to understand that the world can be a tragic place, yet you're young enough not to be able to separate the significant from the trivial. You live in terror that your math teacher is going to "yell" at you because you went to the bathroom before class or that you aren't a good writer because your English teacher is always reminding you to indent your paragraphs. You are just beginning to understand the secret code of adults, but you are young enough to believe that your true love awaits you at the middle school dance.
I teach and talk to middle school students for dozens of hours a week and and well over a thousand hours a year. I read about 150 middle grades and young adult titles each year and maintain a classroom library with approximately 1000 books, give or take (I give, they take.) I like to think of myself as closer to the adolescent psyche than most reader-reviewers, and I can confidently say that Jenn Bishop is nearly peerless when it comes to capturing early teen characters we can all relate to, whether it's because we want to be friends with her, because we cringe to remember when we were just like her, or a little bit of both. I'd compare Jenn's honest and thorough portrayal of the early adolescent experience in The Distance to Home and now 14 Hollow Road as on par with Raina Telgemeier's books. Her book, 14 Hollow Road, is easy to put into any reader's hands.
14 Hollow Road is unusual in that it is set across a backdrop of grief and hardship, a grief and hardship that our main character Maddie is often a little too self-involved to see. Maddie and the quintessential boy-down-the-street Avery's homes get destroyed in an unprecedented tornado, and both families are taken in by a neighbor. Maddie goes from mourning the loss of her house and her missing dog to wondering what it will be like to share a home with her crush: how will she poop with him in the house? When he sat next to her on the bus that day, what did he mean by it? Did he realize he was holding her hand when they learned they lost the house?
Avery, for his part, is just about everything a reader could ask for in a crush. He's academic, he's charming, and he's generous, and yet he doesn't sound or act older than his age or like a Prince Charming come to life. Whereas Maddie's family seems to have a plan for getting back on their feet, it's Avery and Avery's family who spends some time floundering. Bishop allows Maddie some awareness of what's going on in Avery's life and uses this secret to provide us with some emotional intimacy between Avery and Maddie. Perhaps the biggest tragedy of all for us hopeless romantics is that Maddie isn't old enough yet to realize when she needs to spend more time listening to friends and less time wrapped up in her own internal drama. If she listened, she'd achieve real emotional intimacy and not some kind of faux-romance pipe dream she imagines she could have with Avery.
In the meantime, Avery's longtime best friend, Kiersten, becomes close to new girl Gabriella. Gabriella appears to have a thing for Avery, and this "thing" drives Maddie to attempt to bring Avery back by wooing him at a pool party using what she's learned from flirting tutorials on YouTube. Losing her house is one thing, losing her dog is another, but Maddie can't bear the thought of losing her best friend AND her crush to the same girl. She attempts some small-time revenge and simmers her jealousies deeply.
Maddie spends much of this story jealous of others' real and imagined possessions when it's clear that she has something neither Kiersten nor Gabriella do: two loving and supportive parents. Maddie also has the benefit of stability and parents who have a can-do attitude towards the tornado that took away most of their belongings.
This book will give readers young and old plenty to think about when it comes to what really matters in relationships and why you should never play Taylor Swift on full blast.
I teach and talk to middle school students for dozens of hours a week and and well over a thousand hours a year. I read about 150 middle grades and young adult titles each year and maintain a classroom library with approximately 1000 books, give or take (I give, they take.) I like to think of myself as closer to the adolescent psyche than most reader-reviewers, and I can confidently say that Jenn Bishop is nearly peerless when it comes to capturing early teen characters we can all relate to, whether it's because we want to be friends with her, because we cringe to remember when we were just like her, or a little bit of both. I'd compare Jenn's honest and thorough portrayal of the early adolescent experience in The Distance to Home and now 14 Hollow Road as on par with Raina Telgemeier's books. Her book, 14 Hollow Road, is easy to put into any reader's hands.
14 Hollow Road is unusual in that it is set across a backdrop of grief and hardship, a grief and hardship that our main character Maddie is often a little too self-involved to see. Maddie and the quintessential boy-down-the-street Avery's homes get destroyed in an unprecedented tornado, and both families are taken in by a neighbor. Maddie goes from mourning the loss of her house and her missing dog to wondering what it will be like to share a home with her crush: how will she poop with him in the house? When he sat next to her on the bus that day, what did he mean by it? Did he realize he was holding her hand when they learned they lost the house?
Avery, for his part, is just about everything a reader could ask for in a crush. He's academic, he's charming, and he's generous, and yet he doesn't sound or act older than his age or like a Prince Charming come to life. Whereas Maddie's family seems to have a plan for getting back on their feet, it's Avery and Avery's family who spends some time floundering. Bishop allows Maddie some awareness of what's going on in Avery's life and uses this secret to provide us with some emotional intimacy between Avery and Maddie. Perhaps the biggest tragedy of all for us hopeless romantics is that Maddie isn't old enough yet to realize when she needs to spend more time listening to friends and less time wrapped up in her own internal drama. If she listened, she'd achieve real emotional intimacy and not some kind of faux-romance pipe dream she imagines she could have with Avery.
In the meantime, Avery's longtime best friend, Kiersten, becomes close to new girl Gabriella. Gabriella appears to have a thing for Avery, and this "thing" drives Maddie to attempt to bring Avery back by wooing him at a pool party using what she's learned from flirting tutorials on YouTube. Losing her house is one thing, losing her dog is another, but Maddie can't bear the thought of losing her best friend AND her crush to the same girl. She attempts some small-time revenge and simmers her jealousies deeply.
Maddie spends much of this story jealous of others' real and imagined possessions when it's clear that she has something neither Kiersten nor Gabriella do: two loving and supportive parents. Maddie also has the benefit of stability and parents who have a can-do attitude towards the tornado that took away most of their belongings.
This book will give readers young and old plenty to think about when it comes to what really matters in relationships and why you should never play Taylor Swift on full blast.
March 1, 2017
Another winner from Bishop! Review to come!!!
January 30, 2017
If I can be cheesy here for a moment and just say that this 14 Hollow Road is the perfect storm of a book: relatable characters, consistent tension that keeps you wondering what's next, and a nice balance of family vs boy crush make this a satisfying middle grade read.
12 year-old Maddie is "everygirl": worried about her hair and dress for a dance, equally annoyed and in love with her younger brother, a tad selfish in thinking more about herself than the dog eating dinner, and dealing with the insecurity of a new girl stealing her best friend. All that "normalness" comes to a halt when a tornado hits her town and destroys not only her house, but also her crush's house, forcing them to live together with a neighbor.
Middle school is when the bloom comes off the rose for many kids—they realize: the world isn't fair, adults are not super-human, and life doesn't always end with happily ever after.
This is not to say that 14 HOLLOW ROAD doesn't have a happy ending, it does...well, for some plot lines, but for other plot lines, not everything turns out the way Maddie and her friends would like. Which is what makes this book so fitting for this age range as readers will be going through similar situations/feelings themselves. And hopefully, like Maddie and Avery, readers will realize that even when the worst things happen, you'll survive—a little older, a little wiser and tougher, but still standing.
With family and friends by your side, not even a freak tornado can take you down for good.
12 year-old Maddie is "everygirl": worried about her hair and dress for a dance, equally annoyed and in love with her younger brother, a tad selfish in thinking more about herself than the dog eating dinner, and dealing with the insecurity of a new girl stealing her best friend. All that "normalness" comes to a halt when a tornado hits her town and destroys not only her house, but also her crush's house, forcing them to live together with a neighbor.
Middle school is when the bloom comes off the rose for many kids—they realize: the world isn't fair, adults are not super-human, and life doesn't always end with happily ever after.
This is not to say that 14 HOLLOW ROAD doesn't have a happy ending, it does...well, for some plot lines, but for other plot lines, not everything turns out the way Maddie and her friends would like. Which is what makes this book so fitting for this age range as readers will be going through similar situations/feelings themselves. And hopefully, like Maddie and Avery, readers will realize that even when the worst things happen, you'll survive—a little older, a little wiser and tougher, but still standing.
With family and friends by your side, not even a freak tornado can take you down for good.
May 19, 2020
OH MY LORD!!!! Jenn Bishop is truly an amazing author! She wowed and thrilled me with The Distance to Home, but THIS, this was AMAZING!!! Through the roof!!!
January 21, 2017
Maddie has big plans. She's going to dance with her long time crush, Avery, at the sixth-grade dance. She's going to hang with her best friend Kiersten all summer and get ready for the big shift to Junior High. But during the dance, Maddie's world starts to crumble in big and small ways. Avery chooses someone else to dance with and when the power goes out, they find out that a tornado has blown through town, taking her house along with it. Her dog, Hank, goes missing in the storm.
Now, Maddie finds herself on the losing side of things. House gone, dog gone, best friend spending time with a new friend, and her crush sleeping under the same roof while they try to rebuild. She's so close, she's perpetually in the friend zone. Will her life ever get back to normal? And will she want it to if it does?
This gorgeous summer tale emphasizes girlhood bonds, growth in discomfort and the inevitable heartache that goes with youthful dreams meeting hard reality. This will hit the spot with fans of The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall , Summer of the Gypsy Moths by Sara Pennypacker, Water Balloon by Audrey Vernick and Gertie's Leap to Greatness by Kate Beasley.
Now, Maddie finds herself on the losing side of things. House gone, dog gone, best friend spending time with a new friend, and her crush sleeping under the same roof while they try to rebuild. She's so close, she's perpetually in the friend zone. Will her life ever get back to normal? And will she want it to if it does?
This gorgeous summer tale emphasizes girlhood bonds, growth in discomfort and the inevitable heartache that goes with youthful dreams meeting hard reality. This will hit the spot with fans of The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall , Summer of the Gypsy Moths by Sara Pennypacker, Water Balloon by Audrey Vernick and Gertie's Leap to Greatness by Kate Beasley.
November 27, 2017
14 Hollow Road perfectly captures the voice of middle school! I was instantly transported back to junior high!
Maddie thought a middle crush was the worst of her problems until her town & house are hit by a tornado. Now she’s living with a neighbor and her crush! To make matters worse she’s having trouble with best friend as well. Filled with drama, suspense & lots of hope this a wonderful story that kids will surely connect with. I purchased two copies for my 5th grade classroom library.
Maddie thought a middle crush was the worst of her problems until her town & house are hit by a tornado. Now she’s living with a neighbor and her crush! To make matters worse she’s having trouble with best friend as well. Filled with drama, suspense & lots of hope this a wonderful story that kids will surely connect with. I purchased two copies for my 5th grade classroom library.
June 15, 2017
A phenomenal follow up to THE DISTANCE TO HOME. I jumped into the ARC of Jenn Bishop's latest without reading any summaries. Every event in the story made a new knot in my stomach as I felt for the characters who just wanted to literally and metaphorically return to their homes. Bishop also shows a wonderful sense of kid humor, so you're never too far from a healthy laugh to get you through the sad moments. Five emotional stars for another winner by Jenn Bishop!
June 12, 2017
As her sixth grade year comes to an end with a class dance, Maddie is excited about all the possibilities the summer holds. But she's also hoping that her classmate and friend Avery will dance with her, and their friendship will turn into a romance. But Avery ends up dancing with Gabriella, a recent transfer student, and a tornado interrupts the dance. Suddenly, the little things that Maddie has been worrying about seem to lose their importance as her family's home has been damaged in the tornado and the family dog, Hank, is missing. When two neighbors open their own home for Maddie's family and for Avery's, Maddie has mixed feelings about being around Avery all the time. The author does a good job of capturing all the drama and confusion associated with middle school and relationships as one friend feels replaced by another one and much misunderstanding swirls throughout the atmosphere. Maddie isn't perfect by any means, and she makes plenty of mistakes and often jumps to the wrong conclusions, but most middle grade readers will be able to relate to her experiences and feelings. The story is particularly strong in its description of what it's like to lose many of the objects that seem so important as the result of a disaster. I was touched by Avery's methodical search for Hank, something that Maddie didn't realize that he was even doing but something that showed how he felt about her. Sometimes actions truly do speak louder than words. I was touched by the story and would certainly include it in a classroom collection to provide solace and raise awareness about how challenging it can be to cope with losses such as the ones the characters faced in the book. Who knew that tornadoes ever occurred in a place such as Massachusetts? Balancing pathos with humor effectively as Maddie tries to learn how to flirt from online tutorials, the author has written a book that may provide readers with a road map of how to navigate friendships in the proper way.
June 22, 2017
Oh the memories of junior high this brings back--and living in tornado alley, this really hits home with some of the near misses I have had with tornadoes--the apartment building I lived in one year in college that was destroyed by a tornado the day after I moved out, a year ago Christmas with intense tornado devastation about 6 miles from where I live. And thanks, Jenn, for the acknowledgement. Our BFYA group was really special.
June 16, 2017
This was one of those books you could easily sit and binge read in one satisfying gulp. I try not to do that though because I'm always sad when they're over! I would love another book with Maddie in it so I can find out how 7th grade turned out, but I have a feeling it went great. 😃
October 23, 2017
Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book. As always, all opinions are my own.
In 14 Hollow Road, author Jenn Bishop has written an extremely readable novel that I’m certain will have many tween readers on the edge of their seats. Although most young people won’t have to experience the loss of life and property that a tornado can bring, they will likely relate to Maddie’s other uncertainties as she transitions to middle school. In addition to living down the hall from her middle school crush (eek!), Maddie struggles with evolving relationships and friendship drama that will feel familiar to many readers.
Despite the ups and downs and mistakes made by all the characters along the way, none of the middle schoolers are categorically unpleasant. In a genre that is too often overtaken by “mean girls,” it was refreshing to read a book about nice kids who sometimes make mistakes.
One shortcoming of the book is that the author used the device of the tornado to create tension between Maddie and Avery rather than to truly explore what would happens to the young people in the aftermath of the disaster. The tornado-related drama between characters sometimes felt forced, with the parents frequently dismissing Maddie’s concerns at times when her concerns were more than normal (e.g., why didn’t any member of Maddie’s family try harder to find the dog?).
Overall, 14 Hollow Road entertained me until the end. I would recommend it to older middle grade readers who are ready for innocent romantic themes.
In 14 Hollow Road, author Jenn Bishop has written an extremely readable novel that I’m certain will have many tween readers on the edge of their seats. Although most young people won’t have to experience the loss of life and property that a tornado can bring, they will likely relate to Maddie’s other uncertainties as she transitions to middle school. In addition to living down the hall from her middle school crush (eek!), Maddie struggles with evolving relationships and friendship drama that will feel familiar to many readers.
Despite the ups and downs and mistakes made by all the characters along the way, none of the middle schoolers are categorically unpleasant. In a genre that is too often overtaken by “mean girls,” it was refreshing to read a book about nice kids who sometimes make mistakes.
One shortcoming of the book is that the author used the device of the tornado to create tension between Maddie and Avery rather than to truly explore what would happens to the young people in the aftermath of the disaster. The tornado-related drama between characters sometimes felt forced, with the parents frequently dismissing Maddie’s concerns at times when her concerns were more than normal (e.g., why didn’t any member of Maddie’s family try harder to find the dog?).
Overall, 14 Hollow Road entertained me until the end. I would recommend it to older middle grade readers who are ready for innocent romantic themes.
July 5, 2017
Really enjoyed this book and will definitely share with my upper elementary girls.
November 12, 2024
This was too cringe for me. I also didn’t really like any of the characters.
November 5, 2017
On a student’s recommendation, I read this. She lead me right! What a great story!
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