It’s bad enough that Nick’s sister is dead, and, in some bizarre attempt to force him to confront his grief, his parents are shipping him off to Jesus camp. But he’s also being followed around by Jack Kerouac, who’s incredibly annoying for a genius.
If arguing with a dead beat poet doesn’t qualify him for antipsychotics already, Nick’s pretty sure Eden Springs is going to drive him insane. The campers ride donkeys into the desert, snap selfies with counselors dressed as disciples, and replace song lyrics with Bible verses. And somehow, only Nick seems to find this strange.
Worst of all is the PC Box, into which the campers gleefully place daily prayers and confessions. With Jack nagging him to do it, Nick scribbles down his darkest secret—about his sister’s death—and drops it in the box.
But then the box is stolen, with Nick’s secret inside of it. And when campers’ confessions start appearing around the camp, Nick is desperate to get the box back—before the world learns the truth about what he did. The truth he can’t even face himself.
Laugh-out-loud funny, surreal, and insightful, this is an unforgettable novel about the strangeness of life, death, and grief—and the even stranger things people do to cope.
Erica Sage is an author and English teacher who lives in Washington State with her family. When not reading and writing, she loves to hike and garden.
Her young adult novel JACKED UP was published by Sky Pony Press.
She also writes short fiction. Her story "Starling" , published by Indie It Press, was nominated for the Pushcart Prize. Other stories include "The Watch", also published by Indie It Press, as well as "Dinner Time" and "The Collective", published by Underland Press. Her most recent story "What Looms in the Hollows" was published by The Quiet Ones.
I was seated in the aisle seat on a full flight north bound to Seattle, tears streaming down my cheeks as I read the final chapters of "Jacked Up" by Erica Sage. I was caught by surprise to have this emotional reaction, after all it has been several decades since I myself was caught up in a teenage drama scene. I found myself reliving my days at summer camps, and school, feeling like an outsider, feeling alone and wanting to be invisible to avoid unfriendly encounters. The various characters portrayed in the kids at camp were not unlike like the kids from my youth. By the end of the book I was able to see well past the labels and stereotypes placed on them. I felt a compassionate connection and understanding for each of them as well as for the tormentors of my own past. I think this book can, in a fun way, raise awareness and evoke compassion in all who read it. The story has humor, mystery, and drama as well a general message of acceptance. I am recommending it to my teenage boys and their friends. As for being invisible, apparently, I am still not achieving that, my tears must have been spotted by the nice young man in the window seat who insisted on paying for my wine that flight. Thank you.
What a crazy book! Jacked Up is a uncontrollable snort laugher inducing, hypocrisy identifying, gut punching, grammar fixing, donkey jokes kind of crazy book. With all the finesse and humour of its authentic male narrator, Jacked Up is an upfront and honest novel that delves into the aftermath of suicide, grief, and guilt, in a way that is easy to read and lots of fun.
In the wake of his sister’s suicide, Nick’s parents are sending him to Bible Camp. Sure it is the last place on Earth that could help him, especially considering the soul-eating secrets he is hiding, Nick is reluctant at first. Arriving at the camp only increases his doubts - are these people serious with their Bible character dress-up selfie moments, donkey lotteries, and box of prayers and confessions? But when the PC box goes missing, containing Nick’s biggest secret, he will do anything to get it back.
I jumped into Jacked Up with little prior knowledge of its aspirations as a novel. And it totally surprised me. There were so many fun moments. Nick is an awesome narrator and totally realistic of a teenage boy. And the book doesn’t shy away from anything - coarse language, sexual references, innuendo, jokes of every description. Honestly, I’m not sure there is a teen boy (or maybe girl) alive who wouldn’t love to read this book. Unless you consider those who might be offended by it.... And let’s face it, there are many people who might be offended by the revealing of this teenage boy’s mind.
Set almost entirely at Bible Camp, Nick doesn’t waste a moment pointing out the hypocrisy he spots and things with which he disagrees. And in doing so, Jacked Up raises a very valid point about judgment and the use of various value codes and rules in that judgment. One of my favourite quotes is “Nick, don’t let man’s rules and religion get in the way of the divine mysteries of the universe.” And for all Nick’s ridicule of the believers attending the camp, Jacked Up actually does a good job of separating the flaws of man from the beliefs they hold. Another particularly strong message in the book was in regards to the treatment of one of the female characters. Nick notes the judgment others pile upon her, notes his own culpability as both a witness and as someone who doesn’t speak up against it. Hopefully the message of the horrid unfairness and hypocrisy of this judgement shines clearly from the story. The sporadic inclusion of the confessions of the other characters also helps the reader step outside of Nick’s viewpoint, allowing the reader to examine the other characters in fresh ways.
But layered under all the other themes that Jacked Up touches upon, the aftermath and resulting grief and guilt of suicide is the most poignant topic that Jacked Up raises. Again, nothing is held back, and as the reader slowly pieces together Nick’s story, as the final secret is laid bare, and as Nick gains some release and power from the simple act of sharing his story, the powerful message of removing stigma and judgment around suicide is revealed.
At once both hilariously funny and totally heartbreaking, Jacked Up is an easy-to-read and approachable novel. Though some may find it wildly offensive, its honesty and humour make it a book I can happily recommend.
The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.
Find more reviews, reading age guides, content advisory, and recommendations on my blog Madison's Library.
This book will leave you "Jacked up" with emotion. I feel the message or main idea of this book is to not dwell on the past and to move on. this book is about a boy whose been through a tough loss, whose parents send him to Jesus camp though he's an atheist. this leaves him angry and confused though he learned a lot there, meets a girl. and pulls off camp pranks all followed by the ghost of famous writer Jack Kerouac. Jacked up was a fantastic book, leaving me wanting to read more every time I'd put it down. This book is the perfect amount of heart warming, and emotional. this read is well worth it, the characters have so much depth and the author does a perfect job making them sound like the young adults they are in the story. I find the implication of Jack Kerouac was very well done especially at the end. the character development was just phenomenal. If you have the time make sure to check this book out you wont regret it, though it may leave you a little, well "Jacked up".
Jacked Up had my emotions just that, jacked up! The characters in this book captured my heart and flooded my emotions. I felt deeply connected with the author. I laughed, I cried, I laughed and then cried some more. I had lumps in my throat, tears running down my cheeks and parts of it made me feel down right sick (only because I was living each emotion with every character). Jacked Up delves into some very personal and truly emotional life experiences such as suicide, addiction, homosexuality, abuse, teen pregnancy, gut wrenching guilt and the gossip/rumor mills of everyday life. I feel blessed to have been given the opportunity to read this book. I loved it and all the laughter & emotions it put me through.
What a gorgeous debut novel. Nick's narrative of loss and uncertainty could certainly be another hackneyed YA tale. Instead, Nick is pursued by the ridiculous and wise ghost of Jack Kerouac, dumped into the outlandish antics of an over-the-top church camp, and somehow learns acceptance and forgiveness along the way. Sage beautifully embeds humor into heartache, and intertwines laugh-out-loud moments with poignant ones. I enjoyed every page.
I am a 15 year old boy who is in to humor and fiction, so I was excited to get to read the ARC. When I read this book, it had the comedy aspect, but it also actually meant something. It was sad, but happy at the same time. If you read the author's note at the end, it says that the events were inspired by real life experiences. It is amusing yet depressing to go back through the story and try and think of the events through the author's point of view. This book feels as if it is filled with pain, yet it is not painful to read. The Jesus Camp setting is funny, and so are all the people who are there. My favorite character was Matthew because I can relate to him as a teenage boy. I liked how the author included Jack Kerouac because it was someone the main character Nick could confide in, and it made the story more interesting. I would heavily recommend this book to high schoolers, especially if you do not enjoy reading very much. It's a quick fun read.
I love a good grief book, throw in conversations with a dead author and an interesting setting, and it should be a solid winner for me.
There were parts of this book I loved so much. There was a lot of humor, great characters, and some awesome banter. There was also some really painful and beautiful moments shared with us, but I always struggle when an author outwardly hates on a group of individuals. Sage's distaste for conservatives and Republicans is quite obvious. I would let a comment slide, but as soon as I found myself enjoying the story, she would throw another comment in there, and it sort of detracted from my enjoyment.
Regardless, I loved Nick and I was so invested in his story, that I did read to the end. I was happy that he was able to deal with his guilt and pain, and that he gained a little perspective on many things during his journey.
The ARCs aren’t even out yet on this book, but I was fortunate enough to “know a guy” and really enjoyed this final manuscript I read. As a teacher I loved the engaging pacing, realistic approach, and humorous, tight, witty dialogue. Either “write what you know” was a guiding maxim here, or else the author is an exceptional student of teen behavior. Either way, I’d recommend this to my English students for sure.
So I really think that I found a new favorite book. This book is solo complicated and simple at the same time, and that makes me love it. This book follows Nick who is grieving the death of his sister, and haunted by the ghost of Jack Kerouac. During this grief, he is sent to Christian Camp where he is blamed for a prank gone wrong. This book has trigger warnings for suicide, drug usage, sexism and sexual harassment.
This book was hilarious! I laughed so much! It had a good plot, I loved the characters- so so Jacked up- literally. As a Christian reading this I found it very insightful too. Some themes were disturbing and borderline disrespectful BUT it's not something we don't hear on a daily anyway...the book was fantastic!
Jacked Up unleashes a smart, sarcastic, and even cynical look on life. What else would you expect from a teenage boy's point of view? The characters are real. The stereotypes are challenged. The lessons are both covertly and overtly exposed. Anyone from the age of 14 and up will be able to relate to at least one of the characters if not the protagonist, Nick who is sent to a Jesus Camp to help "work through" his grief after his older sister dies. Although her death isn't in the forefront of the story, it's the catalyst for Nick to discover vital truths about life and death, a timeless theme. Be prepared to laugh, possibly cry, and maybe even cringe as you read Jacked Up!
Jacked Up was a great young adult book, with some adult language, with a bit of good spirits, and with an unforeseen ending. The main character, Nick, is trailed by the ghost of Jack Kerouac after his sister's death. His parents take Charlotte's idea, and send him to Jesus camp. He makes some friends, pulls some pranks, and loves grammar entirely too much. The beginning started a little slow, but I was into the book as soon as he got to Jesus Camp.
It was one of the most enthralling books I have had the privilege to read in a while. Sage uses a good mix of humor and sadness to keep the reader's attention, but feel sorry for the character. There was also a lot of gossiping, hard feelings, and friendship issues. She gives the main character a hard ball of guilt to deal with, but a lot of hope to help. I would recommend reading this book.
Jacked Up, Is a book written by my current English language arts teacher Erica Sage. The book Jacked Up is about A boy named Nick who, Basically has a lot of problems in his life. His parents try to find a way to help their boy out but if you didn't know Nick is pretty much your average teen jerk who doesn't care about anyone or anything except about themselves. The book Jacked up a sarcastic yet comedy with real life events with serious issues, the book is written like the mind of a teenage boy. It still fascinates me that Erica Sage was able to go so in depth and was able to Literally become the main character.
The book Jacked Up is about a boy named Nick who is trying to avoid going to a church camp which he refers to as “Jesus camp”. The reason he is being sent away in the first place is because his sister had passed away. He was not sad nor happy, more like it didn't bother him, his parents had decided to send him to church camp, the same as his sister had gone to. In the camp he faces a lot of obstacles and simply just doesn't feel comfortable with being there. In the camp he feels nervous and doesn't like it due to the fact that it reminds him of his sister.
I think this book is really good. I think someone who likes a good comedy book that will have you laughing and crying should read this book. I genuinely really liked this book. It was well written and had the great mindset of a teenage boy. Although I would have liked some more emotion, I understand where the author was writing in the perspective of a teenage boy. Nowadays teenagers don't like to show emotion so I completely agree with the way the author wrote the book although some more emotion would have been nice. So things I love about this book is well placed in time. I think it fits in with this time's generation perfectly.
Overall Jacked up is a pretty good book. It's really entertaining and makes you want to keep reading, even for people who normally don't like to read like me. I see a lot of what Erica Sage teaches her 8th grade students in the book which is pretty cool.
This book is a must read, it has all the great elements, comedy, sadness, and anything else you can think of! Jacked Up by Erica Sage is on the top of my list of best books, it can be read repeatedly without getting old. If you need something to read, or even if you don’t, pick up this book and start reading! This book is about Nick going to a bible camp, which he nicknames Jesus Camp. At the beginning of the book, you find out that Nick’s sister died by suicide. On the bus to Jesus Camp Nick must get out and trek the last little bit. Later at Jesus camp he encounters a big problem, but also makes a new friend. He develops a crush on a girl, helps her with her problems, and finally solves his own problems. This book will appeal mostly to teens and young adults, but in my opinion, it is a great read for all ages. The author, Erica Sage, is a middle school teacher, and all her students love her. Her book is funny, interesting, and helps a lot of kids finally have fun reading. The book also is great for reviews or projects because the details just stick with you. The weakness of the book is the first chapter is a little hard to get into. My overall impression of the book is that it is a funny, action packed read that you can just sink into. I finished this 267-page book in just under two days, I just couldn’t put it down. I really hope Erica Sage writes another book. This book is a must read, and a must re-read, congrats to Erica Sage on her amazing novel.
This is a story that tosses the reader into the life of a kid caught within the quagmire of mourning, and who is being irritated by Jack Kerouac's ghostly appearances. If that wasn't enough, he is sent off to a summer camp swarming with quirky Jesus followers. Wait for it. Then the box containing the intimate confessions and prayers of everyone at camp, including his, has been stolen-–and soon the confessions begin to be posted in camp. “Jacked Up” deals with tough issues that could take a perfectly stable-minded reader and render them into a depressing heap of emotional empathy. Instead, she gives us a story of a regular kid dealing with some tough stuff. By salting the tale with a bit laughter, and a lot of hope, she shows how making connections and being a friend can make all the difference in the world.
I read this book in two days, obnoxiously keeping my significant other up late into the evenings on work nights. Worth it. Erica’s characters are beautifully developed and their story is poignant and so relatable to the YA audience. She captures perfectly the internal turmoil that is adolescence and delivers a story that I found full of hope, self-discovery, and recovery without feeling beaten over the head by it. Her wit shines through in the dialogue (internal and otherwise) providing a nice balance and accessibility to some of the heavier topics she addresses. Highly recommend this debut novel to adults and young adults and hope to see more from the author in the future.
I was hooked on this book from the start. Maybe it’s because I’m from the very area the main character is from, or maybe because the Jesus Camp brings back funny, happy memories of my own experiences in the middle of desert Oregon, but this book spoke to me. Erica Sage deals with tough, heartbreaking family tragedies in such a wise and tactful way. I recommend this book to anyone who loves young adult books that deal with real stuff, not superficial stuff.
Very creative - enjoyed the dry humor, the book marginalization, the characters. Had read on recommendation - consideration for my next bookclub pick - I think most would find entertaining but would be more appreciated by young adults.
A powerful story of suicide and redemption. This book treats youth-group culture in a way I've never seen before -- that is, realistically. It neither tries to convert nor discredit, but rather ingeniously considers all on the believer-to-skeptic spectrum. A terrific read for any reader of YA.
I loved the humor and general snarkiness of this book. It deals with serious life questions in a fresh and thought provoking way. I enjoyed reading it.
Do you like sad stories or reading about drama mabey death? Well Jacked up is the story for you. Jacked up is a beautiful story by The Famous Erica Sage. Jacked up is a story about a kid named Nicolas. Nicolas is trying to get over his sister's death. Nicolas gets sent to a christian camp by his parents to help Nicolas get over his sister’s death. He is followed by a ghost called Jack Kerouak. A confessions box was stolen and the entire book is about who stole it I think that someone who likes a good solid sad story should read this book because it is sad and funny. I also think that Jacked up is a good book because of the good storytelling and real life feel. The weakness is that the place that the story takes place makes sense but could be alot better. Like perhaps an insane asylum or a game from the movie “SAW”. My overall opinion on Jacked Up is GREAT, just AWESOME. A sad story about a kid that lost his sister . A book made for laughter A book by The Famous Erica Sage.
When was the last time I read an entire book on one sitting? 10 years ago? 20? When was the last time a work of fiction compelled me to highlight phrases because they struck my heart?
Jacked Up was the book for me. Compelling and entertaining, for sure. But more than that.
Where do you find a YA novel that dives deep into the topics of suicide, meth addiction, homosexuality, and religion? And handles each topic honestly and without judgment?
A typical novel can scarcely manage just one of these, and somehow, Jacked Up handles them all with ease a humor.
I am in awe of Erica Sage, teacher and author extraordinaire. Well done, Erica.
I found this book to be funny and irreverent, and relatable; I also found it poignant, reverent, and inspiring. I cried several times, and my heart ached, and I found in the character, Natalie, a new face for what I believe Christianity really is. This book is about faith, but not about dogma. It's also about finding your own path and what is true for you; understanding that your truth may be different that what others know to be true, even different from what you thought your truth would be.
This book was a ride! I loved so much about it, but two things especially: 1) You can tell Sage is a teacher, because she gets teenagers so correct in this book. Their motivations, the way they talk, the choices they make. Right on. 2) Sage does a masterful job here of creating a book that uses Christianity and Bible camp as a major setting/plot point, but it does so in a way that successfully finds the happy medium without treating it with undue, disrespectful frivolity or taking it too too seriously.
Those two things made this book for me. Neither of them are easy, but they're both done exceptionally well here.
What a great book!!! Not my normal read (I'm a fantasy, historical fiction kinda person) but I am so glad that I jumped book shelves (so to speak) and read this! This book is witty, insightful, it will make you laugh till cry, it's one of those books that you can't put down 'till the end!