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The Nature of Jade
I am not my illness. "Girl with Anxiety," "Trauma of the Week" - no. I hate stuff like that. Everyone, everyone has their issue. But the one thing my illness did make me realise is how necessary it is to ignore the dangers of living in order to live. And how much trouble you can get into if you can't.
Jade DeLuna is too young to die. She knows this, and yet she can't quite believe it, especially when the terrifying thoughts, loss of breath, and dizzy feelings come. Since being diagnosed with Panic Disorder, she's trying her best to stay calm, and visiting the elephants at the nearby zoo seems to help. That's why Jade keeps the live zoo webcam on in her room, and that's where she first sees the boy in the red jacket. A boy who stops to watch the elephants. A boy carrying a baby.
His name is Sebastian, and he is raising his son alone. Jade is drawn into Sebastian's cozy life with his son and his activist grandmother on their Seattle houseboat, and before she knows it, she's in love. With this boy who has lived through harder times than anyone she knows. This boy with a past.
Jade knows the situation is beyond complicated, but she hasn't felt this safe in a long time. She owes it all to Sebastian, her boy with the great heart. Her boy who is hiding a terrible secret. A secret that will force Jade to decide between what is right, and what feels right.
Jade DeLuna is too young to die. She knows this, and yet she can't quite believe it, especially when the terrifying thoughts, loss of breath, and dizzy feelings come. Since being diagnosed with Panic Disorder, she's trying her best to stay calm, and visiting the elephants at the nearby zoo seems to help. That's why Jade keeps the live zoo webcam on in her room, and that's where she first sees the boy in the red jacket. A boy who stops to watch the elephants. A boy carrying a baby.
His name is Sebastian, and he is raising his son alone. Jade is drawn into Sebastian's cozy life with his son and his activist grandmother on their Seattle houseboat, and before she knows it, she's in love. With this boy who has lived through harder times than anyone she knows. This boy with a past.
Jade knows the situation is beyond complicated, but she hasn't felt this safe in a long time. She owes it all to Sebastian, her boy with the great heart. Her boy who is hiding a terrible secret. A secret that will force Jade to decide between what is right, and what feels right.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published February 27, 2007
114 people are currently reading
13958 people want to read
About the author
Deb Caletti
39 books2,276 followersDeb Caletti is the award-winning and critically acclaimed author of over twenty books for adults and young adults, including Honey, Baby, Sweetheart, a finalist for the National Book Award, and A Heart in a Body in the World, a Michael L. Printz Honor Book. Her books have also won the Josette Frank Award for Fiction, the Washington State Book Award, and numerous other state awards and honors, and she was a finalist for the PEN USA Award. She lives with her family in Seattle.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 629 reviews
June 25, 2008
I wanted to like this book. And there were some things about it that I really did enjoy. But there were more things that bothered me. Some things specifically about the book, and other, more general issues that I will get to.
First, the good:
The main character, Jade, is well-written. She's interesting and sometimes pretty insightful. Like when she talks about how people get caught up in all the little, meaningless things in life so that they don't think the BIG THOUGHTS about death. Or when she sees how all her high school friends are stuck together mostly out of habit and are beginning to move their separate ways. Jade is not without her issues (I think the moral of the novel is that everyone has issues) and quirks; she has an anxiety disorder, an obsession with elephants, and little rituals she does to reassure herself. These things all made me see her as a real, likable person.
I also enjoyed the animal information that led off each chapter. Yes, it was calculated, chosen specifically to compare animal and human behavior, but it was a device that worked for me. Jade's time with the elephants at the zoo was also a unique part of the book that I liked.
Now, the bad:
This book is really slow-moving. I understand introducing characters and ideas, but this just dragged. There's a point where the book jumps a few months into the future, and really, it could have just started there and the stuff at the beginning could have been worked in.
The love interest, this boy Sebastian, was just so bland. His character is defined by all external things. He has a red jacket, a son, a grandmother he calls by her first name, and a (not great, but not terribly surprising) secret he lies about. He himself is not interesting. So when Jade falls in love with him, and tells us so, I think, huh? Why? Really? Even though I know it will be a part of the book, I haven't seen it happening. It just doesn't ring true somehow.
I'm also distracted by things that are misses in the writing. For example, there are a lot of minor characters, and while some are sketched out pretty well, some could be played by a cardboard cutout, like the guy at the video store who always wears a pineapple shirt and always recommends the same surfing movie. (Ok at the first mention, but do we need to be told this same thing several times? Does he really only own one shirt?)
There are also times when we are told things like: I know this sounds cliche, but... OR he seems like the stereotypical dad, but... This is just bad writing. If you have to apologize and make excuses for what you are about to write being trite, don't write it.
Sometimes the book just felt like an exercise in writing a book, like the author didn't really care about the things happening, it was just, how do I write a book people will buy? Sympathetic main character, check. Cute guy for love interest, check. "Different" hook: elephants. Issues to deal with: health trouble, teenage single dad, parents with marriage problems... Maybe you have to structure it all out to make a book work, but I hate when I am not involved enough to ignore the seams.
The other issues I have with the book which are not just about the book:
It makes me sad that young adult books seem to be so issue-driven. I understand that young people have a lot to deal with today. Things are harder than when I was young, I'm sure. There's bound to be a certain amount of angst, confusion about the future, romance and family issues in a young adult book. I imagine that this book doesn't even hit on the worst of concerns that young people face. But it still made me sad. (Especially seeing the parents in this book and their failing relationship. Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but doesn't anyone have a close family anymore where the parents have stuck together and really love each other? A family where whatever the other issues are, there is a solid foundation?)
So maybe I'm just disappointed in the genre. I like to read children's books for an escape to more innocent times. I also like sci-fi for an escape. I prefer classics to newer novels where I am bombarded with swearing and explicit sex. I enjoy a good coming-of-age story, but perhaps I'll have to accept that young adult books today might just focus on too many issues for me.
One last thing:
The phrase "could care less" is used in this book. I know people say it like this all the time, but it's not actually correct. (Sorry, this is one of my pet peeves.) But think about it, people. If you are saying you could care less about something, is that really expressing the feeling you want it to? It's COULDN'T care less that means you really don't care! Try it that way. Please?
First, the good:
The main character, Jade, is well-written. She's interesting and sometimes pretty insightful. Like when she talks about how people get caught up in all the little, meaningless things in life so that they don't think the BIG THOUGHTS about death. Or when she sees how all her high school friends are stuck together mostly out of habit and are beginning to move their separate ways. Jade is not without her issues (I think the moral of the novel is that everyone has issues) and quirks; she has an anxiety disorder, an obsession with elephants, and little rituals she does to reassure herself. These things all made me see her as a real, likable person.
I also enjoyed the animal information that led off each chapter. Yes, it was calculated, chosen specifically to compare animal and human behavior, but it was a device that worked for me. Jade's time with the elephants at the zoo was also a unique part of the book that I liked.
Now, the bad:
This book is really slow-moving. I understand introducing characters and ideas, but this just dragged. There's a point where the book jumps a few months into the future, and really, it could have just started there and the stuff at the beginning could have been worked in.
The love interest, this boy Sebastian, was just so bland. His character is defined by all external things. He has a red jacket, a son, a grandmother he calls by her first name, and a (not great, but not terribly surprising) secret he lies about. He himself is not interesting. So when Jade falls in love with him, and tells us so, I think, huh? Why? Really? Even though I know it will be a part of the book, I haven't seen it happening. It just doesn't ring true somehow.
I'm also distracted by things that are misses in the writing. For example, there are a lot of minor characters, and while some are sketched out pretty well, some could be played by a cardboard cutout, like the guy at the video store who always wears a pineapple shirt and always recommends the same surfing movie. (Ok at the first mention, but do we need to be told this same thing several times? Does he really only own one shirt?)
There are also times when we are told things like: I know this sounds cliche, but... OR he seems like the stereotypical dad, but... This is just bad writing. If you have to apologize and make excuses for what you are about to write being trite, don't write it.
Sometimes the book just felt like an exercise in writing a book, like the author didn't really care about the things happening, it was just, how do I write a book people will buy? Sympathetic main character, check. Cute guy for love interest, check. "Different" hook: elephants. Issues to deal with: health trouble, teenage single dad, parents with marriage problems... Maybe you have to structure it all out to make a book work, but I hate when I am not involved enough to ignore the seams.
The other issues I have with the book which are not just about the book:
It makes me sad that young adult books seem to be so issue-driven. I understand that young people have a lot to deal with today. Things are harder than when I was young, I'm sure. There's bound to be a certain amount of angst, confusion about the future, romance and family issues in a young adult book. I imagine that this book doesn't even hit on the worst of concerns that young people face. But it still made me sad. (Especially seeing the parents in this book and their failing relationship. Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but doesn't anyone have a close family anymore where the parents have stuck together and really love each other? A family where whatever the other issues are, there is a solid foundation?)
So maybe I'm just disappointed in the genre. I like to read children's books for an escape to more innocent times. I also like sci-fi for an escape. I prefer classics to newer novels where I am bombarded with swearing and explicit sex. I enjoy a good coming-of-age story, but perhaps I'll have to accept that young adult books today might just focus on too many issues for me.
One last thing:
The phrase "could care less" is used in this book. I know people say it like this all the time, but it's not actually correct. (Sorry, this is one of my pet peeves.) But think about it, people. If you are saying you could care less about something, is that really expressing the feeling you want it to? It's COULDN'T care less that means you really don't care! Try it that way. Please?
September 27, 2007
I finished reading The Nature of Jade, by Deb Caletti, a couple of days ago. I felt a real sense of mourning when it finally finished. Not because it was a sad book, but because I hated to end such a satisfying and well-written one. I would follow these characters forever.
Jade is a sixteen-year-old living in Seattle. Senior year is approaching and all of her friends and even her family are going through major changes and growing pains. Jade herself has anxiety, panic attacks. The only thing that helps calm her down is lighting her saint candles and watching the online elephant cam from the nearby zoo. When Jade sees a mysterious boy with a baby who keeps reappearing by the elephants, she becomes interested in him. How can someone you have only seen seem so right? Is that love at first sight?
As the year progresses, Jade’s family falls apart, her group of friends begins to break-up, but Jade becomes more sure of herself, partly due to starting to work with the elephants. And finally, Jade encounters the boy with the baby, who is even more mysterious in real life than he was in her imagination.
The writing in this novel is phenomenal. The characters are so multi-faceted and Jade's parents are especially human. As is so rare in this genre, Jade comes to truly see her parents as the frail human individuals they are, rather than the sterotypes she would like them to be. There are also really deep and tricky moral questions that will leave the reader wondering what things in life are really magnets for our moral compass.
Jade is a sixteen-year-old living in Seattle. Senior year is approaching and all of her friends and even her family are going through major changes and growing pains. Jade herself has anxiety, panic attacks. The only thing that helps calm her down is lighting her saint candles and watching the online elephant cam from the nearby zoo. When Jade sees a mysterious boy with a baby who keeps reappearing by the elephants, she becomes interested in him. How can someone you have only seen seem so right? Is that love at first sight?
As the year progresses, Jade’s family falls apart, her group of friends begins to break-up, but Jade becomes more sure of herself, partly due to starting to work with the elephants. And finally, Jade encounters the boy with the baby, who is even more mysterious in real life than he was in her imagination.
The writing in this novel is phenomenal. The characters are so multi-faceted and Jade's parents are especially human. As is so rare in this genre, Jade comes to truly see her parents as the frail human individuals they are, rather than the sterotypes she would like them to be. There are also really deep and tricky moral questions that will leave the reader wondering what things in life are really magnets for our moral compass.
June 30, 2011
I enjoyed my second Deb Caletti book much more than the previous one I read of hers (Honey, Baby, Sweetheart but I still have conflicted feelings...
Caletti writes beautiful prose, with sentiments about the finer details of life that make you pause and contemplate. It's a fantastic skill for a writer to have b/c it lets the reader get right inside the characters head and connect.
Maybe it's the faux fire and the rain and the sinking couch, I don't know. Or maybe it's his soft clothes and warm eyes, but I'm just comfortable there with Sebastian. Some guys give you the edgy feeling of dogs behind chain-link fences, and some give you the nervouseness of heels you're not used to. But Sebastian - he makes me feel like I just buried my nose in warm laundry. It gives me a casual bravery - not how I'd be with anyone at school. With Sebastian, I am new.
The thing is, despite gorgeous thoughtful prose, I need something more to keep me engaged in the story. Unfortunately the first half of the book moved so slowly for me.
Me reading: Oh. Gorgeous prose. Nothing's happening. Lovely sentiment. Place the book back down, have a stretch. I just couldn't feel a huge source of tension or anticipation that made me want to power through the book.
It's not like there was nothing happening. There were sub-plots every where:
the elephants at the zoo (nicely done. and have *heard* the elephants are based on actual real existing elephants. cool.)
the boy in the red jacket. with a baby (very curious. tell me more...)
school dramas with friends(meh. this for me was the weakest part and felt a little unnecessary to the story IMO)
family dramas, particularly with Jade and her mum (nicely explored)
anxiety attacks and psych visits (well written about, but didn't engage my attention in an urgent way. However by the end I really liked this plot thread)
pondering the future and life, etc
I think there were perhaps too many subplots for me and none of them arrested me :/
However, I am glad I continued (I did briefly consider adding it to my DNF pile) as the second half really started to pull all the threads together. And a few things were revealed that had me all wide-eyed and suddenly enthused. O.o And then things started happening and it was easy to sail right through to the end.
And by the end, I could really appreciate what Caletti had set out to do. I think she has a gift with getting inside character's heads and a spot-on voice for young adult literature.
Having read two Caletti books now ~ maybe this is her style? A slow meandering build-up which all comes together in the end? I think she is similar to Sarah Dessen in exploring internal conflict and relationships ~ I enjoy Dessen but don't rate her among my favourites.
I wish I could rate this higher ~ but the drag of the first half was just a bit of a downer for me. Having said that, I loved the overall feel of the book and the upper YA characters (Sebastian being 20 and Jade being 18)
Here's another snippet of her effortless appealing prose.
Before I ring the doorbell, Sebastian opens the door. He is wearing jeans and a sweatshirt and looks tousled and relaxed; he's barefoot. He is the visual equivalent of a Sunday morning
Thanks Nic for sending me your copy!
January 19, 2009
This is by far one of the best books I have read. I would venture to say that it is now my favorite book. I couldn't put the thing down and was completely engrossed in the characters and their lives. I couldn't get enough of Jade, her brother Oliver, Sebastian and little Bo. I read another review where someone said that they could read about these characters forever and I have to agree with that. I also really enjoyed the story with the Elephants that Jade worked with. I learned a lot about elephants that I never knew before and that made this a worthwhile read also. It made me want to go out and buy The Fundamentals of Animal Behavior with all the little facts at the beginning of each chapter. I would love to see a sequel to this because the story was left open enough for that. If she never writes that sequel I guess I'll just have to believe that everything did work out for the best. It wasn't necessarily the super happy endings that you get with most books but it wasn't a sad, tear your heart out ending. I cried but I cry just about every time I read a book. Books can make me cry quicker than anything. I highly recommend this one. Sometimes the best books are found on the clearance tables and this is just another example of that. Read it. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Read
June 17, 2018sweet story! i always appreciate a main character with anxiety and/or a panic disorder since i suffer from those as well
May 31, 2019
See more of my reviews on The YA Kitten!
This is a very angry, spoiler-filled review/rant session. If you don't want me spoiling the book's Big Twist for you, please leave now.
I MEAN IT, I SPOIL A LOT OF FUCKING STUFF.
Okay, this is less of a review and more of a spoiler-filled bitch session. God, everything was going so well and then we got to the twist! That literally-bad-enough-to-ruin-an-entire-book twist!
You’re not going to suspect what’s wrong with The Nature of Jade when you start reading. Jade is just living her life with her panic disorder, questioning her future now that she’s eighteen and getting close to the end of high school,… It’s all the same uncertainty you deal with at that time in your life. She’s also got her family’s messes to deal with, like her dad’s obsession with making her brother play ALL THE SPORTS and some concerning behavior her mom is showing. Might she be cheating on Jade’s dad?
But then her relaxing elephant cam starts showing a guy in a red jacket visiting the exhibit regularly with his year-and-a-half-old son and Jade can’t forget about him. She goes from watching the cam to actually volunteering at the zoo and getting to know those lovely, terrifying elephants. Then she finally gets to meet Sebastian, the twenty-year-old dad in the red coat and his wee little son Bo.
The age difference between them was two years, both were of legal age, and nothing about Jade being both a high school student and an unofficial step-parent is glossed over.
So what’s the pressure? Sebastian kidnapped his own child and is in hiding so he won’t have to share custody with Bo’s mom Tiffany.
What the ABSOLUTE EVERLOVING FUCK is this even? I’m being asked to find THIS piece of shit guy a good love interest for Jade?! NO NO NO NO NO. PARENTS WHO KIDNAP THEIR OWN CHILDREN BURN IN HELL. THEY BURN IN HELL AND THEY DIE. There are exceptions for parents who flee abusive relationships and take their children with them and other such life-saving instances, of course, but that’s not what’s going on in The Nature of Jade.
But noooooo, Sebastian swears he’s in the right and Jade supports him! After all, Tiffany is just awful. After her parents spent years trying to push her into the world of beauty pageants, she gave in and became all obsessed with her body. Doesn’t sound like abuse or brainwashing at all! When she gets pregnant on accident and has a baby? Nothing but complaints about her body, doesn’t give a damn about the fact she just had a kid with her childhood best friend and sweetheart!
Seriously, it’s sooooooooooo clear that Tiffany struggled with body image issues and mental health problems in the year after giving birth to Bo. Then when she and her family finally get their shit together and seek partial custody/rights? Sebastian is a selfish asshole and runs away with his child that he refuses to share with the maternal family. The story he tells is sad but nowhere near enough to justify his actions–and that’s all on the condition that he’s speaking the whole, absolute truth. His story is so heavily slanted in his favor that I don’t actually trust him when it seems like readers are expected to.
You know what Jade does when a P.I. the maternal family hired manages to track Sebastian down? SHE TELLS HIM HE’S BEEN FOUND OUT. THIS MOTHERFUCKING GAL ACTUALLY AIDS AND ABETS IN A FEDERAL CRIME BY DOING SO.
FUCK YOU, JADE.
Date who you want, you’re eighteen now, but you’re aiding and abetting in a goddamn crime and Sebastian’s flight response makes me doubt his entire story about what his ex Tiffany is like.
AND THINGS END ON A “HOPEFUL” NOTE FOR THE TWO OF THEM.
Goddamn fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck, I cannot believe I read this. The two people I explained all this to? Both of them reacted with “the fuck?” both with words and in their facial expressions.
So I liked Deb Caletti’s novel Stay enough to count it as a favorite, I disliked her newest (and Printz Honor book!) A Heart in a Body in the World, and now I’m frothing with fury thanks to The Nature of Jade here. Was Stay actually that good of a book? Do I even want to read the other two Caletti novels I own but have yet to read? You just don’t encounter stuff like this in mainstream YA that often!
This is a very angry, spoiler-filled review/rant session. If you don't want me spoiling the book's Big Twist for you, please leave now.
I MEAN IT, I SPOIL A LOT OF FUCKING STUFF.
Okay, this is less of a review and more of a spoiler-filled bitch session. God, everything was going so well and then we got to the twist! That literally-bad-enough-to-ruin-an-entire-book twist!
You’re not going to suspect what’s wrong with The Nature of Jade when you start reading. Jade is just living her life with her panic disorder, questioning her future now that she’s eighteen and getting close to the end of high school,… It’s all the same uncertainty you deal with at that time in your life. She’s also got her family’s messes to deal with, like her dad’s obsession with making her brother play ALL THE SPORTS and some concerning behavior her mom is showing. Might she be cheating on Jade’s dad?
But then her relaxing elephant cam starts showing a guy in a red jacket visiting the exhibit regularly with his year-and-a-half-old son and Jade can’t forget about him. She goes from watching the cam to actually volunteering at the zoo and getting to know those lovely, terrifying elephants. Then she finally gets to meet Sebastian, the twenty-year-old dad in the red coat and his wee little son Bo.
The age difference between them was two years, both were of legal age, and nothing about Jade being both a high school student and an unofficial step-parent is glossed over.
So what’s the pressure? Sebastian kidnapped his own child and is in hiding so he won’t have to share custody with Bo’s mom Tiffany.
What the ABSOLUTE EVERLOVING FUCK is this even? I’m being asked to find THIS piece of shit guy a good love interest for Jade?! NO NO NO NO NO. PARENTS WHO KIDNAP THEIR OWN CHILDREN BURN IN HELL. THEY BURN IN HELL AND THEY DIE. There are exceptions for parents who flee abusive relationships and take their children with them and other such life-saving instances, of course, but that’s not what’s going on in The Nature of Jade.
But noooooo, Sebastian swears he’s in the right and Jade supports him! After all, Tiffany is just awful. After her parents spent years trying to push her into the world of beauty pageants, she gave in and became all obsessed with her body. Doesn’t sound like abuse or brainwashing at all! When she gets pregnant on accident and has a baby? Nothing but complaints about her body, doesn’t give a damn about the fact she just had a kid with her childhood best friend and sweetheart!
Seriously, it’s sooooooooooo clear that Tiffany struggled with body image issues and mental health problems in the year after giving birth to Bo. Then when she and her family finally get their shit together and seek partial custody/rights? Sebastian is a selfish asshole and runs away with his child that he refuses to share with the maternal family. The story he tells is sad but nowhere near enough to justify his actions–and that’s all on the condition that he’s speaking the whole, absolute truth. His story is so heavily slanted in his favor that I don’t actually trust him when it seems like readers are expected to.
You know what Jade does when a P.I. the maternal family hired manages to track Sebastian down? SHE TELLS HIM HE’S BEEN FOUND OUT. THIS MOTHERFUCKING GAL ACTUALLY AIDS AND ABETS IN A FEDERAL CRIME BY DOING SO.
FUCK YOU, JADE.
Date who you want, you’re eighteen now, but you’re aiding and abetting in a goddamn crime and Sebastian’s flight response makes me doubt his entire story about what his ex Tiffany is like.
AND THINGS END ON A “HOPEFUL” NOTE FOR THE TWO OF THEM.
Goddamn fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck, I cannot believe I read this. The two people I explained all this to? Both of them reacted with “the fuck?” both with words and in their facial expressions.
So I liked Deb Caletti’s novel Stay enough to count it as a favorite, I disliked her newest (and Printz Honor book!) A Heart in a Body in the World, and now I’m frothing with fury thanks to The Nature of Jade here. Was Stay actually that good of a book? Do I even want to read the other two Caletti novels I own but have yet to read? You just don’t encounter stuff like this in mainstream YA that often!
December 31, 2015
I really, really loved this. The way Deb Caletti portrays anxiety and Jade's situation was so great, I had very few issues with it. At times it was genuinely comforting to read. The elephant element within 'The Nature of Jade' filled my heart with warmth. The way the elephants connection to humans was describe was gorgeous. I though Jade and Sebastian's relationship was lovely and it was so interesting to see how Sebastian's situation was dealt with, although I would have liked to have seen more from Bo (he's such a cutie). Jades character development was everything I could have hoped for and the messages within that really stood out to me. It was so nice to read from the point of view of a character suffering with anxiety, who's anxiety didn't magically vanish over night. I also adored the way Sebastian dealt with the knowledge of Jade's anxiety. Overall a really lovely hidden gem of a book. I'm so happy I picked it up.
September 20, 2013
This is one of my absolute favorite books. It's so powerful!! Jade voice SHINES. Her story is so capturing and heart warming you will be thinking about the book days after you're done. Jade is very real and 3D. The plot is an issue all around the world but it's not very used in books however Caletti captures it PERFECTLY. If you haven't read this book please tell me what kind of cave you have been living in because you have been MISSING OUT!
-thank you&come again.
-thank you&come again.
July 4, 2009
Jade has panic disorder. She fears everything, but eleaphants calm her. She lives near a local zoo and visits the elephants. She also, has a live webcam on them, so she can watch the elephants from the privacy of home. one night she sees a vistors at the elephants area. Hes a boy in red. With a baby on his back.
and this- This is the begining of something she would have NEVER THOUGHT POSSIBLE.
Jade starts volunteering at the zoo, (working with the elephants) & thats when she finally meets the boy in red, though it feels they already met from her many webcam nights. Boy in red and jade start to have a friendly relationship which soon turns into more. Love.
sebastion tells jade about his son. Bo. how hes running from the mother of the baby, because she doesnt want him, her parents do. He's living a secret life to keep his baby safe, and has trusted her with the secret.
after many months of growing close, boating and eating dinner with tess, after many kisses, hugs and cuddles with sebastion and after many nights of babysitting bo, her mother finally wonders where all her time is going. (though the mother has her own dirty secret with the school libaran!)
Jade tells her mom about her life, trusting her to keep it a secret. But the mother feels bos mom has a right to her child and calls and leaves a message for bos mom. :O !!!!
that means sebastion- her gma tess & bo are on the move again and jade is left behind. :[ until fate strikes with an admission to santa fe college, right where her love is. its time for her to go, and her mom is finally ready to let her go! <3
the book was great. it focused on relationships. The mother and fathers hard trial sepertation. The elephants, jum, jade, delores. Her relationship with friends. Sebastion and bo. Her brother. This book left no sentence unimportant.
My only problem was the ending, clearing left open for hopeful wishers and helpless romantics to kinda make up there own dreams. But i would have enjoy a concrete ending, something for sure.
the book was lovely. Ive learned so much about animals esp. elephants and cant wait to visit zoos and have the same outlook as jade. learn all the things she did. :] all while being scared, and slowly over coming her fears. <3
and this- This is the begining of something she would have NEVER THOUGHT POSSIBLE.
Jade starts volunteering at the zoo, (working with the elephants) & thats when she finally meets the boy in red, though it feels they already met from her many webcam nights. Boy in red and jade start to have a friendly relationship which soon turns into more. Love.
sebastion tells jade about his son. Bo. how hes running from the mother of the baby, because she doesnt want him, her parents do. He's living a secret life to keep his baby safe, and has trusted her with the secret.
after many months of growing close, boating and eating dinner with tess, after many kisses, hugs and cuddles with sebastion and after many nights of babysitting bo, her mother finally wonders where all her time is going. (though the mother has her own dirty secret with the school libaran!)
Jade tells her mom about her life, trusting her to keep it a secret. But the mother feels bos mom has a right to her child and calls and leaves a message for bos mom. :O !!!!
that means sebastion- her gma tess & bo are on the move again and jade is left behind. :[ until fate strikes with an admission to santa fe college, right where her love is. its time for her to go, and her mom is finally ready to let her go! <3
the book was great. it focused on relationships. The mother and fathers hard trial sepertation. The elephants, jum, jade, delores. Her relationship with friends. Sebastion and bo. Her brother. This book left no sentence unimportant.
My only problem was the ending, clearing left open for hopeful wishers and helpless romantics to kinda make up there own dreams. But i would have enjoy a concrete ending, something for sure.
the book was lovely. Ive learned so much about animals esp. elephants and cant wait to visit zoos and have the same outlook as jade. learn all the things she did. :] all while being scared, and slowly over coming her fears. <3
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2010
What first made me interested in this novel is the fact that the main character Jade has anxiety and a panic disorder. I don’t suffer from a panic disorder but I do have anxiety and panic attacks so I thought I might like reading a story about something I can relate to, and I loved it! This book was filled with romance, friendships, family drama, and the love of animals—and I think that it was a perfect mix.
Overachiever Jade loves elephants. She loves just looking at them and they calm her down. That is why Jade was looking at the live elephant cam from her local zoo when she saw the boy in the red jacket. Something about him caught her eye, and it wasn’t the fact that he was young and had a baby with him, but it was just the way he looked at the elephants and up at the sky.
The story follows her through her senior year in high school –where she faces college choices as well as friend choices along the way. Jade just feels out of place and wants to change things. She finds herself accepting a job at the zoo taking care of the elephants. There she finally meets the boy in the red jacket Sebastion, and his son Bo. Which leads to a growing relationship, secrets, and life changing decisions.
I was surprised that there were multiple plot turning points that blew me away because I wasn’t expecting them. It wasn’t your usual chick-lit romance –it had secrets and a whole lot more. In the end Jade learns that we are all connected together whether it be people and people or people and animals. Overall I loved it and would suggest it to anyone.
Things I loved about the novel:
1. I could really connect with Jade as a character and just simply really liked her.
2. Each chapter starts out with a blurb from a book called “The Fundamentals of Animal Behavior” that says an interesting fact about a certain animal. It always kind of made each chapter exciting to start.
3. Everything and anything else.
Rating: 5 stars
Overachiever Jade loves elephants. She loves just looking at them and they calm her down. That is why Jade was looking at the live elephant cam from her local zoo when she saw the boy in the red jacket. Something about him caught her eye, and it wasn’t the fact that he was young and had a baby with him, but it was just the way he looked at the elephants and up at the sky.
The story follows her through her senior year in high school –where she faces college choices as well as friend choices along the way. Jade just feels out of place and wants to change things. She finds herself accepting a job at the zoo taking care of the elephants. There she finally meets the boy in the red jacket Sebastion, and his son Bo. Which leads to a growing relationship, secrets, and life changing decisions.
I was surprised that there were multiple plot turning points that blew me away because I wasn’t expecting them. It wasn’t your usual chick-lit romance –it had secrets and a whole lot more. In the end Jade learns that we are all connected together whether it be people and people or people and animals. Overall I loved it and would suggest it to anyone.
Things I loved about the novel:
1. I could really connect with Jade as a character and just simply really liked her.
2. Each chapter starts out with a blurb from a book called “The Fundamentals of Animal Behavior” that says an interesting fact about a certain animal. It always kind of made each chapter exciting to start.
3. Everything and anything else.
Rating: 5 stars
January 14, 2008
This book is written about Jade, a girl with a panic disorder. She is a senior and she lives near a zoo. She finds the elephants most mesmerizing and calming, which help her with her disorder. She leaves up the 24 hour elephant watch from the zoo's website in her room everyday. Jade goes through life averagly. She has friends, a regular family and pretty good grades. She does however think about every possible thing that could go wrong with every little thing.
One day while watching the elephants she sees a boy in a red jacket. He appears to be around her age, but he is carrying a little boy on his back. Jade becomes fascinated with him and wonders if it's his. If so where is the mother? Did she die? Maybe it's his sisters or his little brother. It isn't until she visits the zoo and is given a job working with the elephants that then she meets the red jacket boy, Sebastian and Bo, his son.
The book follows Jade through her experiences with Sebastian and Bo. Also her job and new friends at the zoo, and her family. And it seems everyone has a secret that is slowly unfolding, even Sebastian, one that will change everything.
The books theme is teen drama/romance. I love the way this was written and how is talks about her disorder. The mood to me is taking people as they are and loving them for who they are. Deb Caletti is an amazing author and this book will be one of my favorites for a while.
One day while watching the elephants she sees a boy in a red jacket. He appears to be around her age, but he is carrying a little boy on his back. Jade becomes fascinated with him and wonders if it's his. If so where is the mother? Did she die? Maybe it's his sisters or his little brother. It isn't until she visits the zoo and is given a job working with the elephants that then she meets the red jacket boy, Sebastian and Bo, his son.
The book follows Jade through her experiences with Sebastian and Bo. Also her job and new friends at the zoo, and her family. And it seems everyone has a secret that is slowly unfolding, even Sebastian, one that will change everything.
The books theme is teen drama/romance. I love the way this was written and how is talks about her disorder. The mood to me is taking people as they are and loving them for who they are. Deb Caletti is an amazing author and this book will be one of my favorites for a while.
November 24, 2008
The Nature of Jade is a compelling story of a girl, a boy, and... elephants (Yep, not your average teen romance novel). Jade Deluna has been diagnosed with Panic Disorder. Jade is a shy and cautious girl, and her disorder has made her even more so. But one thing helps Jade through her illness- visiting elephants at a local zoo, only blocks away. Jade even keeps a live zoo webcam on in her room to soothe herself over daily stresses. This is where things change for Jade. She meets Sebastian.
Normally, this is where the average "girl goes on date with guy, and falls madly in love with him" part in the review. But Sebastian is too different of a character for that, likewise is Jade. Sebastian lives with his grandmother and his son. Yup, son. Sebastian is in a complicated predicament, but Jade finally feels safe with him- and she's a very cautious creature, as are the elephants she volunteers to help with.
But there's one little thing. Something Sebastian has hidden from Jade. And now Jade has to decipher what she feels is right, or... what IS right.
With every chapter opening up with a portion of The Fundamentals of Animal Behavior, this novel compares the nature of humans with the nature of animals. This read has unexpectedly taught me a couple lessons in patience. While it might take you about half way through the book to "attach" yourself to the characters, this is all-in-all a unique read that personally kept me up into the early hours of the morning reading.
Normally, this is where the average "girl goes on date with guy, and falls madly in love with him" part in the review. But Sebastian is too different of a character for that, likewise is Jade. Sebastian lives with his grandmother and his son. Yup, son. Sebastian is in a complicated predicament, but Jade finally feels safe with him- and she's a very cautious creature, as are the elephants she volunteers to help with.
But there's one little thing. Something Sebastian has hidden from Jade. And now Jade has to decipher what she feels is right, or... what IS right.
With every chapter opening up with a portion of The Fundamentals of Animal Behavior, this novel compares the nature of humans with the nature of animals. This read has unexpectedly taught me a couple lessons in patience. While it might take you about half way through the book to "attach" yourself to the characters, this is all-in-all a unique read that personally kept me up into the early hours of the morning reading.
March 15, 2008
***YA Book***
Two chapters in I was jealous of this book - not only had the author "stolen" the setting of my own YA book in progress (Ballard, WA) but she was using the real life elephants of the Woodland Zoo, including Hansa, the baby elephant that had a key role in my now-husband and I declaring our love to each other (true story!)
But as the book went on - and on - and on, it became clear this book would have benefited from a little judicious editing. Too many elements clutter the book to be dealt with effectively - fathers custody rights, animal behavior, parent infidelity, kidnapping, first love etc. etc. Too much animal information sounds like straight out of a textbook, especially the elephant keepers character, the falsest note in this whole book. Also, Caletti writes with that odd YA adult voice that seems to come from another, stiffer generation (hey, I'm guilty of it too), one where Jade's 10-year old brother actually calls her "Sis".
Two chapters in I was jealous of this book - not only had the author "stolen" the setting of my own YA book in progress (Ballard, WA) but she was using the real life elephants of the Woodland Zoo, including Hansa, the baby elephant that had a key role in my now-husband and I declaring our love to each other (true story!)
But as the book went on - and on - and on, it became clear this book would have benefited from a little judicious editing. Too many elements clutter the book to be dealt with effectively - fathers custody rights, animal behavior, parent infidelity, kidnapping, first love etc. etc. Too much animal information sounds like straight out of a textbook, especially the elephant keepers character, the falsest note in this whole book. Also, Caletti writes with that odd YA adult voice that seems to come from another, stiffer generation (hey, I'm guilty of it too), one where Jade's 10-year old brother actually calls her "Sis".
November 14, 2009
This book taught me alot in the way of animal nature and stuff like that, but it was kind of an average "discovering yourself" teenage book. The characters were realistic, and Jade was a good narrator filled with humor and honesty. The one thing I did not like though was the poor sentence structure filled with one too many commas.
January 15, 2026
When you’re really excited and looking forward to something is when it turns out ho-hum or completely and devastatingly horrible. And when you think you are about to have the worst day of your life, things generally turn out okay.
This book was beautiful but I also wanted more from it. Deb Caletti is a wonderful writer, I just think this book should've been longer because it delved into so many topics. Jade, our main character, is a girl with anxiety (more specifically a panic disorder) and lives two blocks from a zoo. Part of what makes her feel better is watching the elephants on the live cam the zoo has going when she starts seeing a boy come into the elephant pen. And this boy has a baby with him, leaving Jade with many questions: who is this boy? Who is this baby, his brother, nephew? Jade soon begins going to the zoo, again this is two or so blocks from her house, to seek out the boy. Soon she finds him....and finds out that they baby is actually his son. Jade is shocked, because Sebastian (the boy) is only two years older than her. Not only that, Sebastian has taken his away from the son's mom without her permission.
First of all, things took a while to get going. There really wasn't any build-up, everything just kind of happened to Jade....she just lets things happen and doesn't think of the consequences (which is usually okay because she's a teenager...I don't know how to explain it). Jade is suddenly okay with Sebastian taking his son and wants to help him. I get it to some degree, and Sebastian's son mom--who's name is Tiffany--and her family sounds terrible but Jade should've helped him by turning him in or something.
I also wanted more of Jade's home life. Her parents aren't getting along, which Jade points out that it probably has to do with them moving several years before. Her dad has basically checked out of family life, except for trying to force Jade's little brother to play sports. Jade's mom, on the other hand, is involved in everything and wants to control Jade's life. Her mom gets mad at Jade at one point for applying to college out of state, accusing her of "hiding too many things," from her. There was no real climax in order to fix the situation with her parents.
Like I said, I just wanted more from this one, while it was beautifully written it could've been fleshed out more. Content Warnings: Anxiety, panic attacks, parental fighting/tension, kidnapping, parental alienation.
This book was beautiful but I also wanted more from it. Deb Caletti is a wonderful writer, I just think this book should've been longer because it delved into so many topics. Jade, our main character, is a girl with anxiety (more specifically a panic disorder) and lives two blocks from a zoo. Part of what makes her feel better is watching the elephants on the live cam the zoo has going when she starts seeing a boy come into the elephant pen. And this boy has a baby with him, leaving Jade with many questions: who is this boy? Who is this baby, his brother, nephew? Jade soon begins going to the zoo, again this is two or so blocks from her house, to seek out the boy. Soon she finds him....and finds out that they baby is actually his son. Jade is shocked, because Sebastian (the boy) is only two years older than her. Not only that, Sebastian has taken his away from the son's mom without her permission.
First of all, things took a while to get going. There really wasn't any build-up, everything just kind of happened to Jade....she just lets things happen and doesn't think of the consequences (which is usually okay because she's a teenager...I don't know how to explain it). Jade is suddenly okay with Sebastian taking his son and wants to help him. I get it to some degree, and Sebastian's son mom--who's name is Tiffany--and her family sounds terrible but Jade should've helped him by turning him in or something.
I also wanted more of Jade's home life. Her parents aren't getting along, which Jade points out that it probably has to do with them moving several years before. Her dad has basically checked out of family life, except for trying to force Jade's little brother to play sports. Jade's mom, on the other hand, is involved in everything and wants to control Jade's life. Her mom gets mad at Jade at one point for applying to college out of state, accusing her of "hiding too many things," from her. There was no real climax in order to fix the situation with her parents.
Like I said, I just wanted more from this one, while it was beautifully written it could've been fleshed out more. Content Warnings: Anxiety, panic attacks, parental fighting/tension, kidnapping, parental alienation.
May 5, 2011
Jade is a senior in high school who suffers from anxiety attacks. She takes medication and goes to a therapist, but the one thing that keeps her calm is the elephants. She lives only a few blocks from the Seattle Zoo, and watches the elephants on the Elephant Cam (like this one, at the San Diego Zoo). The elephants go about their lives like very calm people.
Then Jade sees a boy about her age watching the elephants, and he has a baby with him. Jade begins to wonder about this boy and comes up with a plan to meet him, by volunteering with the elephants. It's two months later and Jade has grown really attached to the elephants before she sees the boy again. Slowly, Jade begins to let go of her anxiety and lets herself care for Sebastian and his son, Bo.
I liked Jade as a character. She had her faults, but her anxiety attacks were not the "problem" of the novel. She put a lot of pressure on herself to do well in school, and when she is presented with the problem to how to meet this boy in the red jacket, she comes up with a great solution which gives her work experience, allows her to meet new people (and befriend the elephants), and helps her toward a goal of one day working with animals. The facts about animal behavior at the beginning of each chapter are interesting in themselves and related to the family dynamics. The dynamics of Jade's family, compared with those of Sebastian's family, and the dynamics of the human families in relation to the elephant/animal families were complex and deep, and the author did not allow for an easy, tied-up-in-a-bow ending (though the outcome was a positive one). Moreover, Jade and Sebastian's relationship was believable and sweet. I found myself tearing up toward the end as Jade tried to work things out with her mother.
There was a bit of strong language (including a few f-bombs), but overall I agree with the professional review that placed this novel for ages 12+. While it is indicated that Jade and Sebastian become intimate in their relationship, none of it is described. Jade is 18 and Sebastian is 20, and their relationship is a mature one, more about family and enjoying each other's company.
Then Jade sees a boy about her age watching the elephants, and he has a baby with him. Jade begins to wonder about this boy and comes up with a plan to meet him, by volunteering with the elephants. It's two months later and Jade has grown really attached to the elephants before she sees the boy again. Slowly, Jade begins to let go of her anxiety and lets herself care for Sebastian and his son, Bo.
I liked Jade as a character. She had her faults, but her anxiety attacks were not the "problem" of the novel. She put a lot of pressure on herself to do well in school, and when she is presented with the problem to how to meet this boy in the red jacket, she comes up with a great solution which gives her work experience, allows her to meet new people (and befriend the elephants), and helps her toward a goal of one day working with animals. The facts about animal behavior at the beginning of each chapter are interesting in themselves and related to the family dynamics. The dynamics of Jade's family, compared with those of Sebastian's family, and the dynamics of the human families in relation to the elephant/animal families were complex and deep, and the author did not allow for an easy, tied-up-in-a-bow ending (though the outcome was a positive one). Moreover, Jade and Sebastian's relationship was believable and sweet. I found myself tearing up toward the end as Jade tried to work things out with her mother.
There was a bit of strong language (including a few f-bombs), but overall I agree with the professional review that placed this novel for ages 12+. While it is indicated that Jade and Sebastian become intimate in their relationship, none of it is described. Jade is 18 and Sebastian is 20, and their relationship is a mature one, more about family and enjoying each other's company.
June 28, 2010
The Nature of Jade centers around high achiever Jade DeLuna, a high school senior living in Seattle. Deb Caletti weaves information about elephants’ social lives with Jade’s narrative to show readers that animals and people rely on their instincts and families. Struggling to overcome her anxiety and panic attacks, Jade relies on her crumbling family for support. She volunteers at the elephant habitat at the Zoo and finds not only peace and balance in her life but an intense relationship with a teenage father. When Jade finds out the truth about Sebastian and Bo, she has to decide if she can accept someone else’s hidden past. Caletti’s compelling narrative shows how a star student overcomes her anxiety and falls in love with Sebastian and his family. Recommended for high school students, this is an accurate and detailed portrayal of the pressures and demands that college-bound high school students face.
The Nature of Jade is an effective romance, though it transcends the genre somewhat. The secondary characters are well developed, especially Jade’s mother and elephant keeper mentor. Jade definitely comes of age in the story, and her steady path toward independence and self-sufficiency is what ultimately leads her to love. The book is well written and will appeal to college-bound high school students seeking a mature, adult relationship.
The Nature of Jade is an effective romance, though it transcends the genre somewhat. The secondary characters are well developed, especially Jade’s mother and elephant keeper mentor. Jade definitely comes of age in the story, and her steady path toward independence and self-sufficiency is what ultimately leads her to love. The book is well written and will appeal to college-bound high school students seeking a mature, adult relationship.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2009
This book is really good so far. However, the fact that Jade keeps apologizing for things is a little annoying, plus the fact that she always assumes the very worst thng possible will happen. But, this is all part of her character, and I'm really excited to read the rest of this book. I'm so curious about "the boy in the red jacket" and about his baby. I love Deb Caletti's writing so much, it's just so honest and gives the best descriptions! *UPDATE* Anyone who reads this book will fall in love with Sebastian, Tess, and Bo, just as quickly as Jade does. This book was written perfectly, with the perfect contrast between Jade's time spent with Damian and the elephants, to hanging out with her friends, to her home life, to staying at the houseboat. However, I was confused by the ending. I'm not sure why Deb Caletti chose to end the book that way, and I'm not even sure if I understand the meaning of it. It talks about how life is a balancing act between your need to run and find a new place to feed and wanting to stay. But, I am glad that Jade was brave enough to make the decision to leave Washington and move to Santa Fe so she could see Sebastian. But this author is one of the best writers of our time, she is so amazing and thoughtful in her writing!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2013
3 STARS READ ☆☆☆
The Nature of Jade BY by Deb Caletti
I can not decide if i hated or loved this book. It was very funny in some parts, sarcastic great lead female, deep monologue, and a very profound plot.
However, there are some parts ( the actual dialogue) it was so very boring, and weird!! I liked the inner monologue more and luckily there was a lot of it.
This book is about This girl Named Jade. She is struggling to know who she is and what she wants. She needs to step up and take lead of her life and to control it more. So this book is more about finding your real self, and making peace with it, and do what best for YOU and not what is best for others.
Her relationship with her family appears very perfect in the beginning of this book,only to realize that her family is WAAAAY beyond perfection.
Her relationship with this guy she used to watch in the zoo is not what the actual story is about. But i really liked the parts he was in, i loved his child, i thought their relationship progressed rather fast...
Over all it was cool,fast, and kindda deep read. Read The Nature of Jade when you have the time as a transition book :)
The Nature of Jade BY by Deb Caletti
I can not decide if i hated or loved this book. It was very funny in some parts, sarcastic great lead female, deep monologue, and a very profound plot.
However, there are some parts ( the actual dialogue) it was so very boring, and weird!! I liked the inner monologue more and luckily there was a lot of it.
This book is about This girl Named Jade. She is struggling to know who she is and what she wants. She needs to step up and take lead of her life and to control it more. So this book is more about finding your real self, and making peace with it, and do what best for YOU and not what is best for others.
Her relationship with her family appears very perfect in the beginning of this book,only to realize that her family is WAAAAY beyond perfection.
Her relationship with this guy she used to watch in the zoo is not what the actual story is about. But i really liked the parts he was in, i loved his child, i thought their relationship progressed rather fast...
Over all it was cool,fast, and kindda deep read. Read The Nature of Jade when you have the time as a transition book :)
June 9, 2016
I had heard that this author was similar to Sarah Dessen but let me tell you, that is not the case. She is pretty boring, thinks she is an anthropologist, is a staunch Democrat, and thinks all Christians are the stupidest people ever. She goes over most of these is many rants all through the book.
The reason I didn't give up on this book was because I wanted to find out if the main character, Jade was actually going to meet this guy or if she was just going to keep stalking him forever. By about the halfway point she and the guy are finally dating. At that point I just wanted to see the book to the end.
The ending was really sucky and I was pretty disappointed with it. I might give some of this author's other books a chance but I didn't care for this one and I wouldn't recommend reading it.
The reason I didn't give up on this book was because I wanted to find out if the main character, Jade was actually going to meet this guy or if she was just going to keep stalking him forever. By about the halfway point she and the guy are finally dating. At that point I just wanted to see the book to the end.
The ending was really sucky and I was pretty disappointed with it. I might give some of this author's other books a chance but I didn't care for this one and I wouldn't recommend reading it.
August 25, 2018
I really did like the book. I thought the portrayal of Jade's anxiety was really spot on, I like how the book didn't fall in the "Love saves you from everything" trope, and I truly loved the slow exploration of the story. I also really love Caletti's writing style, the way she describes things with more than just their visual appearance really works for me.
However, I didn't really like Jade. And the lack of true female friendship, and even more so, Jade's total disdain towards every female character, even the ones she claims as her friends, bumped this story a star down.
However, I didn't really like Jade. And the lack of true female friendship, and even more so, Jade's total disdain towards every female character, even the ones she claims as her friends, bumped this story a star down.
June 25, 2018
Mainly I liked this book because it had a love interest that wasn't a jerk. He was actually NICE to the main character who has panic disorder. I do love her interest in animals, especially elephants which are adorable creatures. This book wasn't torturous to read. It wasn't something I spent ages yelling at.
6/18
Elephants kind of make me sentimental and teary which annoys me. Elephants are too good for Republicans.
6/18
Elephants kind of make me sentimental and teary which annoys me. Elephants are too good for Republicans.
May 26, 2017
4 stars | This book was a little jem. It’s one of those quiet yet powerful “coming of age” stories. The Nature of Jade is about family and facing your fears. About growing up and realizing your parents are humans after all. And love. This novel is filled with it and not only the romantic kind of love. This is realistic YA fiction at its best.
Full review here @ IzzaReads
Full review here @ IzzaReads
December 15, 2020
Not as good as Honey, Baby, Sweetheart but still poignant and heartfelt. I took off a star bc Jade didn’t sound like a high school senior for the first half of the novel and the storyline with he elephants got glossed over towards the end and felt a bit rushed.
October 27, 2020
This was just okay for me. The first half was too slow, second half was better, but I really enjoyed the ending.
January 18, 2016
When Jade’s grandmother died, she developed a panic disorder – not because they were especially close, but because Jade realized then that people could die. This left her incredibly anxious and afraid to take risks.
After her family moved to the city, Jade began visiting the zoo near her house. She became attached to the elephants, finding them calming to watch, and then started to watch them at home, from a webcam the zoo set up. This is where she first sees the boy. He wears a red jacket, holds a baby, and Jade knows in her gut that he will become part of her life.
I took so long to pick up this book. Back in 2013 – two years ago! – I read the beginning chapters through an excerpt that iBooks provided, and immediately wanted the rest of the book. I must not have had the money on my account at the time, because I didn’t buy it. And then I wentforever thinking about this book, but not picking it up. Even once I had the full thing, right there to read on my tablet, I didn’t get around to it.
I’m a little regretful of that, because not only was it a super quick read, but it was so good. I always hesitate to pick up a book about mental illness, but I think Jade’s anxiety was handled well here. Stories like this are so important.
That said, I do think Jade’s coping with her anxiety could have been handled better. Despite all Jade does for herself – volunteering with the elephants in the zoo, sending applications to colleges that aren’t five minutes away, falling in love – only one of these was given credit for making her less anxious. While her relationship with Sebastian was super important, love is not a treatment for mental illness. It was only one of the things she did to face her fears and to put herself out there, so I kind of hated that Jade mentioned only that when thinking about how much better she felt. I don’t feel she was able to ‘forget’ to be afraid because of their relationship, but because she began to live her life fully and didn’t have so much alone time with her thoughts.
Despite my slight problems where it intertwined with Jade’s anxiety, though, I really enjoyed the romance. I admit I had my doubts at first – Sebastian had a child, Jade was pretty immature, and there were a couple of secrets kept that left me wondering if they could actually work things out. However, I really adored Sebastian and his son, Bo. And Jade grew so much through the book,
Another great aspect was that so much of Jade’s growth involved her family. I love books that focus on family relationships, and I don’t read enough of them. (They can be hard to find!) Both Sebastian and Jade had interesting families and I was glad they were included as pretty consistent characters, rather than only being mentioned once or twice. Jade’s understanding of her parents grew as she did, and that was wonderful to see. I was rooting for her in every way – not only for her and Sebastian, but for her to repair her relationship with her mother, and to help her little brother through his own problems.
Lastly, the animals in this book were actual characters. Family interactions constantly included the dog – from his reaction when everyone was outside without him, to his sadness with the rest of the family when they’re hurting, to Jade simply taking him for a walk in hopes of running into ‘the boy in the red jacket.’ The elephants also had their own personalities and problems to deal with, and I just really liked this. The little elephant facts that began each chapter were great, too!
Overall, this is a book I waited way too long to read. I had very few issues with it, and the positive aspects far outweighed anything negative. It was such a beautiful story.
After her family moved to the city, Jade began visiting the zoo near her house. She became attached to the elephants, finding them calming to watch, and then started to watch them at home, from a webcam the zoo set up. This is where she first sees the boy. He wears a red jacket, holds a baby, and Jade knows in her gut that he will become part of her life.
I took so long to pick up this book. Back in 2013 – two years ago! – I read the beginning chapters through an excerpt that iBooks provided, and immediately wanted the rest of the book. I must not have had the money on my account at the time, because I didn’t buy it. And then I wentforever thinking about this book, but not picking it up. Even once I had the full thing, right there to read on my tablet, I didn’t get around to it.
I’m a little regretful of that, because not only was it a super quick read, but it was so good. I always hesitate to pick up a book about mental illness, but I think Jade’s anxiety was handled well here. Stories like this are so important.
That said, I do think Jade’s coping with her anxiety could have been handled better. Despite all Jade does for herself – volunteering with the elephants in the zoo, sending applications to colleges that aren’t five minutes away, falling in love – only one of these was given credit for making her less anxious. While her relationship with Sebastian was super important, love is not a treatment for mental illness. It was only one of the things she did to face her fears and to put herself out there, so I kind of hated that Jade mentioned only that when thinking about how much better she felt. I don’t feel she was able to ‘forget’ to be afraid because of their relationship, but because she began to live her life fully and didn’t have so much alone time with her thoughts.
Despite my slight problems where it intertwined with Jade’s anxiety, though, I really enjoyed the romance. I admit I had my doubts at first – Sebastian had a child, Jade was pretty immature, and there were a couple of secrets kept that left me wondering if they could actually work things out. However, I really adored Sebastian and his son, Bo. And Jade grew so much through the book,
Another great aspect was that so much of Jade’s growth involved her family. I love books that focus on family relationships, and I don’t read enough of them. (They can be hard to find!) Both Sebastian and Jade had interesting families and I was glad they were included as pretty consistent characters, rather than only being mentioned once or twice. Jade’s understanding of her parents grew as she did, and that was wonderful to see. I was rooting for her in every way – not only for her and Sebastian, but for her to repair her relationship with her mother, and to help her little brother through his own problems.
Lastly, the animals in this book were actual characters. Family interactions constantly included the dog – from his reaction when everyone was outside without him, to his sadness with the rest of the family when they’re hurting, to Jade simply taking him for a walk in hopes of running into ‘the boy in the red jacket.’ The elephants also had their own personalities and problems to deal with, and I just really liked this. The little elephant facts that began each chapter were great, too!
Overall, this is a book I waited way too long to read. I had very few issues with it, and the positive aspects far outweighed anything negative. It was such a beautiful story.
March 7, 2017
This was my first time reading Deb Caletti, although I'd seen her books for years. It was a cute book, with Jade growing through out the course of the book. Would love to have had an Epilogue at the end!
January 9, 2017
It was a little too much high school drama for me
November 6, 2012
Reviewed by Kylie for TeensReadToo.com
Since being diagnosed with Panic Disorder, Jade DeLuna does not know how to cope with the shortness of breath and dizzy feelings, but could this all change when she meets the boy in the red jacket?
Jade,18, is in her senior year of high school when she is diagnosed. She knows nothing good can come out of it and she thinks not even the support of her family can help her through. Not only that, but her other family members have problems of their own.
Like her little brother, Oliver, who loves reading THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA books, but their dad has other plans for him. Dad wants Oliver to love sports, but even though Oliver has tried many times with soccer, baseball, and football, he can't seem to enjoy them. Jade and Oliver both notice their parents' marriage is falling apart, with mom always at PTA meetings and dad locking himself downstairs with his wooden city sculptures.
With all of this, Jade doesn't feel relaxed a bit.
Soon Jade finds an escape from everything, and that escape is the elephants. Not only do the elephants calm her down, they make her feel important and not so tied up in her schoolwork. Jade puts a video cam on the local zoo's elephants cage so she can have the elephants anytime she wants on her computer screen -- but one night she notices on the live video a boy in a red jacket with a toddler. Jade is so intrigued by the young man and the toddler that she volunteers at the zoo's elephant park. One day, while leaving the zoo, she finally meets the young man. The moment he speaks, Jade knows she likes him and she knows she wants to see him again.
Will I ever see the mysterious young man and the toddler again ?
If I do, will it develop into a relationship?
And is the toddler his kid?
These are all questions that Jade asks herself, and if you read this book you will find the interesting answers.
THE NATURE OF JADE by Deb Caletti is a great novel that keeps you attached and interested until the end. Ms. Caletti definitely knows how to write an engaging life story and I totally recommend this book to anyone who loves reading.
Since being diagnosed with Panic Disorder, Jade DeLuna does not know how to cope with the shortness of breath and dizzy feelings, but could this all change when she meets the boy in the red jacket?
Jade,18, is in her senior year of high school when she is diagnosed. She knows nothing good can come out of it and she thinks not even the support of her family can help her through. Not only that, but her other family members have problems of their own.
Like her little brother, Oliver, who loves reading THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA books, but their dad has other plans for him. Dad wants Oliver to love sports, but even though Oliver has tried many times with soccer, baseball, and football, he can't seem to enjoy them. Jade and Oliver both notice their parents' marriage is falling apart, with mom always at PTA meetings and dad locking himself downstairs with his wooden city sculptures.
With all of this, Jade doesn't feel relaxed a bit.
Soon Jade finds an escape from everything, and that escape is the elephants. Not only do the elephants calm her down, they make her feel important and not so tied up in her schoolwork. Jade puts a video cam on the local zoo's elephants cage so she can have the elephants anytime she wants on her computer screen -- but one night she notices on the live video a boy in a red jacket with a toddler. Jade is so intrigued by the young man and the toddler that she volunteers at the zoo's elephant park. One day, while leaving the zoo, she finally meets the young man. The moment he speaks, Jade knows she likes him and she knows she wants to see him again.
Will I ever see the mysterious young man and the toddler again ?
If I do, will it develop into a relationship?
And is the toddler his kid?
These are all questions that Jade asks herself, and if you read this book you will find the interesting answers.
THE NATURE OF JADE by Deb Caletti is a great novel that keeps you attached and interested until the end. Ms. Caletti definitely knows how to write an engaging life story and I totally recommend this book to anyone who loves reading.
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