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Zipped
Winner of the PEN Center USA Literary Award for Children's Literature
A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
Winner of the 2004 Texas TAYSHAS High School Reading List
When fifteen-year-old Mick Nichols discovers a secret about his stepmother, he comes obsessed with uncovering the truth. But before he can get to the bottom of it, Mick is confronted by a series of strange robberies and a close friend with a dark secret of her own. As he seeks out answers, Mick realizes that all of his problems are zipped up together—and he may have to go to drastic lengths to untangle them.
“The McNeals spin a wonderfully rich story.”— Kirkus Reviews
“A well-honed novel. . . . Readers will be sucked in.”— Publishers Weekly
From the Hardcover edition.
A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
Winner of the 2004 Texas TAYSHAS High School Reading List
When fifteen-year-old Mick Nichols discovers a secret about his stepmother, he comes obsessed with uncovering the truth. But before he can get to the bottom of it, Mick is confronted by a series of strange robberies and a close friend with a dark secret of her own. As he seeks out answers, Mick realizes that all of his problems are zipped up together—and he may have to go to drastic lengths to untangle them.
“The McNeals spin a wonderfully rich story.”— Kirkus Reviews
“A well-honed novel. . . . Readers will be sucked in.”— Publishers Weekly
From the Hardcover edition.
283 pages, Paperback
First published March 11, 2003
18 people are currently reading
460 people want to read
About the author
Laura McNeal
15 books325 followersLiving since 1983 (the year I first read Thomas Hardy) in the haunted mansion of Victorian literature.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
January 13, 2016
This book was a long ago loaner/gift (? she didn't want it back) from a friend who lives far away, and for her sake, I tried. I did. And I can... sort of see the merit of the story? The authors clearly wanted to tackle some heavy issues and they way they'd play out throughout the lives of their teen characters. The thing was that it just lacked... purpose. There was a narrative arc here, sort of, which was basically Mick resolving his relationships with three women, but the actual resolutions of two of them were thoroughly unsatisfying, and one of the secondary plots appeared and disappeared like magic until it was time for it to come to a head.
The characters, too, were lackluster. While I understand Mick's reasons for not confronting his stepmother with his knowledge of her affair, the eventual 'resolution' that he arrived at was... frankly ridiculous. The man Nora was having an affair with ended up being significant in several other characters' lives, but was never really developed, so the reveal of his identity didn't have much weight, and after it everything else fell together way too neatly. Also never really addressed: Mick's pretty clear attraction to his stepmother, and how that interfaced with his emotional reactions.
Myra's eventual revelation was... you know, I like the thought, but again, the execution just didn't go anywhere. There was no payoff.
Looking back, I think that was the chronic problem I had with this book: there were actions, but there was very little sense of results. The epilogue added to this - if you've ever seen a movie based on real events that ends with title cards telling you what happened to all the real people after this pivotal part of their lives, that's the epilogue of this book. It feels like a cheap way to attempt closure, when the plot remains unresolved.
Messy from start to finish, and not recommended.
The characters, too, were lackluster. While I understand Mick's reasons for not confronting his stepmother with his knowledge of her affair, the eventual 'resolution' that he arrived at was... frankly ridiculous. The man Nora was having an affair with ended up being significant in several other characters' lives, but was never really developed, so the reveal of his identity didn't have much weight, and after it everything else fell together way too neatly. Also never really addressed: Mick's pretty clear attraction to his stepmother, and how that interfaced with his emotional reactions.
Myra's eventual revelation was... you know, I like the thought, but again, the execution just didn't go anywhere. There was no payoff.
Looking back, I think that was the chronic problem I had with this book: there were actions, but there was very little sense of results. The epilogue added to this - if you've ever seen a movie based on real events that ends with title cards telling you what happened to all the real people after this pivotal part of their lives, that's the epilogue of this book. It feels like a cheap way to attempt closure, when the plot remains unresolved.
Messy from start to finish, and not recommended.
March 29, 2011
Yuck. I very rarely quit on books, but with shelves overflowing with my next reads I just couldn't justify giving this one anymore time. Theoretically, the story follows the intertwined lives of four teens following their sophomore year of high school as they "start a tough new job, face family problems, deal with changing friendships, and find love," but the story the publishers promoted in the title, book jacket blurb, and marketing set readers up to think the main story is about Mick discovering emails that reveal that his much beloved, overly beloved really, step-mother is having an affair. Yet, the plot problems are only the tip of the iceberg. The overwhelming issue is the horrible writing. Clearly written by adults about "the issues teens face," with the discussion points in the back to prove it, the writing is the most obvious example of how not to write an engaging story. I wanted to scream "show don't tell" every other sentence. The characters are completely flat stereo-types living either Mormon Mayberry-esque lives or committing dastardly deeds of pure evil. Don't waste your time. If you want an intertwining story of friendship, try Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins or Holes by Louis Sachar.
July 16, 2014
Laura and Tom McNeal’s Zipped is a truly enjoyable read. This is the second of their novels that I’ve read. Both have been very good.
So this is a coming of age novel. Really, it is a coming of age for three of the main characters. There are several story lines well intermingled. Whenever the storyline was switched, I wanted to go back to the one that was just left; a good sign.
The characters are varied each demanding empathy. I particularly enjoyed the character of Myra even though it was easy to guess her secret. The adults were not two dimensional as they frequently are in YA novels. The situations are novel, yet not out of the ordinary. Perhaps that is one of its biggest strengths. There is a diversity of themes: religion, adultery, racism, sexuality, harassment, and ethical behavior.
Despite the number of themes and storylines the authors do a remarkable job of creating a cohesive novel. The storylines don’t stumble over each other, instead provide backdrops for each other. This is a solid 4 in any category. Perhaps it is a 4.5 in YA literature.
So this is a coming of age novel. Really, it is a coming of age for three of the main characters. There are several story lines well intermingled. Whenever the storyline was switched, I wanted to go back to the one that was just left; a good sign.
The characters are varied each demanding empathy. I particularly enjoyed the character of Myra even though it was easy to guess her secret. The adults were not two dimensional as they frequently are in YA novels. The situations are novel, yet not out of the ordinary. Perhaps that is one of its biggest strengths. There is a diversity of themes: religion, adultery, racism, sexuality, harassment, and ethical behavior.
Despite the number of themes and storylines the authors do a remarkable job of creating a cohesive novel. The storylines don’t stumble over each other, instead provide backdrops for each other. This is a solid 4 in any category. Perhaps it is a 4.5 in YA literature.
May 21, 2020
3.5 stars
“Zipped” is an interesting look at the mundane and not so mundane life of an adolescent boy. It the book the authors show us how lives intertwine for the good and the bad. I enjoyed the story, a YA novel, which I read at the suggestion of one of my kids. If you like YA novels or the mysterious ways human lives interconnect you might like this one. It is very readable with well developed characters. I recommend it.
“Zipped” is an interesting look at the mundane and not so mundane life of an adolescent boy. It the book the authors show us how lives intertwine for the good and the bad. I enjoyed the story, a YA novel, which I read at the suggestion of one of my kids. If you like YA novels or the mysterious ways human lives interconnect you might like this one. It is very readable with well developed characters. I recommend it.
March 14, 2024
This book was not for me. It is very hard to get into, its not a plot that pulls you in, and about halfway through I gave up on reading it. Maybe I'll circle back and finish it at some point but I have many other more exciting books on my list to read.
January 18, 2013
Zipped is the second in a series of three young adult books set in a small town near Syracuse, New York. (The books are connected only in the sense of having the same mise-en-scène.)
Mick Nichols, 15, is close to his dad and his pretty stepmom Nora, has a crush on a girl in school named Lisa, and is generally pretty happy. But as the story opens, Mick discovers, through the e-mail trash in the family computer, that Nora is having an affair. He is devastated: hurt, angry, maybe even jealous. And he doesn’t know what he is going to do with the information.
Meanwhile, he manages to befriend Lisa, but she is not exactly available. She is Mormon, and she is interested in the older but handsome and flirtatious Mormon missionary in town, Joe Keesler.
Lisa thinks Joe is also interested in her, but isn’t sure. And Mick, getting nowhere with Lisa, is surprised to find himself having a relationship of sorts with the beautiful Myra Vidal, five years older and the winner of the Miss Jemison Beauty Contest when she was high school senior.
Lisa and Mick’s two best friends also embark upon new relationships. Lisa has been best friends with Janice forever, but lately they have grown apart. Still, they hang around together because they always have, but it has gotten awkward. And Janice has started a very inappropriate relationship with a very sleazy guy, Maurice. Mick’s best friend Reece made a sort of “Cyrano” play for an attractive girl he liked, and to his surprise she saw through him and liked him for himself.
The winding, unwinding, and rewinding of these relationships take place in a backdrop of family troubles, issues of gender preference, ethnic prejudice, and sexual harassment. The stories, like the characters, are complex and nuanced, and while reading, I felt as if I were immersed in a real place, discovering both the flaws and redeeming qualities of real people.
Evaluation: These are engaging characters who seem human in every way: they make mistakes; they hope, dream, hurt, recover, grow, and love. The McNeals don’t make perfect characters, but they construct even the less likable characters with compassion and understanding. And the nice characters? They are sometimes cowardly, sometimes brave, sometimes funny, and generally charming: in short, just like people you love to know in real life.
Rating: 3.5/5
Note: Zipped won the 2004 PEN Center USA Literary Award for Children’s Literature
Mick Nichols, 15, is close to his dad and his pretty stepmom Nora, has a crush on a girl in school named Lisa, and is generally pretty happy. But as the story opens, Mick discovers, through the e-mail trash in the family computer, that Nora is having an affair. He is devastated: hurt, angry, maybe even jealous. And he doesn’t know what he is going to do with the information.
Meanwhile, he manages to befriend Lisa, but she is not exactly available. She is Mormon, and she is interested in the older but handsome and flirtatious Mormon missionary in town, Joe Keesler.
Lisa thinks Joe is also interested in her, but isn’t sure. And Mick, getting nowhere with Lisa, is surprised to find himself having a relationship of sorts with the beautiful Myra Vidal, five years older and the winner of the Miss Jemison Beauty Contest when she was high school senior.
Lisa and Mick’s two best friends also embark upon new relationships. Lisa has been best friends with Janice forever, but lately they have grown apart. Still, they hang around together because they always have, but it has gotten awkward. And Janice has started a very inappropriate relationship with a very sleazy guy, Maurice. Mick’s best friend Reece made a sort of “Cyrano” play for an attractive girl he liked, and to his surprise she saw through him and liked him for himself.
The winding, unwinding, and rewinding of these relationships take place in a backdrop of family troubles, issues of gender preference, ethnic prejudice, and sexual harassment. The stories, like the characters, are complex and nuanced, and while reading, I felt as if I were immersed in a real place, discovering both the flaws and redeeming qualities of real people.
Evaluation: These are engaging characters who seem human in every way: they make mistakes; they hope, dream, hurt, recover, grow, and love. The McNeals don’t make perfect characters, but they construct even the less likable characters with compassion and understanding. And the nice characters? They are sometimes cowardly, sometimes brave, sometimes funny, and generally charming: in short, just like people you love to know in real life.
Rating: 3.5/5
Note: Zipped won the 2004 PEN Center USA Literary Award for Children’s Literature
August 16, 2019
The feeling of betrayal can be one of the most heartbreaking feelings in existence, and Mick Nichols in this novel definitely experiences this. The life of Mick Nichols is rough. He just started Sophomore year of high school, and there’s this girl named Lisa Doyole who he really has a crush on, but struggles to go up and talk to her because he’s nervous. But that’s just scratching the surface of what Nick is having trouble with. Nick has been realizing that his stepmom Nora has been emailing another man with the name Alexander Selkrik, and this causes Nick to act differently around Nora because he believes that she’s cheating on his father. As Nick and Lisa get a job at the local flower shop, they start to see each other more and readers can get more insight to how they feel about each other, and how the relationship develops. I haven't finished this book yet, but I can definitely say that this book is relatively easy to get into, especially for a 15 year old like me. My first impression of the book is that it felt way too elementary, even though the main character in the book is a sophomore in high school, and the themes of the book involve adolescence and growing up I feel. The people that I would recommend this book to are people who are either in 8th graders or below, because this book feels way too elementary for me. If you are older than 15 years old , most likely you won’t enjoy this book unless you want to read a young novel about a boy going through high school shenanigans (friendships, homework, depression, etc.). I feel like younger teenagers should read this because this type of audience can relate more with what’s going on in the narrative, and the themes will be more beneficial to younger people.
June 12, 2007
I'm really tired so the word I'm searching for to describe this book just isn't coming to me. But this book seemed like it was more of a pop-fiction book. Aimed at younger readers (teenagers) but something adults would also probably pick up to read because it sounded interesting but only to find out halfway through the book that it's rediculously insane and not worth their time.
For me, it was a fun read, but it's not something that's going to stick with me. I had no problems with the writing this time around, but did have a problem with the sort of two different plot lines that really didn't have anything to do with one another. Thinking that somehow everything is going to tie together... but it doesn't. Also some things were entirely irrelevant to anything in the story... just placed there irritatingly. For example, what was the point of Winston Reece? The only thing he did to push along anything was to get Mick to talk to Myra. That's it. The rest of the times Reece pops up... he does nothing. Personally, I thought he wasn't an interesting character, he wasn't funny, he seemed to just be there, dragging the story down whenever he popped up.
Also, it seemed like there was supposed to be a twist in the story that when the ending for one of the plots popped up you were going to go, "OMG!" But all the "subtle" clues that had been planted earlier made it extremely obvious where the story was going. Actually a lot of it was rather predictable.
So, if you don't have a lot of time for reading and you want a really good book that will be worthwhile for you and stick with you and make you think... Zipped is not for you.
For me, it was a fun read, but it's not something that's going to stick with me. I had no problems with the writing this time around, but did have a problem with the sort of two different plot lines that really didn't have anything to do with one another. Thinking that somehow everything is going to tie together... but it doesn't. Also some things were entirely irrelevant to anything in the story... just placed there irritatingly. For example, what was the point of Winston Reece? The only thing he did to push along anything was to get Mick to talk to Myra. That's it. The rest of the times Reece pops up... he does nothing. Personally, I thought he wasn't an interesting character, he wasn't funny, he seemed to just be there, dragging the story down whenever he popped up.
Also, it seemed like there was supposed to be a twist in the story that when the ending for one of the plots popped up you were going to go, "OMG!" But all the "subtle" clues that had been planted earlier made it extremely obvious where the story was going. Actually a lot of it was rather predictable.
So, if you don't have a lot of time for reading and you want a really good book that will be worthwhile for you and stick with you and make you think... Zipped is not for you.
April 25, 2020
Okay, very belatedly getting around to typing up a review for this one, which sort of defeats the purpose of reviewing, but there you go. This one's going to be brief, since it's been like a month and a half since I read it and all.
I've read this book a lot of times and always really enjoyed it when I was younger. I think it's a solid book with interesting storylines that weave together (always a favourite literary device of mine) and complicated, not entirely likeable characters. I also think it's clearly written for people on the younger end of the YA spectrum; its style is a bit juvenile and some of the dialogue is a bit stilted and dated. It tried to grapple with themes like racism, sexual harassment, and homosexuality - while admirable, I think this fell flat, since they were pretty shallow explorations. What I enjoyed the most was the depiction of Lisa's Mormonism. I thought it was interesting and really well-done, without othering Lisa or her family or making them seem strange at all.
I'd definitely recommend this to kids several years younger than me - maybe 12-15. It was a favourite of mine for quite awhile, but I think it's time to retire it as I've outgrown it.
I've read this book a lot of times and always really enjoyed it when I was younger. I think it's a solid book with interesting storylines that weave together (always a favourite literary device of mine) and complicated, not entirely likeable characters. I also think it's clearly written for people on the younger end of the YA spectrum; its style is a bit juvenile and some of the dialogue is a bit stilted and dated. It tried to grapple with themes like racism, sexual harassment, and homosexuality - while admirable, I think this fell flat, since they were pretty shallow explorations. What I enjoyed the most was the depiction of Lisa's Mormonism. I thought it was interesting and really well-done, without othering Lisa or her family or making them seem strange at all.
I'd definitely recommend this to kids several years younger than me - maybe 12-15. It was a favourite of mine for quite awhile, but I think it's time to retire it as I've outgrown it.
July 1, 2008
I learned that this book is an utter waste of time. I picked this one up because I thought the premise sounded interesting enough and it might be one that I could recommend to my Sophomores. Um, no.
September 3, 2009
I couldn't get past the second chapter of this book. It was horrible. It was written for young adults, and it had lots of creepy characters and lots of creepy sex talk. It was just icky. That's all I have to say about it.
July 11, 2009
Boring and hard to get through, I couldn't really get into any of the characters.
November 6, 2017
"Lisa felt his eyes on her, and she had to fight the impulse to run." -Lisa (p.106) Zipped takes place in a suburban town. The story is mainly about a kid named Mick and his problems. He finds out that his step mom might be having an affair with another man named Alexander Selkirk. Mick has plenty of options on what to do with this information, will he tell his dad? Or will he confront his step mom. While he's dealing with that he's also distracted by a girl named Liza Doyle, and he also meets another girl named Myra Vidal. Mick becomes intertwined with the girls problems while he has problems of his own. One of the major themes in the book is that people are not always who they seem to be. His step mom seemed like a loving person, but as Mick soon finds out, she isn't who she appears to be. She's hiding secrets from their family. It was an overall okay book, there where some parts that where enjoyable and kind of kept you in suspense. But most of the book was about teenagers trying to find love and get each others attention. It's not really my kind of book, i'd recommend it to people who like romantic books or just want to read a short mystery.
December 15, 2019
Zipped follows a young boy named Mick while he tries to navigate his feelings and relationships with those in his life. At the same time some random pointless stuff happens. And that's basically it.
I had no expectations going into this book. I didn't read any reviews and only glanced at the synopsis. I'm not sure if either of these factors played a part in my overall experience with the book but in all honesty it really bored me. The characters were flat, there was no real storyline that tied everything and everyone together, and the ending was as bland as the rest of the story. I don't have much more of an opinion on the read.
I had no expectations going into this book. I didn't read any reviews and only glanced at the synopsis. I'm not sure if either of these factors played a part in my overall experience with the book but in all honesty it really bored me. The characters were flat, there was no real storyline that tied everything and everyone together, and the ending was as bland as the rest of the story. I don't have much more of an opinion on the read.
August 8, 2021
“Zipped” by Laura and Tom NcNeal. Mick Nichols has a pretty normal life. Good dad, good stepmom, a secret crush on a field hockey gal, and an ever growing friendship with a college freshman. As Mick starts to unravel the truth behind all of the secrets that are being kept, he begins to question what he really knows about the people he thought he did, and that things in life aren’t always what they seem.
This story was a very cute read. Characters were all interesting, storyline flowed very well, and before you know it, you start to root and cheer for specific people before you get to the end.
This story was a very cute read. Characters were all interesting, storyline flowed very well, and before you know it, you start to root and cheer for specific people before you get to the end.
July 4, 2023
This was weaker than Crooked but still pretty solid. The pacing seemed kind of off, and some characters and subplots seemed underdeveloped. Some real bombshell shit was kind of kept in the background while the main story focused on the two main characters ruminating on the same things. Not that the book needed to be changed, but some of the really heavy stuff was kind of just skipped over.
Honestly, the thing I probably liked the most about it was that I could get through it easily. I’ve stalled in 2 of my other books in a way that’s become stressful because they require concentration I don’t have.
Honestly, the thing I probably liked the most about it was that I could get through it easily. I’ve stalled in 2 of my other books in a way that’s become stressful because they require concentration I don’t have.
February 5, 2020
this book was so bad i made an account just to say it
around page 100 it starts just going everywhere and it feels like you read the same page over and over again
the fact that 4 different stories happen at once makes the book 4 times longer because every event is spread across 4 people's perspective
the author's other books are not much better
there is a lot of brand placement for a book probably written in google docs
impossible to finish, repetitive and i had more fun reading the back of the book
around page 100 it starts just going everywhere and it feels like you read the same page over and over again
the fact that 4 different stories happen at once makes the book 4 times longer because every event is spread across 4 people's perspective
the author's other books are not much better
there is a lot of brand placement for a book probably written in google docs
impossible to finish, repetitive and i had more fun reading the back of the book
July 26, 2017
Mick is quite happy with his life: a cool stepmother, Nora, a loving father and loving Lisa Doyle from afar. But everything changes when he accidentally discovers some love letters, via email, addressed to Nora from someone named Alexander Selkirk. Lisa Doyle, meanwhile, struggles with her feelings of forbidden desire toward Elder Keesler, a Mormon missionary. Then there's Maurice Gritz, the tyrannical supervisor of the Village Greens work crew, of which Mick and Lisa are both members.
July 26, 2019
This young adult novel has well-developed characters who work through several forms of relationships. Because of some of the descriptions and romantic events, this is better suited to older teen and young adults.
December 13, 2025
Picked this up and a thrift shop. Good book. All the harsher critics in the reviews obviously didn't get it. This is a story about forgiveness and redemption. Not many people get that concept nowadays I suppose. Sad really.
October 12, 2018
First time I read this was in 2006... I couldn’t remember what it was about so I thought I’d give it another go. I’m glad I did. I wouldn’t say it’s great but it is good.
April 2, 2020
Excellent! Mick is in grade 9, and discovers his step-mother is having an affair.
I love these authors! Another small story wonderfully told!
I love these authors! Another small story wonderfully told!
Read
September 21, 2020I don't exactly remember my thoughts on this book or even when I read it, but I want to keep it shelved so I don't forget about it. I think it was sometime in middle school (c. mid- to late 2000s).
June 22, 2025
Loved this book - hard to put down!
Read
April 5, 2017DNF (Pg. 76) The relationship between the main teen character and his step-mom is questionable from pg. 1, but it gets creepier and creepier as the story goes on. There are too many characters and POVs too, and none of them are that interesting or intriguing.
November 19, 2012
I wouldn’t recommend the book zipped by Tom McNeal to a friend because the book does not have a strong plot .The book zipped is about this high school boy Mick who is struggling with out of interpersonal problems. As his love life take off he receives tragic news about this step-mom who he never really like too much.
One reason I disapprove of this book is because of the aspect of the weak plot. On page 131 it said "This led to a theology-free discussion of the pinkest family farm, which led to the Ebenezer’s, who, Lisa said as she served slices of banana cake, lived communally and were assigned their trades-blacksmith, dairy farmer, butcher, carpenter.” I feel this takes away from the plot of a short book because it doesn’t help move the plot forward whatsoever. Although some like this useless knowledge however it take away developing the plot because they put that in.
Another reason I don’t really enjoy this book is the character and relationships were underdeveloped. In the book on page 3 it said ‘Nora Mercer-Nichols was in her early thirties, but she seemed younger. The plot isn’t very strong because the backgrounds of the characters are not developed fully making them seem like a waste of a character because they are missing information that could affect us later in the plot. Now maybe some people like the dumbed down version of the story but it so worth it to have the back story because strong characters equals strong plot.
Another reason why I wouldn’t recommend the book zipped is because the plot has to do with a very unrelatable situation. In this book for some reason Mick refuses to tell his dad about Nora’s affair and if he told his dad at the beginning it wouldn’t be such a problem at all. Mick at the beginning of the book finds out about the affair but never tells his dad which actually is the worse decision because every other high schooler would tell the other adult guardian by then. So realistic aspect has completely disappeared by the time the book is over. Now some people claim this that the real suspense is who she is having the affair with but Mick only makes a 50% to figure it out himself.
In conclusion if you ever see the book at the store buy it then burn it because this book is not worth your time.
One reason I disapprove of this book is because of the aspect of the weak plot. On page 131 it said "This led to a theology-free discussion of the pinkest family farm, which led to the Ebenezer’s, who, Lisa said as she served slices of banana cake, lived communally and were assigned their trades-blacksmith, dairy farmer, butcher, carpenter.” I feel this takes away from the plot of a short book because it doesn’t help move the plot forward whatsoever. Although some like this useless knowledge however it take away developing the plot because they put that in.
Another reason I don’t really enjoy this book is the character and relationships were underdeveloped. In the book on page 3 it said ‘Nora Mercer-Nichols was in her early thirties, but she seemed younger. The plot isn’t very strong because the backgrounds of the characters are not developed fully making them seem like a waste of a character because they are missing information that could affect us later in the plot. Now maybe some people like the dumbed down version of the story but it so worth it to have the back story because strong characters equals strong plot.
Another reason why I wouldn’t recommend the book zipped is because the plot has to do with a very unrelatable situation. In this book for some reason Mick refuses to tell his dad about Nora’s affair and if he told his dad at the beginning it wouldn’t be such a problem at all. Mick at the beginning of the book finds out about the affair but never tells his dad which actually is the worse decision because every other high schooler would tell the other adult guardian by then. So realistic aspect has completely disappeared by the time the book is over. Now some people claim this that the real suspense is who she is having the affair with but Mick only makes a 50% to figure it out himself.
In conclusion if you ever see the book at the store buy it then burn it because this book is not worth your time.
May 23, 2013
This was a very entertaining young adult read. I saw one f my students completely engaged in the book and decided to read it myself. It is the story of Mick who discovers that his step-mother, who he likes very much, is cheating on his father. He carries around a disk in his jacket pocket that contains emails she sent to her boyfriens. Once Mick makes this discovery, he begins to change. He befriends a college girl names Myra Vidal, who he talks to on a dare, become a very close friend, which was a bit hard to beleive. He also decides to begin talking to a girl that he has had a crush on, Lisa Doyle. They both begin working at the same place - a retirement community where they perform landscape work. Their boss isa graduate of their school,Maurice, who is power hungry and a nasty person, making racial slurs at some of the workers and treating others as slaves. But Lisa's best friend, Janet, is taken with Maurice and the attention he pays to her, and she begins dating him. Lisa als has a terrible crush on a Morman missionary who has dinner at her house. He begins to lead her on, but eventually leaves to go back with his girlfriend. In the end. Maurice is put in jail for buglarizing the old people's homes in order to boost security from a friend's secutiry business, Mick's stepmother's boyfriend breaks is found to be sleeping with other women (after Mick has damaged the engine of his car) so his step-mother and father work out their issues. Lisa and Mick end of dating, and Myra, he hosts this elaborate dinner for Mick's birthday, tells him she is gay and has a crush on her best friend. What I liked most about this book is how well developed the characters were, and how they played so well off each other. Itwas a very intesesting, quick read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2009
Zipped
September 14,2004 Knopf books for Young Readers
Pgs.304 $7.99
Laura McNeal
ISBN: 9780375830983
"Click" "Click Click" "Scroll down" "Type" "Enter" "Stared at the screen blankly with nothing to say." Ever felt like that? That is Mick Michols. Zipped is an interesting book, it is written from a boy's point of view. If a girl is reading it it would feel weird to be in a boy's shoe. Laura McNeal won't make girl feel awkward in a boy's shoe, she makes it like your still in a girl's brain.
In Zipped Mick opens up the computer and saw his stepmom emailing to another man, from the very first instance he thought that his stepmom is cheating on his father. With that distraction he is having trouble catching up in school. Lisa Doyle is one of his another common distractions, he just can't take his eyes off from her. Mick reallys thinks that his stepmom is cheating on his father, but he's keeping his mouth shut and doesn't tell his father? Why is that? Who knows it's you to read it and figure it out!
Zipped is a fiction book, but you might be able to connect the situations Mick is going through to your life. Zipped is a book about trust, loyaly, friendship, love, and last but least family. Without a trusty and loyalty family, where would you be?
September 14,2004 Knopf books for Young Readers
Pgs.304 $7.99
Laura McNeal
ISBN: 9780375830983
"Click" "Click Click" "Scroll down" "Type" "Enter" "Stared at the screen blankly with nothing to say." Ever felt like that? That is Mick Michols. Zipped is an interesting book, it is written from a boy's point of view. If a girl is reading it it would feel weird to be in a boy's shoe. Laura McNeal won't make girl feel awkward in a boy's shoe, she makes it like your still in a girl's brain.
In Zipped Mick opens up the computer and saw his stepmom emailing to another man, from the very first instance he thought that his stepmom is cheating on his father. With that distraction he is having trouble catching up in school. Lisa Doyle is one of his another common distractions, he just can't take his eyes off from her. Mick reallys thinks that his stepmom is cheating on his father, but he's keeping his mouth shut and doesn't tell his father? Why is that? Who knows it's you to read it and figure it out!
Zipped is a fiction book, but you might be able to connect the situations Mick is going through to your life. Zipped is a book about trust, loyaly, friendship, love, and last but least family. Without a trusty and loyalty family, where would you be?
September 25, 2012
I feel very strongly that this book would keep an audience of high schoolers perfectly entertained very easily. It was an easy read, and a page turner throughout the whole book. If mystery is the genre you prefer, then this book will be perfect. Not only was there suspense, but also good laughs here and there. This book was exactly what I was looking for, and it was written so well that it all felt real. When Mick (the main character) was angry, I felt it too. "Zipped" was an excellent choice, and I hope to read more of Laura McNeal, because her descriptive writing was superb. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in young adult, or mystery.
"Who's Alexander Selkirk?" Reece asked. That quote sums up most of the story, because Mick lives through the whole story in wonder: who is this man? If you are a reader that likes to figure out the mystery of the story, before it is told to you, this would be a great book to read, but it is hard to comprehend the reasoning of the writing sometimes. Mick Nickols was just like any other 15 year-old, with an average life, until he figures out his step-moms secret.
"Who's Alexander Selkirk?" Reece asked. That quote sums up most of the story, because Mick lives through the whole story in wonder: who is this man? If you are a reader that likes to figure out the mystery of the story, before it is told to you, this would be a great book to read, but it is hard to comprehend the reasoning of the writing sometimes. Mick Nickols was just like any other 15 year-old, with an average life, until he figures out his step-moms secret.
May 18, 2014
Possibly 4.5 stars.
I really, really enjoyed reading this book. The style and voice reminded me a lot of Crusader by Edward Bloor (except this had a male protagonist, while Crusader had a female one). They both deal with younger kids (around 14/15, if I remember correctly) who are trying to deal with not-so-normal things while still going about their mostly normal lives. I realize this probably sounds like the basic outline for just about every middle grade or YA book ever, but there's just something about how the McNeals and Bloor go about it that makes you sympathize with the main character so much that you almost lose yourself in them. Even though Mick made some decisions that I would generally disagree with, I still found myself supporting him and hoping it all worked out like he hoped it would.
I don't want to say much more because I don't want to give anything away or ruin anything inadvertently, but it was a fairly quick read and I always looked forward to when I'd be able to read it next.
I really, really enjoyed reading this book. The style and voice reminded me a lot of Crusader by Edward Bloor (except this had a male protagonist, while Crusader had a female one). They both deal with younger kids (around 14/15, if I remember correctly) who are trying to deal with not-so-normal things while still going about their mostly normal lives. I realize this probably sounds like the basic outline for just about every middle grade or YA book ever, but there's just something about how the McNeals and Bloor go about it that makes you sympathize with the main character so much that you almost lose yourself in them. Even though Mick made some decisions that I would generally disagree with, I still found myself supporting him and hoping it all worked out like he hoped it would.
I don't want to say much more because I don't want to give anything away or ruin anything inadvertently, but it was a fairly quick read and I always looked forward to when I'd be able to read it next.
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