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Jude
When fifteen-year-old Jude's father is brutally murdered, Jude is a witness. But to save his own life, he can't tell the police what he knows. Still, Jude is determined to clear his name and win the approval of his mother -- the district attorney he has not seen since he was an infant.
At the urging of his mother's longtime companion, Jude agrees to a crazy scheme to protect her political future. But what Jude doesn't know is that there are buried secrets that will require him to sacrifice more than he ever dreamed. And his search for approval will turn into one for revenge.
394 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 198 reviews
October 28, 2021
Ruben ist 15 Jahre alt, als sein Vater – ein Drogendealer – vor seinen Augen erschossen wird. Nach diesem Vorfall kommt er zu seiner Mutter, die er bis dahin nicht kannte. Seine Mutter ist Bezirksstaatsanwältin, und Ruben hat im Vergleich zu früher nun ein recht sorgenfreies Leben. Dann aber stirbt an seiner neuen Schule ein Mitschüler an einer Überdosis Heroin, und schnell gerät Ruben in Verdacht, ihm den Stoff besorgt zu haben. Er wird vor Gericht gestellt…
* Meine Meinung *
Dieses Jugendbuch ist ein sehr bewegendes und berührendes Buch. Ich habe mit Ruben gebangt, gehofft und gewütet. Die Geschichte wird in jugendlich-angemessenem einfachen Schreibstil erzählt, so dass sich die Story sehr flüssig und zügig lesen lässt.
Dennoch ist die Handlung packend und mitreißend, und ich konnte mich oft sehr gut in Ruben hineinversetzen und mit ihm fühlen. Seine Enttäuschung, seine Wut und seinen Ärger und die gestorbene Hoffnung, als er erkennen muss, dass Harry ihn hereingelegt hat.
Seinen Schmerz über den neuerlichen „Verlust“ seiner Mutter. Seine anfängliche Angst und Zurückhaltung im Gefängnis, und dann die Leere und Gleichgültigkeit.
Als er für sich entschieden hat, dass er seiner Mutter beweisen möchte, dass doch noch etwas in ihm steckt, habe ich mich mit ihm gefreut.
Das Ende des Romans hat es dann sogar noch geschafft, mich zu überraschen.
Ein rundum gelungener Jugendroman, den sowohl Jungen als auch Mädchen lesen können, und der meiner Meinung nach auch für erwachsene Leser durchaus geeignet ist!
* Meine Meinung *
Dieses Jugendbuch ist ein sehr bewegendes und berührendes Buch. Ich habe mit Ruben gebangt, gehofft und gewütet. Die Geschichte wird in jugendlich-angemessenem einfachen Schreibstil erzählt, so dass sich die Story sehr flüssig und zügig lesen lässt.
Dennoch ist die Handlung packend und mitreißend, und ich konnte mich oft sehr gut in Ruben hineinversetzen und mit ihm fühlen. Seine Enttäuschung, seine Wut und seinen Ärger und die gestorbene Hoffnung, als er erkennen muss, dass Harry ihn hereingelegt hat.
Seinen Schmerz über den neuerlichen „Verlust“ seiner Mutter. Seine anfängliche Angst und Zurückhaltung im Gefängnis, und dann die Leere und Gleichgültigkeit.
Als er für sich entschieden hat, dass er seiner Mutter beweisen möchte, dass doch noch etwas in ihm steckt, habe ich mich mit ihm gefreut.
Das Ende des Romans hat es dann sogar noch geschafft, mich zu überraschen.
Ein rundum gelungener Jugendroman, den sowohl Jungen als auch Mädchen lesen können, und der meiner Meinung nach auch für erwachsene Leser durchaus geeignet ist!
November 7, 2016
I was going glad when the truth finally came out about Harry I knew he was a piece of dog **** when Jude first met him and acted like he cared about him when in the end he wanted to do harm to him to save his own ***. In the end, he ended up in jail, aha, karma's definitely a fat mother *****. lol. I always say, and my father always says never do harm to someone because something will happen to you, you think you can do bad to others and believe that nothing will happen your definitely wrong. The thing with me was his mother saying she was upset of how his father took him but until the day she met Jude she acted like she didn't care about him, glad my mother isn't like that. I mean *** she might not be supportive half the time, but she cares about me. If I had a mother like Jude, I wouldn't know if I would want approval or not because I've haven't gotten approval from barely anyone from my family. I say f them because when you become some, they'll be calling you and begging you for help. But you were the one that they say would amount to nothing. I'm glad Jude truth finally came out, and he became a free man and going to law school. Reading this book reminds me of myself about wanting to become a lawyer. Glad I picked up this book and read, since me not being a BIG novel reader.
June 28, 2011
Jude watches his father die at the point of a gun, then promises the killer he won’t tell.
The killer lets him live.
This happens in the first few pages.
Then the detectives find the letter—taped to the bottom of a drawer—that reveals who Jude’s mother is. The elected D.A.
And she reveals that Jude was kidnapped when he was just a kid.
Still in the first few pages.
But this isn’t one of those books that drops off after the first three chapters.
And Jude’s life isn’t one of those that gets better after every page.
This is the second time I’ve read Jude. Despite the thrilleresque revelations (which I’d already unwrapped previously), l loved the second read-through almost as much as the first because there’s so much character within the book. Jude himself—developing his character. Making stupid, stupid decisions until you want to scream at him and then brilliant ones. A fantastic read.
The killer lets him live.
This happens in the first few pages.
Then the detectives find the letter—taped to the bottom of a drawer—that reveals who Jude’s mother is. The elected D.A.
And she reveals that Jude was kidnapped when he was just a kid.
Still in the first few pages.
But this isn’t one of those books that drops off after the first three chapters.
And Jude’s life isn’t one of those that gets better after every page.
This is the second time I’ve read Jude. Despite the thrilleresque revelations (which I’d already unwrapped previously), l loved the second read-through almost as much as the first because there’s so much character within the book. Jude himself—developing his character. Making stupid, stupid decisions until you want to scream at him and then brilliant ones. A fantastic read.
July 24, 2011
I enjoyed reading this story which is quite different from other stories about abused children and being reunited with a parent they never knew.
While reading this you felt the sadness and pain for Jude as he tries to fit into a new world which does not include his father, the only parent he's known for 15 years who was abusive, a drug dealer and now dead. He's trying to fit into his mother's life but unsuccessfully though no fault of his own. You feel his sadness as you realize that his mother, who was never there for the first fifteen years of his life, is still really not there for him. When a chance endeavor at making his mother proud of him goes horribly wrong, he realizes he's on his own and tries to cope with what the future may or may not hold.
While reading this all I could think of was hoping that Jude came out on top and that those who hurt him pay for what they did. You always hope for happy endings but sometimes even those come at a price.
While reading this you felt the sadness and pain for Jude as he tries to fit into a new world which does not include his father, the only parent he's known for 15 years who was abusive, a drug dealer and now dead. He's trying to fit into his mother's life but unsuccessfully though no fault of his own. You feel his sadness as you realize that his mother, who was never there for the first fifteen years of his life, is still really not there for him. When a chance endeavor at making his mother proud of him goes horribly wrong, he realizes he's on his own and tries to cope with what the future may or may not hold.
While reading this all I could think of was hoping that Jude came out on top and that those who hurt him pay for what they did. You always hope for happy endings but sometimes even those come at a price.
December 9, 2009
I picked this up after pre-ordering one of Kate Morgenroth's adult thrillers that got a starred review in either PW or Booklist and that sounded really, really good. I was checking to see what else she'd written, and I saw this. It was cheap--under $7--and I don't see a lot of YA thrillers/mysteries out there, so I wanted to give it a try.
It is AMAZING. When the book opens Jude, who is fifteen, is being questioned by the police about the murder of his drug-dealing father. They take him to the station to question him some more, and Jude meets with the DA---who turns out to be his mother.
There are so many twists and turns in this book and the best thing about them is that they ALL work. That is so rare, and one of the things that makes this book so good.
The writing is also amazing--I felt like I knew Jude and all the other characters, even the minor ones, by the end of the story--and I was also blown away by how well Kate Morgenroth handles the passage of time (the book starts when Jude is fifteen and ends when he is in his early twenties)--covering so much is a lot, but she did a great job.
Finally, the ending? Wow. Loved it!
It is AMAZING. When the book opens Jude, who is fifteen, is being questioned by the police about the murder of his drug-dealing father. They take him to the station to question him some more, and Jude meets with the DA---who turns out to be his mother.
There are so many twists and turns in this book and the best thing about them is that they ALL work. That is so rare, and one of the things that makes this book so good.
The writing is also amazing--I felt like I knew Jude and all the other characters, even the minor ones, by the end of the story--and I was also blown away by how well Kate Morgenroth handles the passage of time (the book starts when Jude is fifteen and ends when he is in his early twenties)--covering so much is a lot, but she did a great job.
Finally, the ending? Wow. Loved it!
September 1, 2007
This book, people. It's like The OC and Prison Break and The Pursuit of Happyness all rolled into one. Boy from the wrong side of the tracks goes to live with his wealthy attorney mother after his father dies. Attends private school, gets into lots of fights, and then whoops, gets involved in an elaborate conspiracy to help his mother get elected mayor. Ends up in jail, gets out, tries to make something of his life. There are obstacles, etc. Do you see what I mean? It was fast-paced, it had plot twists (some more glaringly obvious than others) and I stayed up until all hours of the morning to finish it.
October 28, 2015
Jude
Kate Morgenroth
Personal Response-
I really liked this book because mostly because it was different than any other books I’ve read and because it gave you a really big life lesson of who you trust and to be sure of the choices you make. I got this book at Goodwill as I randomly picked it off the shelf, I usually decide books on their cover and the back and sometimes the last page of the book, just to be sure. Once I read the back of the book it never said anything like him going to jail and buying marijuana. I ended up really enjoying the book though.
Summary-
Jude grew up with his father and one day, his father died, right in front of him and all he did was watch. They could have killed him to but Jude gave them his word and they knew he was nowhere near being the one to break it. Going through a bunch of questions from the police they ended up searching through his house as he wouldn’t budge. All they found was a marriage certificate and a birth one. The police right away knew his mother and they brought her in. Jude’s mom, Anna, was the head of the D.A.’s office. She took him home and he ended up starting a new school but he ended up starting with no friends and after two fights, he got the one group of guys he found more like him. As a friend to them he did as they asked, even if it meant taking them to a place where they could buy drugs. A year in his friend Nick overdosed on heroin and Anna’s friend, Harry, caught on that Jude was involved. Just that day had Anna said she was going to be running for mayor and Jude knew that Harry was right, he’d have to set up a confession and go to jail for until his mother could be elected.
They worked on it and soon Anna walked in as a call was picked up by the answering machine looking for Jude and asking him about buying from him tomorrow at the park. The next day the cops caught him and found the marijuana Jude had gotten from Harry in his school backpack. Jude got sent to juvenile detention while court when on, in the end Jude was sentenced with five years. He thought he’d only be in there for a few months because Harry said he’d get him out, but Harry lied, his mother never knew the truth, and she disapproved of him. Five years later he got out and lived in a house without other ex-cons of the world in a home built to help them and prepare them. Jude had got a job at a diner and soon moved in with a reporter Davis, who was also his friend. Jude told Davis the whole story given that Davis wouldn’t post it and finally Jude wanted to get proof, he knew he couldn’t unless he had something to blackmail Harry with so they snuck into his new house he’d moved into with Anna and went through his cabinets, copying them with a scanner. Davis took them to work and printed them bringing home boxes and boxes of Harry’s taxes, records, and everything they had gotten their hands on. They worked for months, later Jude brought Davis’ sister, Lizzie into the picture and she found something. Sadly Jude got kicked out of their house before more could be found.
As Jude settled into an apartment of his own he hung the poster of their findings up and as a year went by, staring at it every day and night finally gave him the answer. Those checks were sent out every time his father moved. One time he made the mistake of calling his father and Jude knew for sure that Harry had helped my father out and always knew where I was but let Anna worry herself. As he went to Harry he said Harry had to tell Anna or the story would go out. They waited then, until Anna got home and once she did Davis gave Jude a vest with a hidden recorder and Jude left with Harry to talk with Anna, alone.
Anna begged to know it was all a lie but in the end, Harry was the bad guy before he turned it back around saying Jude had killed his father. Harry knew that couldn’t of been true and so once he left, Davis got ahold of the recording saying he was going to publish both of the stories and Jude had admitted to killing his father so that Harry wouldn’t let the publicity get him. Then it hit him, Jude had one more stop, one more confession and here it came. Jude ended up visiting a guy in jail, the guy that killed his father and after he got a confession he asked for the confession to go worldwide and the guy agreed as he was already in for a life sentence.
In the end, Jude got into law school and his mother’s career was over. Before all Jude wanted was for his mother to be proud of him, but he found out even if she could’ve, she would of done it for her instead of having the truth so he knew he wanted nothing to do with her. He left and everyone looked up to him, he went to jail for five years, all for a lie. He sacrificed everything for his mother and his mother still asks for the story to stay hidden for the sake of her position in being mayor. Jude walks out of his old life knowing he is ready for a new one.
Recommendation-
I recommend this book for people over the age of thirteen due to the use of drugs and both genders. This book was full of many twists and not once should you lose focus. This book is only 288 pages and there is only one book no series. It is short and I think you’ll enjoy it.
Kate Morgenroth
Personal Response-
I really liked this book because mostly because it was different than any other books I’ve read and because it gave you a really big life lesson of who you trust and to be sure of the choices you make. I got this book at Goodwill as I randomly picked it off the shelf, I usually decide books on their cover and the back and sometimes the last page of the book, just to be sure. Once I read the back of the book it never said anything like him going to jail and buying marijuana. I ended up really enjoying the book though.
Summary-
Jude grew up with his father and one day, his father died, right in front of him and all he did was watch. They could have killed him to but Jude gave them his word and they knew he was nowhere near being the one to break it. Going through a bunch of questions from the police they ended up searching through his house as he wouldn’t budge. All they found was a marriage certificate and a birth one. The police right away knew his mother and they brought her in. Jude’s mom, Anna, was the head of the D.A.’s office. She took him home and he ended up starting a new school but he ended up starting with no friends and after two fights, he got the one group of guys he found more like him. As a friend to them he did as they asked, even if it meant taking them to a place where they could buy drugs. A year in his friend Nick overdosed on heroin and Anna’s friend, Harry, caught on that Jude was involved. Just that day had Anna said she was going to be running for mayor and Jude knew that Harry was right, he’d have to set up a confession and go to jail for until his mother could be elected.
They worked on it and soon Anna walked in as a call was picked up by the answering machine looking for Jude and asking him about buying from him tomorrow at the park. The next day the cops caught him and found the marijuana Jude had gotten from Harry in his school backpack. Jude got sent to juvenile detention while court when on, in the end Jude was sentenced with five years. He thought he’d only be in there for a few months because Harry said he’d get him out, but Harry lied, his mother never knew the truth, and she disapproved of him. Five years later he got out and lived in a house without other ex-cons of the world in a home built to help them and prepare them. Jude had got a job at a diner and soon moved in with a reporter Davis, who was also his friend. Jude told Davis the whole story given that Davis wouldn’t post it and finally Jude wanted to get proof, he knew he couldn’t unless he had something to blackmail Harry with so they snuck into his new house he’d moved into with Anna and went through his cabinets, copying them with a scanner. Davis took them to work and printed them bringing home boxes and boxes of Harry’s taxes, records, and everything they had gotten their hands on. They worked for months, later Jude brought Davis’ sister, Lizzie into the picture and she found something. Sadly Jude got kicked out of their house before more could be found.
As Jude settled into an apartment of his own he hung the poster of their findings up and as a year went by, staring at it every day and night finally gave him the answer. Those checks were sent out every time his father moved. One time he made the mistake of calling his father and Jude knew for sure that Harry had helped my father out and always knew where I was but let Anna worry herself. As he went to Harry he said Harry had to tell Anna or the story would go out. They waited then, until Anna got home and once she did Davis gave Jude a vest with a hidden recorder and Jude left with Harry to talk with Anna, alone.
Anna begged to know it was all a lie but in the end, Harry was the bad guy before he turned it back around saying Jude had killed his father. Harry knew that couldn’t of been true and so once he left, Davis got ahold of the recording saying he was going to publish both of the stories and Jude had admitted to killing his father so that Harry wouldn’t let the publicity get him. Then it hit him, Jude had one more stop, one more confession and here it came. Jude ended up visiting a guy in jail, the guy that killed his father and after he got a confession he asked for the confession to go worldwide and the guy agreed as he was already in for a life sentence.
In the end, Jude got into law school and his mother’s career was over. Before all Jude wanted was for his mother to be proud of him, but he found out even if she could’ve, she would of done it for her instead of having the truth so he knew he wanted nothing to do with her. He left and everyone looked up to him, he went to jail for five years, all for a lie. He sacrificed everything for his mother and his mother still asks for the story to stay hidden for the sake of her position in being mayor. Jude walks out of his old life knowing he is ready for a new one.
Recommendation-
I recommend this book for people over the age of thirteen due to the use of drugs and both genders. This book was full of many twists and not once should you lose focus. This book is only 288 pages and there is only one book no series. It is short and I think you’ll enjoy it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2011
I choose this book because the front page look intersting but i dint want to read it that much because the book seem big in old and too many pages i thought i was gonna get bored but look i didnt the book may of looked bad but it turn out to be one of my favorites book.
the genre of the book is mystery and fake but it could happen to a teen who is releted to drugs or bad friends.
the setting takes place in many places but where it gets told the most is in the jail where jude is at for "selling" drugs. it is also taken place where they caught him "selling" them in the park.
The main character to me is two people the first who is the main main main character is Jude he is a junior at high school he lives with his mom after the death of his father. he doesnt have any family members. he is a good fighter. and a trouble maker.
The plot of the book is Jude is told my his stepfather harry to go to the park and just stand there with the bag of herion and wait for the cop to come and take him to jail. He was set up by his stepfather. His stepfather is another main character he wants to have his mother out of the police buisness. Harry is jeolous of her. but i dont get why he marrys her at the end. Luckly at the end Ana jude mothers find out everything but still ends up with harry .
the main problem to be started all in the beginning were he was excuse of killing his dad which is not true. it started out when his dad was killed by a group of friends of harry in the kitchen but didnt end up killing jude because it was planed out so once the cops came they took him and found his mother he havent seen since he was a baby.
The problem is solved at the end he meets this guy davis who is a reporter and end up going to harry and ana house and telling him it was all planed out. it was all record and davis machine when jude wored it to look nice. Harry ended up in jail and a bad acciend happen to him he ended up getting stabed by a memeber of friends he had. (that member of friend was a person who killed jude father)
i really liked this book meven thou it took me away because it was really long. but i like how the chapters werent long! i just hated how the story didnt end up with jude and lizzie (davis twin sister) getting marry i thought they would make a perfect math together. i hope there is a secong book but i doubt it!
the genre of the book is mystery and fake but it could happen to a teen who is releted to drugs or bad friends.
the setting takes place in many places but where it gets told the most is in the jail where jude is at for "selling" drugs. it is also taken place where they caught him "selling" them in the park.
The main character to me is two people the first who is the main main main character is Jude he is a junior at high school he lives with his mom after the death of his father. he doesnt have any family members. he is a good fighter. and a trouble maker.
The plot of the book is Jude is told my his stepfather harry to go to the park and just stand there with the bag of herion and wait for the cop to come and take him to jail. He was set up by his stepfather. His stepfather is another main character he wants to have his mother out of the police buisness. Harry is jeolous of her. but i dont get why he marrys her at the end. Luckly at the end Ana jude mothers find out everything but still ends up with harry .
the main problem to be started all in the beginning were he was excuse of killing his dad which is not true. it started out when his dad was killed by a group of friends of harry in the kitchen but didnt end up killing jude because it was planed out so once the cops came they took him and found his mother he havent seen since he was a baby.
The problem is solved at the end he meets this guy davis who is a reporter and end up going to harry and ana house and telling him it was all planed out. it was all record and davis machine when jude wored it to look nice. Harry ended up in jail and a bad acciend happen to him he ended up getting stabed by a memeber of friends he had. (that member of friend was a person who killed jude father)
i really liked this book meven thou it took me away because it was really long. but i like how the chapters werent long! i just hated how the story didnt end up with jude and lizzie (davis twin sister) getting marry i thought they would make a perfect math together. i hope there is a secong book but i doubt it!
April 18, 2020
Jude, a fifteen year old boy, witnesses the murder of his drug dealer father, and then during the investigation, discovers his long lost mother. As he tries to find a place in her life and to adjust to a completely new way of living, Jude is convinced to make a sacrifice to help his mother, but if he is not careful, things can go terribly wrong.
Wow. This book. Really, I don't know what to say, other than if you are going to read it, you will reach a point where you have to keep reading or the anxiety of it will eat at you. It was right toward the middle, and it made me so anxious that I couldn't even sleep, and so the next day, I had to sit and read until I had closure. The story is a difficult one to hear, but it was certainly well done and truly affected me.
Wow. This book. Really, I don't know what to say, other than if you are going to read it, you will reach a point where you have to keep reading or the anxiety of it will eat at you. It was right toward the middle, and it made me so anxious that I couldn't even sleep, and so the next day, I had to sit and read until I had closure. The story is a difficult one to hear, but it was certainly well done and truly affected me.
May 24, 2017
this is a good book, 11/10 would definitely recommend
July 6, 2021
I love this book with my whole heart. Jude deserved a much better life but in the end, he seemed really happy and I am very much satisfied by the ending.
November 30, 2009
Jude is a story about the life of an adolescent named Jude journey in finding his mother’s acceptance. During his expedition, he comes across many twists and turns involving drugs, family, and friends ultimately defining his character. In my opinion, being a book focused on the topic of drugs and a life of a young teenage boy, I was sceptical at first. However, with the author’s smooth captivating writing style and choice of character styles/traits, it kept me interested all the way through.
Kate Morgenroth’s writing style in ingenious. It is well planned and designed to grab attention and invoke a person in reading the novel in matter of days. She uses shroud and vivid imagery to capture and present the essence of a scene to the reader. For example, in the quote “When Lefty curled himself protectively around his wrist, Jude kicked him. Get up, he demanded” (226 Morgenroth) you can imagine the intensity and anger presented in the scene. In addition, the author also uses a 3rd person perspective to draw the reader closer to the character. In fact, it was so compelling that when the main character felt angry, I found myself angry. The author really made me feel like I was part of the book, living inside of Jude.
The author also spent a lot of time planning and shaping each of the characters in the novel. To add suspense, she creates a character and makes them appear to the protagonist in a pleasing way, but later on she reveals their true identity. An example of such a character is Jude’s mother. At first, his impression of his mother is someone to impress and look up too. This is true by looking at the quote, “He dreamed he would do something to make her say, thank god for Jude” as it emphasizes Jude’s ambition in making her mother proud of him. However, at the end of the novel his opinion dramatically changes, as her true identity immerses.
In conclusion, the novel Jude is very intriguing because of the author’s original writing style and unique choice of characters. The novel is quite a page turner and is a must read for all of you thriller fanatics!
Kate Morgenroth’s writing style in ingenious. It is well planned and designed to grab attention and invoke a person in reading the novel in matter of days. She uses shroud and vivid imagery to capture and present the essence of a scene to the reader. For example, in the quote “When Lefty curled himself protectively around his wrist, Jude kicked him. Get up, he demanded” (226 Morgenroth) you can imagine the intensity and anger presented in the scene. In addition, the author also uses a 3rd person perspective to draw the reader closer to the character. In fact, it was so compelling that when the main character felt angry, I found myself angry. The author really made me feel like I was part of the book, living inside of Jude.
The author also spent a lot of time planning and shaping each of the characters in the novel. To add suspense, she creates a character and makes them appear to the protagonist in a pleasing way, but later on she reveals their true identity. An example of such a character is Jude’s mother. At first, his impression of his mother is someone to impress and look up too. This is true by looking at the quote, “He dreamed he would do something to make her say, thank god for Jude” as it emphasizes Jude’s ambition in making her mother proud of him. However, at the end of the novel his opinion dramatically changes, as her true identity immerses.
In conclusion, the novel Jude is very intriguing because of the author’s original writing style and unique choice of characters. The novel is quite a page turner and is a must read for all of you thriller fanatics!
November 5, 2010
i chose to read this book because i liked the review. the book genre was realistic fiction.the setting was his in new york.jude is a year old boy he is from the hood and he likes to play basket ball. when he gets out of jail he look like his father 6,1 big and strong. in the begining of jude jude lives with his father in the bad part of town and he likes to play basket ball. his father get killed right in front of him. in the middle he goes to live with his mother and she is very rich. he gose to the rich school called benton. some kisd ask if he can get them drugs he sais no and then yes. he takes them to his old nabor hood to buy but he does not sell. his old buddy starts to sell to nick and nick becomes a drug dealer. in the last part of the book rj gives nick some pure drugs on acident and nick usaly gets the worst you can buy. nick takes the strong drugs and he dies. in the last part of the story jude gets framed by his mothers boy frend and goes to jail for selling and a homicde for 5 years. harry did this so she could get the marors job when he gets out he gose to get a job and he lives with a reporter named davis they try to get harry to tell his mother he was framed. he does but he also digs up a bounch of old news. he says hes going to charge him with his fathers murder. harry goes to jail i think for framing jude and he gets stabbed in the throught and almost dies. his mother keeps and calling him because she wants him back as a son. he thinks it is to late. he get acepted into alot of collges and harvard for law. it is a big thing that a x con got excepted into harvard. the main problem is that jude is framed and he is going to jail. he solves this by blackmaing harry and tells him to tell her he wasent lying and he was framed. i really liked this book because it was very intresting and it keped me reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2012
JUDE is a great book that shows a look into a teenagers life, but in very extreme situations. This books depicts a teenage boys struggle to find acceptance and to cope with the death of his father, and being reunited with a mother he thought did not want him. Jude searches for the love and admiration of his mother, and sees his chance at making her proud in a very extreme and unorthodox way which results in a prison sentence. Now, 17 years old and in prison, Jude has a lot of growing up to do and realizes that the one person who he thought was helping him, was actually in it to hurt him. When released from prison Jude is on a mission to prove his innocence to his mother, and to take down the man who landed him in prison. Jude is a great book that portrays the importance of acceptance to todays youth, and the lengths some people will go to in order to help other people. I highly recommend this book to anyone.
February 7, 2017
Captivating, and page turner are the words to describe this book.
Made me think of Jodie Picoult's book, "Nineteen Minutes" & "My Sister's Keeper".
Also the TV Show "Major Crimes" w/Rusty.
Loyalty is the major topic here, loyalty to friends, family and being true to thyself.
Made me think of Jodie Picoult's book, "Nineteen Minutes" & "My Sister's Keeper".
Also the TV Show "Major Crimes" w/Rusty.
Loyalty is the major topic here, loyalty to friends, family and being true to thyself.
October 15, 2019
Content Warning: Ages 13+
🤬Profanity: Sh*t” is said on occasions. Other instances include “asshole” and other minor instances.
Repetition: 𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚍
✊Violence: Jude fights his inmates for fun. Jude beats someone with a pipe. Someone is shot in the chest. Mentions of the court and laws,with the criminals and their own stories. Jude gets abused by his father. His mother gets abused in mentions of flashbacks.
Repititon: 𝚖𝚘𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎
🥃Drugs:Jude leads his friend to a spot where he can get high. Mentions of how much ounces belong in certain drugs. Characters drink beer and get drunk at times. One character drinks alcohol. An inmate smokes a cigarette.
Repetition: 𝚖𝚘𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎
💋Romance/Love:A character gets hit and abused by their partner. A couple kiss briefly for a second. Jude falls for a girl but they do nothing beyond that.
Repetition: 𝙽𝚘𝚗𝚎
😿Frightening/Intense Scenes: A character passes away. Jude considers what life would be like if he didn’t exist. Characters fight each other almost to the point of death (on a few occasions.) Jude and his mother were abused at some point. Prison life is described in a realistic manner.
Repetition: 𝙼𝚘𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎
😇Positive messages/Themes
Jude try’s to work to fix himself and discovers that he he needs to try and create a better life for himself. He stays determined and does not give up. He also makes smart choices as he matures. Character development is shown.
Repetition: 𝚂𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚜/𝙼𝚒𝚕𝚍
There is only one way to describe this book: very twisted and intense. Holds you on the edge of your seat. And it’s the type of dialogue I can read-simple but engaging.
𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐳𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫-𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞. 𝐇𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭,𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧.
It’s written in a way that makes you engaged with the story. Page after page you just want to find out what happens to our titular character Jude.
The story follows him as he tries to work his way out of the trap that his father set him up in after he was killed. He tries to prove his innocence,but it won’t be so easy with people out to get him...
And now...
What do I think?
I would say right now that I am pretty much trying to get over what I just read. I got this novel and in less than two days I already poured my heart out in trying to read almost 400 pages. Yes this book is almost 400 pages.
Fifteen year old Jude keeps quiet after witnessing his father getting killed. From here,his life starts to change as he tries to help his mother with her career after following through with a crazy plan. And things start to spin out of control..
If there is anything that I would say that really bugged me with this novel,it would have to be the time. Jude is fifteen years old when the story starts,but he’s in his mid twenties when the story ends. That’s a long way to grow and change. Not only that,but the ending was open ended. I did some research into it and found a pretty solid answer as to what the ending could mean,but I don’t know what really happens next for Jude.
But before we get to that,let’s talk about the story.
Jude sees his father get killed and he must keep quiet if he wants to live. So he doesn’t say anything. Here’s the thing though. Why did his father get killed? For what reason? Other than he shouldn’t be messing about with power? I didn’t really see a good reason as to why he had to be killed.
And so,Jude keeps quiet and is placed under the care of his mother. This is where the story starts to pick itself up and grow intense. Upon arrival,at his mothers Jude meets his mom and gets to know her. But things aren’t what they seem to be.
The crazy thing is,it seems like Jude and seeing his father get killed isn’t the central run of the story. It doesn’t get touched but more like hidden and covered up. Put to rest. Some of the major themes I saw in the story were how parents would always be too busy to make time for their kids. How the justice system treated juveniles like Jude. How the media could tear a person apart and how people had to go to great lengths to hide the truth and make things appear in a different way. But at the core of it,it’s mostly a story about-survival.
In fact,the new crazy thing is where Jude leads his friend into trying to sell some drugs to him. And that friend ultimately dies because of this. And so,in risk of having his mothers career torn apart Jude risks time in prison to save her career. He “wastes” five years in prison. And in there,his life changes drastically.
He meets new people. He learns that he loves to fight and tries hard to keep those feelings in himself but it’s still so hard when you feel a deep hate for all that could never exist. This hate filled him up to the point where he couldn’t even exist among others. Ok fact,he almost wanted to not even see the next day. It was implied,bordering on the edges. Not there,but you could feel it.
And so,he doesn’t get out of prison until literally five years later. He sees people go. He gets used to his life there. He stays calm. He works hard to get himself an education. He didn’t give up. He stayed determined. I loved seeing Jude grow from a boy who struggled with what to do with his life to a strong young man who discovered that he needed to change.
And so,Jude works with a reporter on exposing his step dad for making him stay in prison for a crime he didn’t commit or didn’t meant to. And so his Step dad gets sent off to prison,and his mom...well...that’s left open ended. At least 90% that’s left of the book is Jude trying to prove his innocence and start over with a new life.
The reporter turns out to be a student that went to school with Jude. He also has a sister that Jude eventually falls for. They fall in love,but the romance is limited and we don’t get to see that develop. As I said,romance is more of a little thing to worry about when this story falls more in the mystery crime thriller genre.
And so,if you want to hear all the twists and turns that rooted the novel you will have to see it for yourself. I am trying not to spoil the story. These secrets don’t come out till like 90% near the end of the book though. Literally the middle of the novel is Jude spending his time in prison and the first half is more of him staying with his family and trying to fit in at school.
And as I said for the ending,it is left open ended. There could be room for a sequel. Maybe it would focus on Jude now a lawyer and married to Lizzie with their own family. And his mother will come back for revenge,and he would have to try to fight back. But maybe the novel already ran its course. The ending was more of something that meant “we are happy, now let’s go on”. But one interesting thing I couldn’t connect with (even though I did read about it in the novel) was this tiny little detail that kind of tells us a little bit more about the ending (not about what will happen but what it means)...
𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞. 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠-- 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐟𝐟. 𝐇𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫,𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞, 𝐞𝐭𝐜.
And so,Jude is a survivor. I rooted for him through the whole story and was on the edge of my seat near every twist and turn. A interesting novel I came across on a shelf of recommended books to read... it was quite interesting...maybe it will be for you too...
🤬Profanity: Sh*t” is said on occasions. Other instances include “asshole” and other minor instances.
Repetition: 𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚍
✊Violence: Jude fights his inmates for fun. Jude beats someone with a pipe. Someone is shot in the chest. Mentions of the court and laws,with the criminals and their own stories. Jude gets abused by his father. His mother gets abused in mentions of flashbacks.
Repititon: 𝚖𝚘𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎
🥃Drugs:Jude leads his friend to a spot where he can get high. Mentions of how much ounces belong in certain drugs. Characters drink beer and get drunk at times. One character drinks alcohol. An inmate smokes a cigarette.
Repetition: 𝚖𝚘𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎
💋Romance/Love:A character gets hit and abused by their partner. A couple kiss briefly for a second. Jude falls for a girl but they do nothing beyond that.
Repetition: 𝙽𝚘𝚗𝚎
😿Frightening/Intense Scenes: A character passes away. Jude considers what life would be like if he didn’t exist. Characters fight each other almost to the point of death (on a few occasions.) Jude and his mother were abused at some point. Prison life is described in a realistic manner.
Repetition: 𝙼𝚘𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎
😇Positive messages/Themes
Jude try’s to work to fix himself and discovers that he he needs to try and create a better life for himself. He stays determined and does not give up. He also makes smart choices as he matures. Character development is shown.
Repetition: 𝚂𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚜/𝙼𝚒𝚕𝚍
There is only one way to describe this book: very twisted and intense. Holds you on the edge of your seat. And it’s the type of dialogue I can read-simple but engaging.
𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐳𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫-𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞. 𝐇𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭,𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧.
It’s written in a way that makes you engaged with the story. Page after page you just want to find out what happens to our titular character Jude.
The story follows him as he tries to work his way out of the trap that his father set him up in after he was killed. He tries to prove his innocence,but it won’t be so easy with people out to get him...
And now...
What do I think?
I would say right now that I am pretty much trying to get over what I just read. I got this novel and in less than two days I already poured my heart out in trying to read almost 400 pages. Yes this book is almost 400 pages.
Fifteen year old Jude keeps quiet after witnessing his father getting killed. From here,his life starts to change as he tries to help his mother with her career after following through with a crazy plan. And things start to spin out of control..
If there is anything that I would say that really bugged me with this novel,it would have to be the time. Jude is fifteen years old when the story starts,but he’s in his mid twenties when the story ends. That’s a long way to grow and change. Not only that,but the ending was open ended. I did some research into it and found a pretty solid answer as to what the ending could mean,but I don’t know what really happens next for Jude.
But before we get to that,let’s talk about the story.
Jude sees his father get killed and he must keep quiet if he wants to live. So he doesn’t say anything. Here’s the thing though. Why did his father get killed? For what reason? Other than he shouldn’t be messing about with power? I didn’t really see a good reason as to why he had to be killed.
And so,Jude keeps quiet and is placed under the care of his mother. This is where the story starts to pick itself up and grow intense. Upon arrival,at his mothers Jude meets his mom and gets to know her. But things aren’t what they seem to be.
The crazy thing is,it seems like Jude and seeing his father get killed isn’t the central run of the story. It doesn’t get touched but more like hidden and covered up. Put to rest. Some of the major themes I saw in the story were how parents would always be too busy to make time for their kids. How the justice system treated juveniles like Jude. How the media could tear a person apart and how people had to go to great lengths to hide the truth and make things appear in a different way. But at the core of it,it’s mostly a story about-survival.
In fact,the new crazy thing is where Jude leads his friend into trying to sell some drugs to him. And that friend ultimately dies because of this. And so,in risk of having his mothers career torn apart Jude risks time in prison to save her career. He “wastes” five years in prison. And in there,his life changes drastically.
He meets new people. He learns that he loves to fight and tries hard to keep those feelings in himself but it’s still so hard when you feel a deep hate for all that could never exist. This hate filled him up to the point where he couldn’t even exist among others. Ok fact,he almost wanted to not even see the next day. It was implied,bordering on the edges. Not there,but you could feel it.
And so,he doesn’t get out of prison until literally five years later. He sees people go. He gets used to his life there. He stays calm. He works hard to get himself an education. He didn’t give up. He stayed determined. I loved seeing Jude grow from a boy who struggled with what to do with his life to a strong young man who discovered that he needed to change.
And so,Jude works with a reporter on exposing his step dad for making him stay in prison for a crime he didn’t commit or didn’t meant to. And so his Step dad gets sent off to prison,and his mom...well...that’s left open ended. At least 90% that’s left of the book is Jude trying to prove his innocence and start over with a new life.
The reporter turns out to be a student that went to school with Jude. He also has a sister that Jude eventually falls for. They fall in love,but the romance is limited and we don’t get to see that develop. As I said,romance is more of a little thing to worry about when this story falls more in the mystery crime thriller genre.
And so,if you want to hear all the twists and turns that rooted the novel you will have to see it for yourself. I am trying not to spoil the story. These secrets don’t come out till like 90% near the end of the book though. Literally the middle of the novel is Jude spending his time in prison and the first half is more of him staying with his family and trying to fit in at school.
And as I said for the ending,it is left open ended. There could be room for a sequel. Maybe it would focus on Jude now a lawyer and married to Lizzie with their own family. And his mother will come back for revenge,and he would have to try to fight back. But maybe the novel already ran its course. The ending was more of something that meant “we are happy, now let’s go on”. But one interesting thing I couldn’t connect with (even though I did read about it in the novel) was this tiny little detail that kind of tells us a little bit more about the ending (not about what will happen but what it means)...
𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞. 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠-- 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐟𝐟. 𝐇𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫,𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞, 𝐞𝐭𝐜.
And so,Jude is a survivor. I rooted for him through the whole story and was on the edge of my seat near every twist and turn. A interesting novel I came across on a shelf of recommended books to read... it was quite interesting...maybe it will be for you too...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2018
I really loved this book, it had a powerful and strong beginning with a huge plot twist from the start. Within the first few pages, you find out that Jude's father died and he was a cocaine distributor. He was shot by two men who Jude refused to give up their names when questioned. Jude was only 15. The DA was Jude's mother but she had no idea that was his son and he had no idea that was her mother since she left at birth. At least that is what Jude believes but then the mother tells Jude that she was, in fact, being abused and shortly after giving birth to Jude the father had stolen the baby and ran away. The mother tried to find him but couldn't. There was a letter that said Anna was his mother that the police found in the apartment where the father was murdered. Since he now had no place to live he was able to move in with his mother and her "good friend." Jude's perseverance throughout the book is very empowering and inspiring. He grew up without a mother and an abusive drug addict of a father. Seeing exactly who the murders are he couldn't fess up or else he would be killed and suffer man consequences. Jude was struggling academically in school. His wealthy mother never had any time for Jude, leaving him lonely. He wanted to be popular at that school so he showed one of the popular boys to a drug dealer from his old poor neighboorhood, who died from a drug overdose. Police are trying to connect the dots and are thinking it was Jude. Having to save his mother's reputation he pleads guilty to a drug crime he didn't even commit. He then spends the next five years in prison constantly being abused. By reading this novel you can see that he has fear, shame, and anger he deals with. Harry the mother's good friend and Jude have severe rivalry issues. His father had betrayed him, lying and said Anna, his mother had died. One theme that is very prominent in this book is how Jude's perspective on his mother changes from a wealthy strong smart woman who needed to be impressed to just another human. A major symbol I believe that is in this book is Judes fighting. He is fighting physically but in a sense, it symbolizes him fighting mentally with himself on a sub-conscious level that he is trying to escape and push away his thoughts of fear and shame and anger inside of him. Towards the end of the book Jude fights a lot less than what he was doing before and maybe that means he had started to accept that way life really is and his reality just like he accepted his mother isn't a god but shes just another human. So when he stopped fighting physically he stopped fighting mentally too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2018
I rated this book a five, because it was one of the best, well written, books I've ever read. Jude was a 15 years old when his father was murdered right in front of his eyes. His father was abusive, which forced his mom and dad to split. His father told Jude that his mother left him, but in reality, his father was the one who kidnapped their son and left. Since Jude had no one to live with, he moved into his mom's house, and they started becoming very close. Jude was "caught" dealing somebody drugs, who later died because of an overdose (when Jude actually was just there with his friend who was the dealer). Since his mother was running for mayor, Harry (Jude's mom's boyfriend) said he should go to prison, take the blame, so the press wouldn't hurt his mother. Harry said he would get Jude out of prison in a couple months. He didn't. He left Jude in there, and he stayed in jail for 5 years. Jude grew hate towards Harry, and when he got out of prison he told his mother the truth, that he was taking the blame for her. She wasn't thankful and she told him that he would also have to take the blame for his dad's death as well so she could run to be a congresswomen. He was feed up. He found out the truth that Harry blamed him for the drug deal six years ago, and dumped the only family he had. But, throughout all that, he didn't hate Harry. "Jude had lived so long fighting hate. Now that is was gone, it felt like the moment he walked through the gates of the prison. It was a knew kind of freedom." (393) The only family he ever had, the last father figure, was the reason Jude spent 5 years in prison. It confuses me how Jude could have so much empathy for someone and it really inspires me. I feel like it represents the book because through out it he is making new family, being hurt, and then figuring out who is really there for him in the long term. When reviewing this book a review company named "Book list" said "The intricacies of betrayal and discovery continue to the end of the novel." And I completely agree. This book shows you to not give up on someone how has hurt you in the past, and that whoever hurt you, hate and death is not the option, you have to learn to forgive.
December 9, 2019
Jude was in prison talking about his consistent fights when he made this powerful statement: "I know I'm just like my pops because I understand him. I never did before, but now I know why he my mother and why he hit me. I can see how he came to that. I don't just see it, I feel it. I know it. I know what it felt like to be my father… It feels like you've got enough rage to fill the entire world, and it's too much. After a while you can't hold it all in, and when it spills out, you hurt someone. My father spent his whole life angry. I'd rather die than live like that." Being in prison has a rough effect on people, especially when people are picking on them and singling them out. The only thing Jude could do in that situation, especially when his rage built up from being in prison for a setup by the person he trusted the most, and being picked on and singled out by other inmates, was fight, he let all his rage out and fought. He won that fight. He was then filled with rage from that fight, and as people kept lining up to fight him, he released his rage again, then gained more after every fight that was won, just like his father built up more and more rage when he hit Jude and his mother, so he continued to do it. He let out all the rage he had on his fights, and paid the price for it, like his father did.
February 16, 2019
Loved this book. Great to recommend to reluctant readers who like realistic fiction. I recommend this to a lot of my male students.
It begins with Jude sitting at home eating when two men break into his apartment and kill his father right in front of him. He's warned not to tell anyone who they are or he will end up just like his father. Jude is taken to jail for the murder of his father where he meets the attorney mother he has never known. He never divulges the real killers and ends up going to prison. While at prison he begins to see who was really behind his life sentence. While the mystery of who really put Jude in jail is disheartening the strength of Jude's character kept me reading the book until the end to see if justice would be served and how it might come.
It begins with Jude sitting at home eating when two men break into his apartment and kill his father right in front of him. He's warned not to tell anyone who they are or he will end up just like his father. Jude is taken to jail for the murder of his father where he meets the attorney mother he has never known. He never divulges the real killers and ends up going to prison. While at prison he begins to see who was really behind his life sentence. While the mystery of who really put Jude in jail is disheartening the strength of Jude's character kept me reading the book until the end to see if justice would be served and how it might come.
November 30, 2022
Jude was a book I had to read for school, I would say that I hated it for that reason. But the truth is, I enjoyed the class more because of the book. I looked forward to seeing what Jude would do next every class, for one hour at a time. My class took some breaks, but we finished it before finals. I enjoyed this book because of how many things could have actually happened. It’s crazy how many times people have been framed in court, and the author did an amazing job at showing behind the scene and others perspectives at the same time. There are things we the readers don’t know that are revealed the same time Jude finds out, but we also get to read Jude’s experiences like we were there in Jude’s shoes. In summary this book turned out to make my first semester into a fun experience.
January 3, 2024
Overall a good book. I wouldn't have chosen it for myself, but my SO read it as a teen and REALLY liked it, and he wanted me to give it a go. It was very teenage angst at moments, but not how I experienced it... possibly because this book's audience is teen males. There were a lot of toxic masculinity thoughts by the main character, but again, maybe that is how 15-year-old boys feel.
Either way, the thriller aspect was there. I had a fairly easy time guessing which characters were terrible, and what was likely to happen within the plot, but I can't deny that I put it down a few times when my heart was just thumping away at the choices the main character made.
Either way, the thriller aspect was there. I had a fairly easy time guessing which characters were terrible, and what was likely to happen within the plot, but I can't deny that I put it down a few times when my heart was just thumping away at the choices the main character made.
January 23, 2018
Jude is a very entertaining book that never had a low point. The author speeds up the parts that could’ve been very slow and boring and used detail and description in the main parts of the story. The author constantly has Jude second guess himself and rethink the past and try to figure things out. He’s also constantly trying to prove himself but in the end he realizes he doesn’t need approval from his mother. Overall the book was smartly written and the plot twists were as much of a shock to the reader as they were to Jude. I very much enjoyed this book and was an exciting read.
November 7, 2018
The story of Jude has been fascinating and enjoyable to read it.
The story starts off by explaining how Jude's father got murdered and then moves on with the current's life of Jude and his deal with crime issues. By the end of the story, Jude made a remarkable turn in his life.
I would reccommend reading it if you are trying to find a book that will grab your attention and let you read for a long time.
From this book, I learnt that if you put in decent effort into what you wanted to do, then you will get it.
The story starts off by explaining how Jude's father got murdered and then moves on with the current's life of Jude and his deal with crime issues. By the end of the story, Jude made a remarkable turn in his life.
I would reccommend reading it if you are trying to find a book that will grab your attention and let you read for a long time.
From this book, I learnt that if you put in decent effort into what you wanted to do, then you will get it.
Read
April 30, 2020Jude is a witness to his own father’s murder. The drug dealers who shoot his father spare Jude’s life only after he promises not to tell what and who he saw.
Read p. 29: “If I was smart … I promise.”
Later, at the police station, Jude is stunned by another event: he meets the mother he never knew. And she’s the district attorney who is pressuring him to tell who killed his father.
This crazy story gets even more complicated with the addition of a drug deal, a huge lie and Jude going to jail.
Read p. 29: “If I was smart … I promise.”
Later, at the police station, Jude is stunned by another event: he meets the mother he never knew. And she’s the district attorney who is pressuring him to tell who killed his father.
This crazy story gets even more complicated with the addition of a drug deal, a huge lie and Jude going to jail.
January 19, 2025
Another good one my Kate. I cannot say how much I stayed indulged in this book and by the way it started I knew I wouldn’t want to put it in. I wish I could read more and follow the characters into what happens next but I know it’s done. After reading ‘The Inmate’ by Frieda McFadden, it pulled me into this book. Not the same but definitely same idea of “what’s going on and what the hell is about to happen…”, your so into your idea of what you think is going on but not at all what you’ll expect. Definitely had me like, oh shit!
November 14, 2018
Fast paced story, with an unexpected twist in the end( which is pretty standard for these kind of novels I guess) the suspense was still overwhelming. It's encouraging to see people in books try their hardest at something, makes me want to do the same thing, to try harder. This book succeeded, I read it in one go and wanted to do more with my life 😂. Though the lack of ethics in some is hard to comprehend, one can't help but feel sad for the circumstance Jude is in.
August 10, 2022
There's something about this book. I could not put it down, even though I wasn't surprised by much of the plot. The book just grabs you right away and doesn't let go until the end. There's maybe a little more fighting in it than I would ordinarily like, but given the circumstances, the fighting makes sense. Overall, I'd give this book 4 and a half stars, but I don't think I've read anything like it. And I read young adult books all the time. So, 5 stars.
July 18, 2020
I have to be honest, I was not a fan of how fast the first few chapters were moving. From the murder of his father to finding out who his mother is to moving in with her all within a few pages was a bit much for me.
I am happy to say, though that it makes up for it later on with how well developed Jude becomes and all the stupid decisions he makes.
A must read!
I am happy to say, though that it makes up for it later on with how well developed Jude becomes and all the stupid decisions he makes.
A must read!
May 25, 2023
Jude witnesses his father's murder and then goes to live with his mother whom he has never known. His father had been an abusive drug dealer and his mother is the current District Attorney. I didn't love this book. It just took on too many directions for me. I also feel like it will be a hard sell for the audience it is intended due to the length... Also, just didn't feel realistic.
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