Hey Jude

by Star Spider

★ “An emotionally layered book with accurate insight into mental illness, ideal for reluctant readers.”― Kirkus Reviews , starred review

Seventeen-year-old Penny is struggling to balance caring for Jude, her sister with mental health challenges, working part-time to help her mother with money issues and facing her final year of high school. She does not need any distractions. But then she meets Jack. The two of them click immediately. But as quickly as things heat up, they then cool down, and Penny isn’t sure why. Does she have room for her feelings for Jack alongside her worries that her sister is crashing into suicidal depression again?

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Short Stories, Mental Illness

112 pages, Paperback

Published September 22, 2020

Reviews

[Nour (FREE PALESTINE) Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey Jude
wow, wow, wow. just wow.
4.85 stars <3

"You know I love you, Penny Lane?"
"Hey, Jude, I love you too"

Penny Lane
I initially read this jokingly thinking I would relate to Penny because we’re both 17, starting our senior year with a little sister named Jude and although Penny is going through so much I could never imagine, I could still really relate to her.
Penny is the kind of character you just wanna hug SO BAD. She’s going through so much, but stays in one piece and stay strong for everyone.

"And what about you, Penny Lane?"
"What about me? I’m just trying to exist. You know, keep my crap together."
"I never said it earlier, but I’m sorry about your sister."
"I love her to the ends of the earth."
"Then she’s the luckiest person on earth."

I love how on the surface the book is about Jude’s mental health struggles, but really it’s about Penny’s struggle of taking care of her. It was written so beautifully and in a way that just breaks my heart for her.

"You work so fricking hard. And for what?
"For you, for mom, for life."
"Its all just so exhausting:
"I know," I say. But I whisper it. I never want to make her feel like a burden.

Hey Jude
Jude struggles with depression and this is the first time, for me, where an author captured what depression is like so beautifully.

"I wouldn't sleep so much if life didn't hurt."
"I know."
Do you?"
"No, not really."
"I hope you never know. My everything hurts. I can feel the press of it at all angles. Like I live on a planet all by myself, a heavier planner, with way more gravity. I just want to fly. I want to live on the moon where the gravity is low and I can just soar."

Jude was just such an amazing and interesting character to read about, you never know what’s gonna happen with her. She just, ugh how do I describe it? You can tell that she’s struggling, but she tries so hard to make it hurt less for Penny and it just shatters my heart knowing that people go through this.

It breaks my heart that she might be crashing again. And it scares the crap out of me.

Overall
This book was short, but it didn't need any additions.
It was so close to being a full five stars for me, except that the love interest was hiding something from Penny and I thought that whole other plot line was unnecessary and very random and took away from the story.
Jude and Penny’s relationship was so special and so painfully amazing to read about. I was in tears the whole book and SOBBING at the end. Although the contents are heavy, I definitely recommend <3

"Hey Jude," I say.
"Penny Lane," she whispers.
I told myself not to cry, but I can't help it. I sink down into the chair beside her bed, put my head down on her arm and sob. I feel her hand on my head then, softly stroking my hair.
"She’s in my ears and in my eyes," Jude says, speaking louder over my tears.
And I cry even harder because with those words I know that, at least for now, my sister, my everything, is going to be okay.

unrelated but The Loneliest by Måneskin reminds me so much of this book 💔

[its.me.the.bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

**Thank you to NetGalley, the author, & the publisher for a chance to read & review an E-ARC of this novel!**

This was a quick, but very impactful read. It highlights some very challenging truths about mental health, family, & self-care. Please find my extended feedback below...along with some spoilers (beware).
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Things I Liked:
-the relationship between Penny & Jude...I have a younger sister & I totally understand doing anything for them <3
-that Penny didn't have to choose between loving her sister & loving herself...she realized that there is a balance & a limit to what she can control
-I like that the author didn't end the story with an "everything will be just fine now" vibe...it was left open...things were stable in that moment...with mental health it is important to be honest & raw...those emotions ebb & flow & I loved that the author chose to express that
-I liked that Penny realized that the boost in Jude's mood right before her latest suicide attempt was a red flag...many people don't realize that this is a red flag & assume that a person who is struggling is on an upswing when really that's one of the times they may need to most support
-the mental health & LGBTQIA+ representation in YA literature...SO IMPORTANT!

Things That Didn't Sit Quite Right With Me:
-I wish that Penny & Jude's mother had been more insightful before the incident at the end of the novel...I understand that she is busy taking care of the family monetarily...but it speaks to the need for more mental health advocacy & understanding

Overall, I gave this novel 3 stars. It was a quick & easy read with hard hitting topics & themes. I think it would be a great read for those interested in reading novels with mental health, family, self-care, & sister based themes.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Beatles made me want to read this book but it was so much more than that. My emotions were all over the place and in 70 pages it broke my heart

[bookishlycaffenaited · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for the Advanced EReader Copy

Hey Judeis an extremely quick paced book. It feels more like a short story, to be honest, since everything feels rushed instead of fleshed out.

I really enjoyed the queer representation in this book. I thought it was dealt with well, and was imbedded seamlessly into the plot. I also liked how it didn't define these characters, but rather this is just part of who they are. I say this because a lot of narratives tend to emphasize a character's sexual identity too much to the point where it encompasses their entire character/personality. Here, characters' sexual identities are acknowledged, embraced and accepted.

I also really enjoyed how the severity of depression and mental health is not glossed over, and rather shows how painful and overwhelming it can be to a person and the people in their lives. I liked how Penny's sister really expressed how everything is bleak to her, how life seems overwhelming and meaningless and exhausting, how she doesn't feel like moving forward, and rather wants to immerse herself in her art, or sleep her endless exhaustion away.

I also really enjoyed how this book leaves you with a glimmer of hope. Taking care of one's mental health is essential, and support from family and friends can truly change and uplift a person, and this book really demonstrates this method throughout.

I did feel like this book is entirely too rushed. I feel like I didn't really get to know the protagonist, feel her pain as much as I wished to, and root for her entirely. She was fine, but a little unmemorable. I also found the romance to be way too forced. It was too instant, and didn't have a chance to ruminate or grow. It was rather instantaneous and completely unbelievable, which had me feeling disconnected from the plot. Suddenly Penny meets Jack and she's consumed with feelings for him, and he her. He instantly referenced her nickname "Penny Lane" upon meeting her, which also made me step out of the story, as it was entirely unbelievable. There overall wasn't enough pages to really know these characters, share their pain and yearning, and really immerse yourself in the story. It felt more like a short story, with more needed to make it really stand out and leave an impact.

*** I have noted this is published as part of the Orca Soundings series of hi-lo novels for striving and struggling readers. In that context, I think this book works extremely well with conveying emotional, gripping, and poignant information for readers.

Overall, the writing is nice and flowed well, though it could have been much longer and more fleshed out.

[Alex Nonymous · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hey Jude is part of a collection of YA novels Orca publishes for readers who want the stakes and edge of teen stories who for whatever reason, struggle with reading at the level required for most other YA stories. My issues with Hey Jude obviously don't come from the quicker pace or easily consumable language because both were handled excellent here, I just have issues with certain plot points.

Hey Jude follows Penny as she starts 12th grade. Penny's become her depressed younger sister, Jude's main life line. I kept waiting for someone to tell Penny that she could love June without having to let her life revolve around her (someone else's mental illness should never be your cross to bear alone. It's responsible to reach out for more help, especially when dealing with someone as young as Penny and someone as deeply depressed and suicidal as Jude) but it just never came. we get our 'happy ending' when Jude is saved from a suicide attempt and implies that Penny is her reason for living which is a lot more unhealthy than happy

I was also genuinely confused with a character's gender? Penny's love interest Jack tells her he was kicked out of the house because he's trans, not wanting to lead her on if she's not interested in him as a result. Obviously my assumption was that Jack uses he/him because that's what he had been presenting as and if he moved to get away from his parents, chances are he was presenting as who he actually was. But then Penny says she's pan and that 'gender doesn't matter to her' so she's still interested in him so I was like "oh wait, Jack is actually coming out as not being a boy" because if he was female to male, the gender Penny always thought he was is his actual gender so her saying 'gender doesn't matter' doesn't make much sense. But then she continues calling him Jack and he/him for the rest of the book. I know someone is going to be like "obviously the author meant to say sex and it was just a slip up. Jack is a boy." but after reading the author's note, apparently Spider mainly writes stories with queer and trans themes so I doubt that slip up would happen? The book is done and I still don't know what gender Jack is.

[Lisa Pineo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review by Lisa Pineo

*I received this eARC from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
My ratings: * I hated it ** It was okay *** I liked it **** Really good ***** Great
TW (trigger warnings): severe depression, suicide attempt, self-harm


"Hey, Jude" by Star Spider is a short but not so sweet YA novel about family, mental illness, new love and responsibility taken too far. 4½ stars

Description from the publisher:
Seventeen-year-old Penny is struggling to balance caring for Jude, her sister with mental health challenges, working part-time to help her mother with money issues and facing her final year of high school. She does not need any distractions. But then she meets Jack. The two of them click immediately. But as quickly as things heat up, they then cool down, and Penny isn't sure why. Does she have room for her feelings for Jack alongside her worries that her sister is crashing into suicidal depression again?

I really liked this book. Jude and Penny Lane (yes, those are names from Beatles songs) are sisters in a very co-dependent relationship. Penny has taken on a mother role looking after her younger sister with mental illness. She has made a pact with Jude that as long as Jude participates in life Penny will keep the severeness of Jude's current level of depression from their mother. Taking this secret on along with constant care of Jude, working at a crappy job, keeping her grades up and now meeting a potential boyfriend are taking their toll on Penny. She knows she's taking on too much responsibility but doesn't see a way out of it. Will she be able to keep juggling all these obligations or will they all come crashing down around her?

The author did a great job making the reader feel the extent of Penny's stress and the pain of Jude's mental state. I also loved the inclusion of an LGBTQ character that wasn't made a big deal of. My only complaint (the reason for the loss of that half star) is that the book seemed a bit too short. I had just gotten to know the characters when I finished the book and wanted to keep reading. I get why the author wanted to stop the story there but still wanted more. Definitely recommended.

[Lou G · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is okay. I think the short nature of it directly reflects the short nature of life, which is smart, but it also hinders the characters & storytelling of the book as a whole by not having enough details. There were parts that I smiled at, and parts that were a slog to get through.

Now, let's talk about the characters. Penny Lane, one of two sisters, is our main protagonist & the story is told through her point of view. She did have a nice story arc, beginning as a caretaker, to realizing she can't keep giving her time to other people (thereby focusing on stuff that SHE wants to do). As a character, she's boring, which some part stems from her not fully giving time to herself, to explore stuff that she wants to do.
Jude was a good character. My favorite scene in the book was when (spoiler) Jude was discussing her distaste for life, and how she describes the pain that is living.
Jack was, out of the three, the one character I enjoyed the most. The awkwardness in his scenes make sense once we get to the end of the book, and understand more about him.

The book does a very good job at normalizing sexuality, gender identity, and mental illness, but I wish everything could be fleshed out a bit more, to smooth out the rough edges. The book was predictable in certain parts, but as a YA novel, it's to be expected.

[Reading Bifrost · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mature-Content Rating: Trigger Warnings, Depression, Suicide Attempt

Hey Jude is from a line of books published by Orca Book Publishers that cater to teens who need teen content, but at a lower reading level for various reasons.

None of the characters really clicked with me. I loved the sisters’ names, Jude and Penny Lane, after the Beatles songs, and the story that came with them, but the characters really come out flat. With a book so short, strong connections have to be made fast and I couldn’t find that sisterly love/hate relationship.

Jack is another story all on its own. There’s confusion to the gender, the character stating they are transgender but Penny and the narrator still referring to them as he/him. Maybe he still prefers it?

The story gets props for showing the dirty (literally) side of depression; that it doesn’t just effect emotions, but hygiene, sleeping, and overall health as well. But the story doesn’t feel like a full story. There’s little conflict and not much of a climax, and no real resolution at the end. With such a short story, I think it would have been wiser to focus on one topic: either this sisters and Jude’s depression or Penny’s new friendship with Jack.

Overall, Hey Jude just doesn’t make those solid character connections I look for in books, especially in stories with such hard-core topics.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hey Jude is a short novella about a seventeen-year-old girl, Penny, who feels she must take care of her younger sister Jude, who suffers from depression and suicidal ideation. The book covers the start of a new school year for the girls.

I can not decide if I liked this book or not. I was able to finish it but was left feeling nothing. I wasn't sad it had ended, nor did I find myself wondering what happened next. The book has two large character reveals. The first was predictable and the second felt forced. The ending was also predictable. Many of the interactions between the characters felt forced and unnatural.
I feel like I should also mention that while the book is just barely over 100 pages long, it took me almost a month to finish it. I would pick up, read a chapter...then put it back down out of boredom. Overall, it felt like notes for a poorly written Freeform drama in the making that was accidentally published as a book.

However, I do appreciate the representation of LGBTQ...even if it felt like a last-minute addition. I also really like the way that Jude's red flags were presented. Instead of using the stereotypical symptoms of someone being suicidal, it brings up some of the lesser-known, yet more common ones. The relationship between the sisters, Jude and Penny, was the most believable and well-written part of this book.

[Allison R · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Orca Books for providing me with an eARC in return for my honest review of this book.

I enjoyed the premise of this book, but felt it was a bit too fast paced. I understand it's made for those that struggle with reading/aren't too interested in reading, but some more details may have provided some much needed information.

Things I liked:
- I had a love/hate with the pace. I liked how it moved quickly and kept rolling. (see below for the cons).
- I appreciated the attempt at portraying mental illness. It was a good look for what a lot of people deal with, especially teenagers and it may be relatable (though some parts are tougher topics).
- I liked seeing how mental illness looked from a family member's eyes.

Things I disliked:
- the pace - Because it went so quickly, I found myself wanting to know more about the characters, the mental illness, and the relationships.
- I wanted to see more through Jude's eyes. Since she was the one going through depression, I wanted to see more into her brain and her thought process.

Overall, this book was quick and easy to read. It attempted to cover tough topics and covered the surface of them. More information and details could have filled in some holes I was left with. Maybe a sequel?

[Kasey Connors-Beron · Rating 5 out of 5]

HEY JUDE (yes after the Beatles) is a super fast-paced story of only 112 pages that had me captured immediately. If you have been following my blog for a little while, you know that I am incredibly into psychology (PhD week 1 down!), and this book hits all of those feelings.

The story is about Penny (also the Beatles) who has a sister suffering with severe major depressive disorder and a mother who has to work overtime to keep them barely making ends-meat. This makes her the person responsible for essentially keeping her sister alive. They have a super tight-knit relationship that I always love to see, and it feels genuine. There is conflict between (how could there not be?), but so much love that the conflict seems to fade away.

I don’t want to dive in too deep to the story, because it would be really easy to and with a story this short I feel like it would give so much away.

To summarize….

Buy the book. It’s free on Kindle Unlimited and the paperback copy is $11. If you don’t want to buy, request it at the local library. Actually, request it at the library either way. It has so much representation in it that I know it’ll help so many teens if you do. It is even designed to help teens who have difficulty with reading.

[Chelsea]

**I would like to thank NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

This was a novella length story that provides a look into what it is like for family to live with mental illness. For 17 year old Penny her life revolves around the wellbeing of her younger sister Jude. This book has a pretty accurate depiction of depression, and I was surprised how much was able to be presented in such a short book. By the time we meet Jack I felt like I was already stressing with Penny over if she had time to understand her feelings for Jack when she was so busy monitoring the well being of her sister.
I feel like this could have made an amazing full length novel, and I would have loved to read it, but I am still impressed that for the short amount of pages it was there was topics including suicide and mental health, a transgender character, family love and loss, and kids with adult responsibility. I truly hope the author considers expanding on the characters one day.

[Jenna Scribbles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Orca Soundings publishes great titles for teen readers. They can be a good fit for teens who may be reading at a lower reading level. My son has dyslexia and having topics fit for his age, plus easier to read is wonderful.

I feel Hey Jude would give readers a lot to talk about. Teachers could easily come up with assignments.

Many teens are faced with too much responsibility. Penny loves her sister Jude. She loves her so much she’s willing to give all her time in keeping her healthy and safe. Does it work? What lessons are learned?

The author can write very tender scenes. Penny and Jude live each other so much. Jude depression was (I feel) very accurately presented. Well done.

A wonderful story. I believe high school libraries would benefit from adding many Orca Book Publishing titles to their libraries.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a review copy of this book.

[Melanie McFarlane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a hi-lo read from Orca's Soundings line. It is meant to be short, a page turner, and an easy read. Hey Jude fits perfect in the Soundings line. It is a gritty an emotional young adult novel. Jude is a secondary character and struggles with severe bouts of depression and suicidal thoughts. Her sister, Penny Lane, is our main character, who struggles to keep the balance in her family and care for Jude. This novel has perfect pacing and shows the other side of mental health, the kids who try to help their loved ones who suffer with the illness. An excellent addition to any library, this story opens up lines of communication for any kids who are struggling.

Review will post on August 18, 2020.

[kiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book!!!

I really enjoyed this book. I loved how fast paced it was I loved the characters I loved all of the support that they all had for each other.

This book had lots of representation in it for both mental illness and the lgbtq community.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone it had many good and eye opening messages and content. I loved that this showed some of the hardships of mental illness on not only the person with the illness but also for the surrounding family and friends.

Thank you net galley and the publisher for sending me an e arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Colby Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

DISCLAIMER - This is the first book i’ve read fully since i was younger

I feel like the book started off very well telling us some good backstory about Jude and Penny. I feel like we should have had less of Jack and Penny and more of Jacks perspective.

The ending…… it just feels soooooo unfinished I feel as if there was supposed to be another page AT LEAST because it just felt like any other page to it I had to build the suspense up in my head just for there to be nothing but a regular page..

It could have been so much better but still not a bad casual read.

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[norm · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

This book was good it was very short i feel like i would have enjoyed it more if it was longer.
Jack was a good character
The main character was not really my favorite i feel like thats why i rated it a little lower.

I love that this book touched down on mental health, pansexuality and also trans folks.

Overall it was a good quick read.

thank you netgalley for the arc <3

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I really liked the his book. It is quite short but the author did a great job fleshing out the Penny character and I found myself rooting for all the major characters other than the mother.

A mother that doesn't realize her eldest daughter is breaking under the pressure of all the responsibilities put upon her, annoyed me.

But I loved this book.

[Aida Alberto · Rating 4 out of 5]

It may be short but it packs a punch. A strong story about a girl with mental health. It'll give you a peak as yo how it affects her life and her family's life. Well written. Check this out. Happy reading! #HeyJude #NetGalley

[Angel Hatfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good novella. The serious topic was well done. I really liked Penny and understood the dependency her sister put on her. I highly recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

[Ashlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This really had a lot of heavy material within it. Penny juggles so many things and doesn’t really complain. Her mom does what she can, but it’s rough. Jack was so compassionate and sweet throughout, too. I’m glad I picked this one up.

[onyx · Rating 4 out of 5]

tore thru this in a day ! <3 loved it

[Hannah]

Maybe i should rethink my short book opinions
this ‘book’¿ was cute! Short and sweet and a little too good to be true in some ways but i liked the story :)

[Valerie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of interesting elements to explore, but overall, felt rushed and underdeveloped.

[Lucie Manuel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Book sucked. That’s it.

[Bambee Hendricks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was a quick reader that spotlights what it ls like to be a teen and navigate the challenges of life.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best ones I've read in the series so far.

[Hallie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed a lot of things about this book. The mental health representation is great, and I enjoyed the main character Penny's journey. However, it felt too short to get everything across. I didn't really get to know anyone, and by the time I started to do so, it was over. Still, there was more good than bad and I would still recommend this book to certain people.

For full review check out The More We Read!

***Thank you to NetGalley and Orca Publishers for the eARC in exchange for an honest review***