When the Phone Rang

by Harry Mazer

After hearing that his parents have been killed in a plane crash, Billy Keller tries to keep his family together despite internal fighting and the attempts of relatives and Social Services to split them up

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Death, Family

Library Binding

First published January 28, 1985

About the author

Harry Mazer is an American author of books for children and young adults, acclaimed for his 'realistic' novels. He has written twenty-two novels, including The Solid Gold Kid, The Island Keeper, Heroes Don't Run, and Snow Bound, which was adapted as an NBC After school special, as well as one work of poetry and a few short stories.

Reviews

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the Phone Rang is about a boy and girl home alone and they receive a phone call to inform them that the plane there parents were on has exploded and there are no survivors. Right off you know this book is going to be a tear jerker. When the children first receive the phone call they believe it is a joke until extended family start calling and showing up and also when you start receiving calls from TV news stations.

Kevin who is the oldest is away at college and comes home when he hears the news. Billy is the one who answers the phone when they received the phone call. Lori is the youngest and the one most affected by the loss. Kevin, Billy and Lori decide to live as a family. Keven quits going to school full time and decides to get a job and attend school part time. They run into trouble and are afraid of actually being separated from each other.

I cried and worried with them as I read the story. I was afraid of them being separated but also wanted Lori to be happy, like when she was with her grandmother. When the Phone Rang is a suspenseful book that keeps you glued to the pages. I highly recommend reading this book.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up, I had a lot of "what if" situations I never wanted to experience, but couldn't help wondering about sometimes. This was one of the biggest ones. In most scenarios you'd just go live with other relatives and that's the end of that, but what if you or one of your siblings is legally an adult, however young, and has the option to become the new head of household? That's exactly what this novel explores, combining the struggle to cope with loss with the day-to-day difficulty just keeping your own lives afloat.

[Nader Nate · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good and simple book to read and it shows the resilience of humans in the face of adversity and the strength of family bonds with good writing style and characters too.
# VERDICT :(7/10)

[Sabrina Kaye Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot: WHEN THE PHONE RANG by Harry Mazer follows the story of three siblings named Lorie, Kevin, and Billy and the aftermath of their parents' deaths. Kevin, the oldest, struggles with being the eldest and taking on the financial problems that come with custody of two younger siblings, while Billy is suffering in his head with anxiety from events that are out of his control and Lorie is being steered wrong by a new friend.

Writing Style: There's a reason Mazer's books were popular. They're written matter-of-factly and straight to the point with simple plots and a clear conclusion to the stories while still maintaining depth within his characters.



Characters: I sympathized with Billy because I could feel his anxiety through the pages. When I was younger I often had thoughts of what would happen if something tragic were to happen to my family and I don't know how many times I thanked my lucky stars my parents didn't fly on planes.

I also understood why Lorie got easily swayed by a bad influence after her parent's death. She felt as if Maryanne was the only one who understood her or cared about her and she was reaching out to anything that could make her feel less alone.
I have quite a few issues with Kevin right off the bat but I tried to be a little understanding about how hard it would be to go from being your own boss to losing your parents and taking over custody of two younger siblings. Anyone would lose their heads for a little bit on that one.

[Jangyvee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Required reading in middle school. Probably not a bad book objectively, but a miserable read for a teenager. I remember not empathising with any of the characters because they were written so bleakly they became unloveable.

[Sharon Buxton · Rating 3 out of 5]

C. fiction YA, contemporary, loss of loved one, from stash, discard

[Bella Huston · Rating 1 out of 5]

WHYYY. Why did I read this book. The story is sad at the start but the book was SO boring. It was in a free library so that tells you what you need to know.

[Johnna Diouf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was somewhat heart-wrenching to read. The first time I read it, I had found out that my mother was sick with an unknown(at the time) disease. I often imagined getting a call one day that she had passed on and it hurt so much. Reading this book helped me with knowing that there was life after the death of a parent. That life moved on and you had to move along with it, but that didn't lessen the impact of the death on you in anyway. You were allowed to feel sad, but also allowed to let things make you happy. Things do have to change somewhat of course, but you don't let those changes control you. You accept them and move on.

[Miriam · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the Phone Rang is such an addicting book. It the horror, so i recomend it to everyone who likes scary books. Its one of the those stories when the child is home aalone, and the phone rings. This book hes with two other siblings. SO the phone rings and someone won't say whot hey are. Everyone gets scared, and don't know what to do. When i read this, i could not put the book down becuase i needed to know thaat second what happens next. OVerall, When the phone rang is a great novel

[Athalia Stoneback · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book that deals with three siblings- Billy, Kevin and Lori Keller- who have suddenly been thrown into a tragedy. Billy, the main character and middle sibling, takes over and gets occasional resentment from his brother and sister. It was interesting to read and think about what I would do in this situation, especially at their young ages- Kevin is 21, Billy is 16 and Lori is 12.

[Lulu Ali · Rating 1 out of 5]

this story is suppose to be sad. but the characters are so unlikable that it was hard for me to feel sorry about them. they were mean to each other and I hated there relationship so much.
I think there are better books that deals with the same topic

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really amazing read!
I first read this when I was a teenager and it felt so real - the problems that they face, and the way they band together as a family to get through it. It's a really great read and shows the resilience of humans in the face of adversity and the strength of family bonds.

[Sally · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bleak and depressing, and I didn't love any of the characters enough.

[Ceren · Rating 5 out of 5]

it is about a kid whos parents died and what his reaction and life after that incident.

[Heaven Pickel]

this was a really good book, the way it was set up during reading was pretty cool and it was really hard for the characters since they had no one to look after them , i would recommend reading this

[wanderer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I owned this one as a young teen. It was a fave, but it made me nervous.