The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones by Wendelin Van Draanen
The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones by Wendelin Van Draanen
On Sale Date: October 25, 2016
Juvenile Fiction \ Social Themes
Knopf Books for Young Reader,s 272 pages
Source: Publisher
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Award-winning author Wendelin Van Draanen gives us a brilliantly fresh and funny story about a boy learning to become the brave hero of his own life. Perfect for fans of Counting by 7s and The Fourteenth Goldfish.
My secret life is filled with psychic vampires, wheelchair zombies, chain-rattlin’ ghosts, and a one-eyed cat. But they’re nothing compared to my real-life stalker: a sixth-grade girl named Kandi Kain. . . .
Lincoln Jones is always working on the latest story he’s got going in his notebook. Those stories are his refuge. A place where the hero always prevails and the bad guy goes to jail. Real life is messy and complicated, so Lincoln sticks to fiction and keeps to himself. Which works fine until a nosy girl at his new school starts prying into his private business. She wants to know what he’s writing, where he disappears to after school, and why he never talks to anybody. . . .
The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones is a terrifically funny and poignant story about a boy finding the courage to get to know the real characters all around him—and to let them know him.
THE SECRET LIFE OF LINCOLN JONES is told through the humorous voice of an eleven-year-old Lincoln Jones, a boy who finds an escape from everyday life through his notebook where psychic vampires, wheelchair zombies, and a one-eyed cat fill the pages. Now, if he can only avoid his real life dilemma of a girl named Kandi Kain who is far too nosy, wanting to know what's in his notebooks and why he never talks to anyone.
Poignant, humorous, and with a gentle touch on themes such as bullying and dementia, The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones is a wonderful read for MG readers and adults to share with them.
The standout star of this young reader's book is the vibrant and quirky voice of Lincoln Jones. Through his eyes and ears, young readers can easily relate to many of the social themes touched on in an easily entertaining manner while keeping all the heart in it.
A cast of oddball characters rounds out the story, from the members of Brookside nursing home to Ms. Miller's sixth-grade classroom, they fill the pages with plenty of middle-grade upheavals and adventure.
It is this very balance of humor and a poignant coming of age story that make it so appealing. I had so many smiles and laugh-out-loud moments and even a touch of teary-eyedness. Such a sweet book.
Wendelin Van Draanen has written a book that is sure to please young readers and their parents alike. I enjoyed getting to know Lincoln Jones and seeing him become the hero of his own story and the courage to get know the larger-than-life characters who share it with him.
