Book Review: See You at Harry’s by Jo Knowles

Author: Jo Knowles

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Publication Date: May 8th 2012

Pages: 310

Who will read it: Middle school students, kids growing up in the restaurant business, anyone dealing with family issues

Rating: 4/5

Buy: Amazon: / Barnes&Noble:

Official Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Fern feels invisible. It seems as though everyone in her family has better things to do than pay attention to her: Mom (when she’s not meditating) helps Dad run the family restaurant; Sarah is taking a gap year after high school; and Holden pretends that Mom and Dad and everyone else doesn’t know he’s gay, even as he fends off bullies at school. Then there’s Charlie: three years old, a "surprise" baby, the center of everyone’s world. He’s devoted to Fern, but he’s annoying, too, always getting his way, always dirty, always commanding attention. If it wasn’t for Ran, Fern’s calm and positive best friend, there’d be nowhere to turn. Ran’s mantra, "All will be well," is soothing in a way that nothing else seems to be. And when Ran says it, Fern can almost believe it’s true. But then tragedy strikes- and Fern feels not only more alone than ever, but also responsible for the accident that has wrenched her family apart. All will not be well. Or at least all will never be the same.

My Review

Plot:  A super read! Excellent, but not quite 5 stars, yet. I enjoyed Fern’s point of view greatly, though her tendency to be over-dramatic felt clingy at times. I connected to her feelings of embarrassment towards her family, and her insightful attitude towards everyone around her. Without giving away a major spoiler, the book carefully presents a heart-breaking physical and emotional conflict. I thought the build-up to the end was satisfying, and overall, enjoyed how the characters interacted with one another. The story was well-developed and fun to read. I particularly liked Holden’s part. The bullying he faced and his coming-out later in the novel felt appropriate and rewarding.

Characters: 

Fern is a strong no-nonsense type of young girl who struggles to understand her family while dealing with the struggles of middle school. She drove the plot forward, and I liked her inner monologue of “would Fern (from Charlotte’s Web, her namesake) do this?” Her outwardly happy armor is often broken by the admonishing she receives from her family, but she continues to move on.

Fern’s parents do get the short end of the stick in the novel, though they are rewarded by the end. Her mother is portrayed as overwhelmingly hands-off, leaving the care of the restaurant to Fern. Her father is filled with big ideas to boost customers to their struggling restaurant, “Harry’s,” often to the embarrassment of his family. Though they have big hearts, their lenience towards their children means that Fern often has to keep her younger and older siblings in line.

Charlie was an accurate portrayal of the younger, annoying little sibling. His exuberance felt at times, “gross” as Fern put it, but also loosely heart-warming. The range of emotions he showed was limited, but his excessive hope brought a smile to my face.

Holden, named after the titular character in “A Catcher in the Rye,” has the matching gloomy personality. The responsibility placed on him to just tough out the bullying he receives at school and act heterosexual is enough to make anyone consider running away. Fern and Holden share a close bond, one where they mutually empathize with each other. However, Fern realizes that Holden must fix his problems on his own. I connected with Holden the most, and he felt genuinely realistic.

Sara was the least focused-on sibling, but I enjoyed her dedication to keeping her family together, especially by the end.

Relationships/ Romance: The more traditional family members (the parents) seemed loving towards their children without really knowing how to resolve their children’s problems. They needed actions spelled-out for them and were unresponsive towards the brewing conflicts that threatened to tear apart certain members. However, the love between this nuclear family was surprisingly strong in face of adversity, and demonstrated their cool confidence. Fern’s relationship with her best friend, Ran, did develop into something “more” by the end, and his careful reassurances were comforting. Holden’s developing relationship with Gray characterized the former’s conflicted feelings in the beginning. By the end, they had resolved their relationship in a mature, responsible way that gave me hope that Holden would later meet his true love.

Writing Style: The writing was emotionally poignant and Knowles’s crisp descriptions only furthered the plot and kept the reader interested. The characterization of Fern was entirely consistent and well-done.

Best lines/Favorite part: The water seeps through my sneakers and up my jeans. It’s icy cold, and it’s such a relief to feel an outside hurt take over the hurt inside. The pain stings my ankles and crawls up my legs as I walk deeper. (195)

I put my soap-covered hands up to my face and cry again. Cry and cry until I get so used to the smell I can’t smell it anymore, and I have to open the bottle and breathe it in. Breath after breath after breath. (197)

Ending: This book ended rather happily with Fern learning to feel happiness without the guilt she associated the feeling with. She and the rest of the family are able to continue their lives with a strength that only some regain after such a difficult event. I was pleased with the ending and felt it wrapped up the story nicely.

The Star-worthy Aspects: The plot originally attracted me since I wanted to learn more about the restaurant industry. The book was fascinating and well-fleshed out with characters that reminded me of my own friends.

The Deficiencies: I was not as emotionally moved as I wanted to be, considering other reviews. While the writing was precise, I did not feel a strong connection towards the actual event, but more towards the aftermath.

Rating and Closing Remarks: The different characters were all extremely likable, and their flaws only made them more realistic. Loyalty as a vital throughout generational differences stuck out to me. This novel earned a 4/5 from me, and I would recommend it to some younger readers.

Bonus Points: From her website, Knowles writes, “In college, I took a children’s literature course, got hooked, and went to grad school to learn more. There, I took a course on writing for children. I loved it so much, I decided to write my first YA novel for my graduate thesis. That semester I was lucky enough to meet Robert Cormier, my hero. I told him how his book [The Chocolate War] had turned me into “a reader.” He gave me his address and said to send him my novel when I finished. That message helped me finish my book. I sent it. He wrote back and told me I had talent, and that he hoped one day my book would be published with a blurb from him on the back. I have that letter framed in my office.

In February 2006, I sold my first novel, Lessons From A Dead Girl, to Candlewick Press. My dream of becoming a published author finally came true.”

If you would like to find out more about Jo Knowles and her other books, please visit her website at http://www.joknowles.com/Home.html or visit her Livejournal: http://jbknowles.livejournal.com/ or her twitter: https://twitter.com/JoKnowles

I can’t wait to read some of her other books and review them!

-S