Jacked Up

Gr 9 Up—Jack Kerouac has been dead for almost 40 years, but that doesn't stop him from haunting Nick, who just lost his older sister, Diana, to suicide. Diana loved Kerouac and often channeled his philosophy of loving the "mad ones." As if these things weren't bad enough, Nick's parents have decided to send him to "Jesus Camp" at the behest of Nick's other sister, Charlotte. Nick is not excited or even happy about this decision but he doesn't feel like he has a choice, given the tragedy his family has just gone through. The campers are encouraged to write down confessions or prayers and put them into the official PC Box, and even Nick participates—by writing down his secret about Diana's death. When the PC Box goes missing, everyone at camp is in a panic, especially Nick, who makes it his mission to find where the box went. This story of tragedy and relationships reads quickly, and Nick is a sympathetic narrator. The teen is often resistant to the camp's lessons, which are gentle but not subtle. Some of the male campers use crass language and objectify their female cohorts. The author has created a small but well-crafted cast of characters. Each of them have real-life issues that will resonate with young adults.