Jasper Jones

By: Craig Silvey

Narrated by: Matt Cowlrick

Length: 11 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

ALA Best Books for Young Adults nominee

Bank Street Child Study Children's Book Award nominee

Bank Street Child Study Children's Book Award nominee

New Jersey Garden State Teen Book Award nominee

School Library Journal Best Book of the Year winner

Young Adult Services Division, School Library Journal Author Award nominee

A Michael L. Printz Honor Book

Charlie Bucktin, a bookish 13 year old, is startled one summer night by an urgent knock on his bedroom window. His visitor is Jasper Jones, an outcast in their small mining town, and he has come to ask for Charlie's help. Terribly afraid but desperate to impress, Charlie follows him into the night.

Jasper takes him to his secret glade, where Charlie witnesses Jasper's horrible discovery. With his secret like a brick in his belly, Charlie is pushed and pulled by a town closing in on itself in fear and suspicion. He locks horns with his tempestuous mother, falls nervously in love, and battles to keep a lid on his zealous best friend. In the simmering summer where everything changes, Charlie learns why the truth of things is so hard to know, and even harder to hold in his heart.

©2011 Craig Silvey (P)2012 Random House

Critic reviews

Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2011: "The author’s keen ear for dialogue is evident in the humorous verbal sparring between Charlie and Jeffrey, typical of smart 13-year-old boys...A richly rewarding exploration of truth and lies by a masterful storyteller."

Starred Review, The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, April 2011: "Silvey’s sure-footed, evocative prose, intelligent humor, and careful plot structuring may well ensure this Aussie import lasting status."

Starred Review, The Horn Book Magazine, May/June 2011: "The mood and atmosphere of the 1960s small-town Australian setting is perfectly realized—suspenseful, menacing, and claustrophobic—with issues of race and class boiling just below the surface."

Wow!!

What a great story! It was very well written, and Matt Cowlrick was fantastic! Can’t wait to read another by the author!

Nice book

This book took me on an adventure. It really made me think. I loved it.

Great Australian Story

Listening to this novel was so much better than reading due to the genuine accent Matt spoke with.

Good teen fiction

If you could sum up Jasper Jones in three words, what would they be?

Heartfelt teen murder-mystery

What was one of the most memorable moments of Jasper Jones?

The main character's mention of To Kill a Mockingbird draws an obvious parallel to this novel.

I absolutely loved this book

So good, and Matt Cowlrick makes it stellar. I’ll miss these characters very much. Especially the dialogue between Charlie and Jeffery. Thank you.

Great Aussie Romp

This is one of the best modern Australian novels according to several lists. The main characters are highschool age and it probably should be classified as a young adult read but its vivid action kept this elder absorbed to the last line. It's a contemporary murder mystery with a Huck Finn character at centre and plenty of trendy social problems such as sexual abuse of children and philandering parents. The hero's mother is one of the most refreshingly nasty female characters I've encountered in a good while. It's read with appropriate nasal twanging and the odd roo thumping around but apart from that could have taken place in any North American small town--except for the many long unintelligible accounts of cricket games. I would happily read another book by Mr. Silvey.

Most entertaining

A good story, colourful characters, mystery, intrigue, adventure and humor . Very well written and performed.

5 stars

This was not what I was expecting, but in a good way. I especially liked the ending. Highly recommend.

Be ready for the "F"-bomb!

What would have made Jasper Jones better?

This book would have been better without the vulgar language. A WARNING would have been appreciated!

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

I bought this for my 5th grade son and me to listen to on the road. I was quite surprised by the language. I tried to overlook the language at first, because we had become very interested in the story. However, I couldn't continue listening in good conscience since we are oppposed to the use of that language. We didn't finish it.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Matt Cowlrick?

The narrator did a great job with all the characters and I would listen to another book narrated by him.

Any additional comments?

Hopefully I can buy the book in print and mark out the offensive language and finish the story with my son. Had I known about the language, I would never have purchased this.