Saving Jake
by Ophelia Julien
by Ophelia Julien
SAVING JAKE by Ophelia Julien
Category: Paranormal
Age Recommendation: Grades 6+
Release Date: 11/02
Publisher: New Leaf Books
Reviewed by: K. Osborn Sullivan
Rating: 5 Stars
Philip Corts would like to be an average teenager, but his special abilities set him apart. He’s always been able to find
things that his family loses. He hears voices in cemeteries. And, with the help of his best friend, Jake Holdridge, he
discovers that he can see the past through objects that have been there. But is he only seeing the past, or is he reliving it?
Philip isn’t sure he wants to know the truth about himself, so he turns his back on his supernatural talents.
While Phil struggles with his own gift, his friend Jake has a burden of his own: a demanding, wealthy father who expects
Jake to follow his footsteps into a successful corporate career. Never mind that Jake is an artist with no interest in the
business world. So Jake devises a radical plan to free himself from his father’s domineering presence, and he needs
Philip’s unique talents to help pull it off. The very talents that Philip swore he would never use again.
SAVING JAKE is a paranormal adventure that combines the chills of a ghost story with the heart-wrenching drama of
teens at a crossroads in their lives. The relationship between Jake and Philip is fascinating in its closeness and complexity.
Also, the struggles engaged in by the main character, Philip, would probably seem extraordinary in most other stories, but
compared to the daily misery endured by Jake, Philip’s life almost seems like a walk in the park. As the book progresses,
the reader can practically see Jake fading away. His eventual solution to his problems, although extreme, seems infinitely
superior to having him continue life as he has been.
This is an exciting book for readers who enjoy an eerie, mysterious tale, and it should appeal to those who like a great
drama, too. Both of those elements worked together very well here. Overall, it was the paranormal elements that drew me
to SAVING JAKE in the first place, but it was the well-written, unique story that kept me hooked.
Category: Paranormal
Age Recommendation: Grades 6+
Release Date: 11/02
Publisher: New Leaf Books
Reviewed by: K. Osborn Sullivan
Rating: 5 Stars
Philip Corts would like to be an average teenager, but his special abilities set him apart. He’s always been able to find
things that his family loses. He hears voices in cemeteries. And, with the help of his best friend, Jake Holdridge, he
discovers that he can see the past through objects that have been there. But is he only seeing the past, or is he reliving it?
Philip isn’t sure he wants to know the truth about himself, so he turns his back on his supernatural talents.
While Phil struggles with his own gift, his friend Jake has a burden of his own: a demanding, wealthy father who expects
Jake to follow his footsteps into a successful corporate career. Never mind that Jake is an artist with no interest in the
business world. So Jake devises a radical plan to free himself from his father’s domineering presence, and he needs
Philip’s unique talents to help pull it off. The very talents that Philip swore he would never use again.
SAVING JAKE is a paranormal adventure that combines the chills of a ghost story with the heart-wrenching drama of
teens at a crossroads in their lives. The relationship between Jake and Philip is fascinating in its closeness and complexity.
Also, the struggles engaged in by the main character, Philip, would probably seem extraordinary in most other stories, but
compared to the daily misery endured by Jake, Philip’s life almost seems like a walk in the park. As the book progresses,
the reader can practically see Jake fading away. His eventual solution to his problems, although extreme, seems infinitely
superior to having him continue life as he has been.
This is an exciting book for readers who enjoy an eerie, mysterious tale, and it should appeal to those who like a great
drama, too. Both of those elements worked together very well here. Overall, it was the paranormal elements that drew me
to SAVING JAKE in the first place, but it was the well-written, unique story that kept me hooked.