Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
Ebook250 pages
The Big Nothing
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
()
About this ebook
This sensitive and often humorous book tells the story of an adolescent boy who begins to find himself after the people he has always depended on let him down.
Alone. That’s how thirteen-year-old Justin feels these days. His older brother Duane has left home, enlisting in the Army, and his father has walked out, maybe for good this time. His mom is too depressed to get out of bed, much less pay the bills and keep food in the refrigerator. And if that’s not enough, his best buddy Ben has a new girlfriend and no longer has time to hang out. There’s not much left for Justin to do but to put his brain in neutral and slide into the state he calls “the Big Nothing.”
But slowly Justin discovers he has more resources than he thinks. With the help of his classmate Jemmie and her grandmother, Nana Grace, he learns that underneath all the noisy confusion in his brain lies a talent for music. As he spends time with Jemmie, he begins to understand how simple notes make complex music, and how simple feelings can turn into deep emotions. Award-winning author Adrian Fogelin once again offers readers an emotionally charged story featuring a sympathetic adolescent trying to make sense of the people and world around him.
Alone. That’s how thirteen-year-old Justin feels these days. His older brother Duane has left home, enlisting in the Army, and his father has walked out, maybe for good this time. His mom is too depressed to get out of bed, much less pay the bills and keep food in the refrigerator. And if that’s not enough, his best buddy Ben has a new girlfriend and no longer has time to hang out. There’s not much left for Justin to do but to put his brain in neutral and slide into the state he calls “the Big Nothing.”
But slowly Justin discovers he has more resources than he thinks. With the help of his classmate Jemmie and her grandmother, Nana Grace, he learns that underneath all the noisy confusion in his brain lies a talent for music. As he spends time with Jemmie, he begins to understand how simple notes make complex music, and how simple feelings can turn into deep emotions. Award-winning author Adrian Fogelin once again offers readers an emotionally charged story featuring a sympathetic adolescent trying to make sense of the people and world around him.
Author
Adrian Fogelin
Adrian Fogelin is the author of several novels for middle readers and young adults, including Crossing Jordan and The Real Question. She lives in Florida.
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Related to The Big Nothing
Reviews for The Big Nothing
Rating: 4.666666666666667 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
3 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I liked this book a lot and found Justin to be a sympathetic believable character. I liked his unconventional relationship with Jemmie and her grandmother Nana Grace, the fact that his parents' rocky relationship was not romanticized, the introduction of the war in Iraq, and of course, Justin's discovery of his musical talents. Also found the natural flow of race relationships and youth/elderly relationships very refreshing.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Big Nothing is about a boy named Justin Riggs who isn't popular of athelic, he's not even that tall. And these days his world is falling apart faster than his sneakers. His best Friend Ben spends all his time with his new girlfriend. His dad has hit the road, maybe for good; His mom is having a hard staying vertical, and his older brother is being deployed to Iraq.There is nothing much left for Justiin to do but pot his brain in neutral and slide into the state he calls the "Big Nothing."
Book preview
The Big Nothing - Adrian Fogelin
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