|
Why Just Me?
Martyn Godfrey |
The latest unedited postings from our participating classes. If you would like to comment on these reviews send mail to The Collaborative Book Review Project Coordinator.
Why Just ME? by Martyn Godfrey
Review by Santina Penney
Bethel Academy
Victoria, Newfoundland
March 18, 1996
Shannon MacKenzie is nearly thirteen and stuck in teh middle of puberty. Things just don't make sense any more, and her life is full of questions. Is growing up exciting or scary? Why are her friends acting so strange? How does she feel about her devorced parents? ANd what's up with the cute new guy in school?
When Shannon's junior-high English teacher makes everyone start writing journals, Shannon thinks it's a pain. But soon she's pouring her heart out onto the pages, and some of the questions become easier to answer.
It's a really good book. Shannon is afraid of growing up, moreso because her mother is not there to help her. She goes out with someone who's upsessed with hockey. Shannon starts lieing to him because she doesn't want to talk about hockey. When Derek finds out that she lied to him, he's really mad and blows up. Shannon says "What a weird thing. I suppose this is just another example of hormones in action."
Why Just ME? by Martyn Godfrey
Review by Ginny Beaumont
Caledonia Regional High School
Hillsborough, New Brunswick
Grade 7
On a scale of one to ten, I rate " Why Just Me ?" a four. It was not the best book I have read on the topic of puberty. While it had both good and bad points, I feel its overall effect on girls of ages twelve and thirteen would not be that satisfying. On the good side it helps girls get through puberty through the eyes of Shannon. On the other hand, she talks too much about puberty and how she is so scared of it. I can't believe anyone would be that frightened about puberty. I thought it was kind of a stupid reaction. The title of the book was silly too because puberty is not just about her - it's every girl that is her age. I definitely don't think any boys would enjoy this book. So overall I would not recommend this as one to read to any of my friends.
Why Just ME? By: Martyn Godfrey
Review by Mary Verhoski
Niakwa Place School
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Grade 7
May 8, 1996
Why Just Me is a great book for teens with questions about puberty. I know I sure had questions about puberty. It's about a girl named Shannon MacKenzie who is very scared of reaching puberty(or as she would say The Big P). She also meets a boy that she dosn't know if she likes him or not. She's also dosn't know how she feels about her divorced parents. But before she knows it she is pouring her heart out into her journal. Then her junior high english teacher made the whole class start writing journals. Because of writing some of Shannon's questions become easier to answer. This book is great because it isn't phony like other books that i have read.It sure answered a lot of my questions. I hope the next person that reads this book enjoys it as much as I did.
The book Why Just Me was written by Martin Godfrey,a very well known author from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
The main characters of the novel are Shannon, Rachel, Shannon's father, Shannon's mother and stepfather, Derek, Jeeny, Mr. Manning, and Shannon's brother,Ralph.
I wouldn't recommend this book for anybody under the age of 10 years of age because of the subject mainly talked about, which is puberty. Anybody who doesn't like Diary written books wouldn't like this book because it is completely diary entries. A large population of boys would not find this book too interesting but it does give some good explanations of what happens in some important stages of life and how to face them.
Shannon and all of her friends and family lived in Edmonton, except her mother and her horrible husband. They lived in Ohio, in United States.
During the beginning of the book Shannon is scared to face the stage of puberty. At the same time her friends do not seem to mind or to be worried about anything. With her parents divorce, she doesn't have a mother to talk to that won't cost much on long distance, even if she tries.
Luckily soon enough without the help of her mother and father, her friend Rachel's mother helped her to understand what it is like and how it should be faced. Also later on Shannon's dad meets another women who also was around and helped her out in the same way. Shannon felt good to have this help, and understood things better.
To help herself she signed out a book on puberty that mentioned things like hormones. When she read that she first thought of Jeeny and her boyfriend, Hormones!
Shannon also meets a boy who becomes her boyfriend and he is really cute. But he only talks about hockey. Shannon didn't like hockey and did not know what to do. After a breakup they suddenly liked each other again. Then they solved the problem.
Another important part of the story is Shannon's home room teacher, Mr. Manning, and how he had left school. He was greatly liked by the entire class. But he was not greatly like by the school principal and superintendant. He was not fired, but he quit. The class did not know this and thought he was fired, so they all skipped school one day and marched in front of the superintendant's office and even got the press to come. They were demanding that Mr. Manning would be rehired. Then Mr. Manning came and brought them back down to the lobby and told them that he did not like his job anymore and he quit not because he did not like them but just because he did not like his job. They did not like the new teacher that was to be hired. To them Mr. Manning had an important role in their lives.
By this time Shannon had finally stopped worring about the changes that her body was going through or other things in life that might be a bit disturbing.
As you can probably see Shannon learned to help herself and finally understood that puberty is just a part of life!
Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364