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A Face in Every Window by Nolan Han (2008-09-01) Paperback
After Grandma Mary dies, sixteen-year-old JP’s safe, secure world quickly unravels. He finds himself living in complete chaos when his mother wins a farmhouse in an essay contest and insists on sharing her good fortune with other neighborhood outcasts. Suddenly there are no rules, and the house is filled with poets, musicians, a reformed drug addict, an abused teen, and too many others who seem to have replaced JP and his father in his mother’s life. JP longs for his family to be restored to what it once was. But then somehow, amid the madness, his idea of family is redefined in ways he never expected.
Unknown Binding
First published September 20, 1999
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About the author
Han Nolan
15 books222 followersHan Nolan is widely acclaimed for her evocative language, her gritty subject matter, and her ability to plumb the psyche of her characters. Her books include Dancing on the Edge, which won the National Book Award, Send Me own a Miracle, a finalist for the National Book Award, Born Blue, A Summer of Kings, and several other acclaimed novels. She and her husband live on the East Coast.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
November 24, 2012
Reviewed by Rebecca Wells for TeensReadToo.com
When JP O'Brien's Grandma Mary dies, his orderly world quickly begins to unravel - his mentally challenged father becomes completely lost, and his mother, Mam, starts acting quite unlike her usual sheltered self. JP tries to make do in this new world, but when Mam wins a farmhouse in an essay contest and the family moves, things really come apart.
Mam insists on opening the farmhouse to just about every neighborhood outcast who comes by, and suddenly the house is filled with strangers who borrow his things without asking, and seem to be creating a world in the farmhouse that doesn't include JP or his father.
All JP wants is for the world to reorder itself, and his family to be restored to what it used to be. But what if the world is meant to stay the way it is? As the people in his life begin to make space for this sudden chaos, JP finds himself realizing that maybe family is more than just the people you're born with, and maybe chaos isn't the worst thing that has happened to him.
In this novel, Han Nolan presents a boy struggling to maintain control of his world even as it slips between his fingers. JP O'Brien is a sympathetic protagonist whose worries draw the reader into his world, and we find ourselves hoping that he gets what he wants.
Not everything that is broken gets fixed in A FACE IN EVERY WINDOW, but this novel is a heartwarming tale of family and friendship nonetheless.
When JP O'Brien's Grandma Mary dies, his orderly world quickly begins to unravel - his mentally challenged father becomes completely lost, and his mother, Mam, starts acting quite unlike her usual sheltered self. JP tries to make do in this new world, but when Mam wins a farmhouse in an essay contest and the family moves, things really come apart.
Mam insists on opening the farmhouse to just about every neighborhood outcast who comes by, and suddenly the house is filled with strangers who borrow his things without asking, and seem to be creating a world in the farmhouse that doesn't include JP or his father.
All JP wants is for the world to reorder itself, and his family to be restored to what it used to be. But what if the world is meant to stay the way it is? As the people in his life begin to make space for this sudden chaos, JP finds himself realizing that maybe family is more than just the people you're born with, and maybe chaos isn't the worst thing that has happened to him.
In this novel, Han Nolan presents a boy struggling to maintain control of his world even as it slips between his fingers. JP O'Brien is a sympathetic protagonist whose worries draw the reader into his world, and we find ourselves hoping that he gets what he wants.
Not everything that is broken gets fixed in A FACE IN EVERY WINDOW, but this novel is a heartwarming tale of family and friendship nonetheless.
June 29, 2024
awesome book, well written
February 19, 2016
I should like Han Nolan a lot more than I do. This is my fifth Han Nolan novel, and she does a lot of things that I wish more YA authors would do. She consistently writes about unusual and important topics (particularly mental illness). She's one of the blessed few YA authors who consistently writes contemporary novels without romance. She writes Problem Novels, but resists the trends of oversimplification and condescension within the genre. But the more of her work I read, the more I like the idea of Han Nolan better than the reality.
This book just seems confused about what it's trying to accomplish. There are a lot of subplots in this book, but it never really comes into anything cohesive. The premise is that JP's grandmother has just died, leaving only him and his mother to take care of JP's severely intellectually disabled father. JP's mother becomes more and more distant from JP when she starts having an affair with a guy named Doctor Mike. So she buys a large cabin and moves the whole family there, and she invites several misfits to live with them. There's no real forward motion to this book once that premise is established. I think the overarching plot was supposed to be about JP's relationship with his mother, as both the very beginning and the very end of this novel deal heavily with their relationship. But most of the middle doesn't. The middle feels like a bunch of unrelated short stories cobbled together at the last second. We get subplots about Bobbi's abusive boyfriend, Larry coming out to his parents, and JP's grades going down. The problem isn't exactly that they disappear as soon as they're mentioned, because they don't. It's more that all this doesn't add up to anything. There's no common theme or story that ties all this together, and so it all feels extraneous.
I feel like if this problem were solved, this could've been a pretty interesting novel. JP doesn't have much of a character arc, but he is well-rendered. (He's almost identical to Jason from Crazy, which is incredibly disappointing, but this was written before Crazy, so I can't hold that fact against this book.) In fact, even though this novel has a surprisingly large cast for a book of less than 300 pages, they're all well-developed. Even JP's mom feels like a real person, and she has a dynamic relationship with JP, of a sort that I haven't seen before in YA. They reverse the typical role of a mother and a son in YA - Mam is the one who goes off on romantic adventures being irresponsible, while JP stays at home and cooks food for everybody, feeling profoundly uncomfortable with his mom's adventures. There's also Bobbi, who JP has a crush on. Her character is strong enough for a book of her own - we see glimpses of her going from abuser to abuser, constantly justifying the actions of the people that harm her. She has an interesting relationship with JP, and I'll give Nolan points for not casting JP as the savior, coming in to show her what a relationship should be like.
The thing is, even with all these potentially interesting elements, they never amount to anything. This reads like an inept crossover fic between five or so unrelated canons. Nothing connects fluidly, and there's no common theme that any of these stories relate to. It's just a sprawling mess. And the sad thing is, I can tell from reading this that Nolan is definitely a competent writer. Her prose is nothing special, but she gives JP a pretty good voice, and she's great at character development. But in every other Han Nolan novel I've read, even the mediocre ones, I always felt like Nolan was writing because there was something she wanted to say, some situation she wanted to explore. Here, she has nothing to say. This book has all the literary value of a grocery list. Nolan does nothing but add to the number of words in print, and it's a shame to see such a talented author squander her talent like this. This is easily the worst Han Nolan book I've ever read, and there's a reason it's gotten the least popularity out of all of them.
This review can also be found on my blog.
This book just seems confused about what it's trying to accomplish. There are a lot of subplots in this book, but it never really comes into anything cohesive. The premise is that JP's grandmother has just died, leaving only him and his mother to take care of JP's severely intellectually disabled father. JP's mother becomes more and more distant from JP when she starts having an affair with a guy named Doctor Mike. So she buys a large cabin and moves the whole family there, and she invites several misfits to live with them. There's no real forward motion to this book once that premise is established. I think the overarching plot was supposed to be about JP's relationship with his mother, as both the very beginning and the very end of this novel deal heavily with their relationship. But most of the middle doesn't. The middle feels like a bunch of unrelated short stories cobbled together at the last second. We get subplots about Bobbi's abusive boyfriend, Larry coming out to his parents, and JP's grades going down. The problem isn't exactly that they disappear as soon as they're mentioned, because they don't. It's more that all this doesn't add up to anything. There's no common theme or story that ties all this together, and so it all feels extraneous.
I feel like if this problem were solved, this could've been a pretty interesting novel. JP doesn't have much of a character arc, but he is well-rendered. (He's almost identical to Jason from Crazy, which is incredibly disappointing, but this was written before Crazy, so I can't hold that fact against this book.) In fact, even though this novel has a surprisingly large cast for a book of less than 300 pages, they're all well-developed. Even JP's mom feels like a real person, and she has a dynamic relationship with JP, of a sort that I haven't seen before in YA. They reverse the typical role of a mother and a son in YA - Mam is the one who goes off on romantic adventures being irresponsible, while JP stays at home and cooks food for everybody, feeling profoundly uncomfortable with his mom's adventures. There's also Bobbi, who JP has a crush on. Her character is strong enough for a book of her own - we see glimpses of her going from abuser to abuser, constantly justifying the actions of the people that harm her. She has an interesting relationship with JP, and I'll give Nolan points for not casting JP as the savior, coming in to show her what a relationship should be like.
The thing is, even with all these potentially interesting elements, they never amount to anything. This reads like an inept crossover fic between five or so unrelated canons. Nothing connects fluidly, and there's no common theme that any of these stories relate to. It's just a sprawling mess. And the sad thing is, I can tell from reading this that Nolan is definitely a competent writer. Her prose is nothing special, but she gives JP a pretty good voice, and she's great at character development. But in every other Han Nolan novel I've read, even the mediocre ones, I always felt like Nolan was writing because there was something she wanted to say, some situation she wanted to explore. Here, she has nothing to say. This book has all the literary value of a grocery list. Nolan does nothing but add to the number of words in print, and it's a shame to see such a talented author squander her talent like this. This is easily the worst Han Nolan book I've ever read, and there's a reason it's gotten the least popularity out of all of them.
This review can also be found on my blog.
May 18, 2012
I've had this book sitting on my class bookshelf for a long time. I originally bought it because a 7th grade student I tutored in Trophy Club had it on his summer reading list and he said it was a good book. I trusted Max's opinion, a non-reader wanted me to read it because he liked it.
It's a good book, a very good book, but I don't think I'll be able to recommend it to any of my students. It's too real and many of my students are being protected from reality by their parents.
But if I had a student dealing with abuse, neglect, the nature of love, or homosexuality, I might push this book his or her way....
It's a good book, a very good book, but I don't think I'll be able to recommend it to any of my students. It's too real and many of my students are being protected from reality by their parents.
But if I had a student dealing with abuse, neglect, the nature of love, or homosexuality, I might push this book his or her way....
November 5, 2008
Man do I disagree with the author of this book.
September 23, 2021
This was a quick read and definitely enjoyable. The individual struggles of each character to become the person they think they want is realistic and heart warming. JP, the narrator, is the youngest member of the hodgepodge group whose insight is soulful yet stunted. As the book progresses all the characters evolve even though some don't believe in or see their own evolution. JP's desire for a "normal family" is raw and relateable, but there are the perspectives of the other characters which are insightful and help JP as well as the read reevaluate the concept of "normal."
March 7, 2023
I read this book in 6-7th grade. This was the very first book in my life that made me feel something, that someone knew what I was going through. Now at 32, looking back..JP just wanted what I always yearned for. Stability. This book was impossible to find but I finally found it on eBay. It will always be a reminder that chaos will always exist and that we have to personally find a way to navigate its rocky waters.
July 20, 2023
I can't decide how I feel about this book. Read it and make your own decision.
August 25, 2015
While this book is good, it isn't my favorite of Nolan's work. I did not like the mother in this novel because she was quite selfish. I felt so bad for James Patrick. Nolan deals with so many issues in this book, but the main theme is the teen becoming, but becoming like what? Like parents or the opposite of parents and the over riding fear that when our parents are flawed we may become like them.
I loved Grandma Mary in this book because I have one and she is great. Page 8 says, "Grandma Mary was our safe place, our warm hearth, our helping hand, our listening ear. She was the open arms welcoming us home, the gentle heart, the bountiful pantry, the loving voice. Grandma Mary was everything good that touched the deep-down goodness of our own souls and brought it to light." This describes my Grandma Mary perfectly. I miss her so much.
I loved Grandma Mary in this book because I have one and she is great. Page 8 says, "Grandma Mary was our safe place, our warm hearth, our helping hand, our listening ear. She was the open arms welcoming us home, the gentle heart, the bountiful pantry, the loving voice. Grandma Mary was everything good that touched the deep-down goodness of our own souls and brought it to light." This describes my Grandma Mary perfectly. I miss her so much.
March 20, 2016
This book was easy to read it is not too excited but it was a lot of emotional of the character in this book. JP is the main character he lives with his mam and his pap after his grandma Mary die. His mam doesn't want to live at the same house anymore so she find the new house to live and she invite others people to come and live with which JP doesn't like that idea. He disputes with his mam many times. His mam was close with Dr. Mike and JP doesn't want she to be close with him because he doesn't want other people gossip about his family. He used to don't talk with his mam for a long time. At the end his mam got the ticket to go travel at Switzerland with Dr. Mike and she got pregnant. But when she came back to home she know she did the worst thing ever but they talk to each other and they understand each other.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2011
A Face in Every Window is the type of Young Adult book that contains universal themes applicable to any reader, regardless of age or life experience. Each character, from the protagonist to each and every odd hipster that bursts through his front door, is, on the outside, a crude stereotype of what society would label them as. JP is an introvert and a loner, his mother is a homewrecking, care-free, spoiled woman, and her various friends are all hipsters drinking wine and reading poetry. But Han Nolan brilliantly dispells, over the course of the novel, those illusions. Each character, it turns out, has been shaped by life circumstances and is truly a three-dimensional, deep character. It is satisfying novel that pulls at the strings of your heart from all angles.
May 2, 2011
Not as good as her book "Crazy," but still really solid. I loved the characters, especially the Irish family roots. Well, maybe not that part the best, but I did love being able to hear Irish accents through the characters. I think HN does a really good job of getting into the minds of teens, especially with parents who have some kind of disability. I'm still excited to read more of her books.
Read this on all yesterday.
Read this on all yesterday.
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March 28, 2009After the death of his grandmother, who held the family together, JP is left with a mentally challenged father and a mother who seems ineffectual and constantly sick. It is especially hard on him when she invites all kinds of people, mostly "misfits", to come and live in their new house, which she won through an essay writing contest.
6th-8th grade
6th-8th grade
May 9, 2009
Another good find... a surprising group becomes a "family" .. written through eyes of an adolescent boy ... Themes: change, acceptance of differences.. Excellent if someone is prepared to open his or her mind. A compelling story as well.
I would read another of Han Nollan's books. Will look for Dancing on the Edge.
I would read another of Han Nollan's books. Will look for Dancing on the Edge.
January 1, 2012
Beautiful character-driven young adult novel about a boy whose mother wins a house and fills it with stray people who need a home. Han Nolan's strength is in portraying the inner thoughts and emotions of the main character, so that even trivial events are extremely moving.
April 18, 2016
I really like Han Nolan's books. This one was not my favorite. I finally got hooked when I was three quarters of the way through the book. In retrospect, the point she was trying to make was good, but the storyline seemed a bit too convoluted...perhaps necessary, but it was a bit off putting.
September 15, 2007
This book is comfort food.
January 24, 2008
A truly amazing book about a teen boy's struggle to survive in a family in turmoil. The book has depth and is very contemporary.
July 28, 2009
This was a riveting and moving YA novel that teaches you about the intrinsic value of a close-knit family.
June 3, 2010
Nolan amazes yet again. I haven't read a book of hers I haven't loved.
December 5, 2012
interesting story. i enjoyed the character development of the star, but some of the other characters felt a little flat. the plot is simple and could of used more drama, more of a climax.
February 9, 2015
He dies at the end. Gets shot.
Oh yeah spoiler alert.
Oh yeah spoiler alert.
February 16, 2016
I thought of Frankie S and felt more sympathy for the character than the author does. Bizarre, but thought provoking.
Read
August 5, 2011great book! Han Nolan is an excellent author. <3
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews