Jacked Up
- Subject
- Magical Realism
- Age
- Teen
- Format
- Trade Paperback
- Pages
- 288
- Publisher
- Sky Pony
- Size
- 14.0 cm Ă 20.8 cm
- ISBN
- 9781510754409
Saved! meets Tim Federle with just a dash of A.S. King in this hilarious and poignant debut about a teen stuck at Jesus camp.
Itâs bad enough that Nickâs sister is dead, and, in some bizarre attempt to force him to confront his grief, his parents are shipping him off to Jesus camp. But heâs also being followed around by Jack Kerouac, whoâs incredibly annoying for a genius.
If arguing with a dead beat poet doesnât qualify him for antipsychotics already, Nickâs pretty sure Eden Springs is going to drive him insane. The campers ride donkeys into the desert, snap selfies with counselors dressed as disciples, and replace song lyrics with Bible verses. And somehow, only Nick seems to find this strange.
Worst of all is the PC Box, into which the campers gleefully place daily prayers and confessions. With Jack nagging him to do it, Nick scribbles down his darkest secretâabout his sisterâs deathâand drops it in the box.
But then the box is stolen, with Nickâs secret inside of it. And when campersâ confessions start appearing around the camp, Nick is desperate to get the box backâbefore the world learns the truth about what he did. The truth he canât even face himself.
Laugh-out-loud funny, surreal, and insightful, this is an unforgettable novel about the strangeness of life, death, and griefâand the even stranger things people do to cope.
Itâs bad enough that Nickâs sister is dead, and, in some bizarre attempt to force him to confront his grief, his parents are shipping him off to Jesus camp. But heâs also being followed around by Jack Kerouac, whoâs incredibly annoying for a genius.
If arguing with a dead beat poet doesnât qualify him for antipsychotics already, Nickâs pretty sure Eden Springs is going to drive him insane. The campers ride donkeys into the desert, snap selfies with counselors dressed as disciples, and replace song lyrics with Bible verses. And somehow, only Nick seems to find this strange.
Worst of all is the PC Box, into which the campers gleefully place daily prayers and confessions. With Jack nagging him to do it, Nick scribbles down his darkest secretâabout his sisterâs deathâand drops it in the box.
But then the box is stolen, with Nickâs secret inside of it. And when campersâ confessions start appearing around the camp, Nick is desperate to get the box backâbefore the world learns the truth about what he did. The truth he canât even face himself.
Laugh-out-loud funny, surreal, and insightful, this is an unforgettable novel about the strangeness of life, death, and griefâand the even stranger things people do to cope.
About the author
Erica SageAuthor
Erica Sage is an English teacher and writer who lives in Washington state with her two sons. When not reading and writing, she loves to hike around Mount Rainier and travel whenever and whereverâwhether itâs packing up and heading to a new country, or just climbing into the car for a road trip. Jacked Up is her debut novel.
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What reviewers said
âIrreverent, poignant, and smart, Jacked Up turns Jesus camp on its head! A clever debut by a talented new author.â âKimberly Derting, award-winning author of the Body Finder series and the Pledge trilogy
âWith an unforgettable setting and a vibrant cast of characters, Erica Sage has delivered a poignant story of one boyâs search for forgiveness in the face of loss. Hilarious and insightful, Jacked Up explores the complexities of both faith and grief with remarkable honesty, nuance, and grace. A captivating debut.â
âYou canât help but think of Jack Kerouacâs famous novel during this humorous and heartbreaking road trip of a book. Erica Sageâs deft hand on the wheel makes the journey memorable.â
âSpiritual without being didactic, laugh-out-loud funny without being slapstick, and heartwarming without being melodramatic, Jacked Up takes us on a pilgrimageâboth literal and allegoricalâas Nick searches for healing and redemption.â
"An impressive debut novel that entertains while encouraging the questioning of all assumptions."
âThis story of tragedy and relationships reads quickly, and Nick is a sympathetic narrator. . . . The author has created a small but well-crafted cast of characters [with] real-life issues that will resonate with young adults. A good selection for most YA collections.â
