Jane In Bloom

by Deborah Lytton

Book Overview

Jane's 12th birthday marks the beginning of her older sister Lizzie's final descent into a fatal eating disorder. Soon Jane discovers that the only thing harder than living in her big sister's shadow... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0525420789
• ISBN13: 9780525420781
• Release Date: March 2009
• Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 1.0" x 5.8"

Customer Reviews

Beautiful Bloom

Actress/musician Deborah Lytton proves herself a gifted children's author with a spare, sensitive voice with Jane In Bloom, her debut novel for middle graders. When 12-year old Jane's sister dies from an eating disorder, Jane learns how to refocus - figuratively and literally, thanks to the gift of a camera - ultimately accepting both her broken family and herself. Jane's at times heartbreaking story is given added poignancy by Lytton's clean, uncluttered prose. A beautiful story, beautifully written.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

JANE IN BLOOM is a beautiful story of love, loss, and discovery. Ms. Lytton, a member of the Class of 2K9, comes out hitting with a winner. The story starts out on an emotional high for Jane. It's the morning of her twelfth birthday and she is finally going to get her ears pierced. She is literally the last girl in her class to get them done. But the day soon turns bleak for Jane. Not only doesn't she get her ears pierced, nor get to open her presents (she's been secretly wishing for a digital camera), but her older sister, Lizzy (perfect and popular Lizzy) is found unconscious on the bathroom floor. Three months later, Lizzy comes home, along with her eating disorder. No one talks about it, but it's always lurking in the background. And then, Lizzy is gone. The autopsy reveals she died from taking too many laxatives and diuretics. Jane's family is in slow motion and feels like it's falling apart. Jane was always in the background, and after the funeral, her mother runs off to Arizona to Jane's grandparents. She's left her husband and Jane alone in the empty house. Slowly, Jane and her father begin to bond again until he has to go away on business. Her dad brings in his old secretary to stay with Jane while he is gone. It's during Jane's time with Ethel that she finally starts to come to terms with her life. She's got a natural talent behind the lens, capturing life as it unfolds. While photographing Ethel's prized roses one day, she discovers that Hunter, the cute boy that came to her school halfway through the school year, lives next door. Hunter and Jane form a strong bond when they realize they each have lost loved ones. The summer after Lizzy's death is a tough time for everyone in Jane's family. They all struggle with their grief in their own private ways. And it's through Jane's tragic summer that she can even emphasize with the girl that bullies her at school. Jane reaches out to someone else in trouble and proves that even though she's had loss, she's grown into a different and stronger person. The story is told by Jane, the 12-year-old narrator. However, the surprising thing about JANE IN BLOOM is that Jane could be anyone. Ms. Lytton writes the novel in such a way that Jane could literally be ageless. The narration does not sound childish or overly exaggerated. It's a straightforward, heartfelt novel that will be sure to touch all who read it. Reviewed by: Jaglvr

I loved this book!

The cover of this book is every bit as striking and beautiful as the story inside. It's a must read for teenage girls, especially the quiet ones. I oculdn't put the book down. I felt I was with Jane as she waited outside the bathroom door for her sister wanting to help and make everything normal again. Lytton writes in a soft gentle way, and she brings these characters to life so perfectly.

A beautiful new voice

Jane in Bloom is a wonderful read from a talented new addition to the world of fiction authors. Lytton brings Jane's voice into your heart with evocative prose. We cry with Jane, laugh with Jane and eventually heal with Jane as we travel along with her on her journey. This is a story for anyone who has ever felt that they were not visible to those they love, or have had moments of profound loss in their lives. It is foremost a story about the deep and enduring love shared between two sisters who although they are very different, are woven within the threads of the life of the other forever. While dealing with a serious subject, Jane in Bloom does not dwell on the darkness but rather seeks out the redemption of spirit that Jane encounters. Jane triumphs over her own self doubt much like Vicki Austin in Madeline L'Engle's Austin novels and as such, Jane in Bloom is a must read.

A stunning debut!

"My thoughts and feelings float through me like wisps of fog. They touch down and then lift off before I understand them..." In an honest and compelling voice, Jane shares the story of her emotional journey from a loss that threatens to shatter her and her family to acceptance and healing. In Jane, Deborah Lytton has created a genuinely likeable character who engages the reader from page one, making them mourn with her over the loss of her sister, struggle alongside her to understand the complexity of her family, revel with her in the warmth of her friendships, and blossom with her as she finally comes to understand that you must, "...grab onto happiness with two hands..." because "life is all about the journey." Beautifully written with sensitivity and tenderness, Jane In Bloom will make you cry and laugh and, most of all, root for the courageous heroine as she learns that "life takes you forward, even when you don't want to go."