ARC Review: Jake and Lily by Jerry Spinelli

TITLE: Jake and Lily                AUTHOR: Jerry Spinelli PUB: Bazler + Bray                  PUB DATE: 5/8/12 FORMAT: ARC, 352 pgs SOURCE: from pub in exchange for honest review

Jake and Lily are twins. Even though they seem pretty different—Jake is the calm one and Lily has a temper; Lily is obsessed with trains and Jake collects cool rocks—they feel exactly the same, almost like two halves of one person. When one of them gets hurt, the other can feel it. They can communicate without words. And mysteriously, every year on their birthday, they sleepwalk to a train station in the middle of the night. But the year they turn eleven, everything changes. Their parents announce it’s time for separate bedrooms, and Jake starts hanging out with a pack of boys on the block. Lily is devastated—not to mention really, really mad. And as she struggles to make friends and get a life apart from her twin, Jake finds himself dealing with a neighborhood bully and has to decide what kind of person he really is. 

THREE WORDS: Completely Captivating & Touching


MY REVIEW: Every once in a while a MG Contemporary comes along and really captures my heart, mind and imagination completely…Jerry Spinelli’s Jake and Lily is definitely one of those books!


Twins Jake and Lily are more than just brother and sister, they’re best friends. They have a powerful connection that allows them to know when the other one is in trouble or hurt, finish each other’s sentences and communicate without words. The twins were born on a train and every year on their birthday they sleepwalk to a train station. Jake and Lily believe that nothing will ever break their connection…but the summer they turn 11, everything changes. Their parents decide it’s time the twins have separate rooms, Jake starts to hang out with a group of neighborhood boys and Lily finds it hard to get a life a part from her brother. Bullies, a hippie grandfather, new friends, growing pains and figuring out just who they are- these are just a few of the things that Jake and Lily must face during the summer of their eleventh year.


Jerry Spinelli is the author of many much loved MG books, such as Maniac Magee, Loser and Stargirl, and with Jake and Lily, Spinelli offers readers another touching, funny and pitch perfect novel for young readers.


Jake and Lily is written from the points of view of both title characters in the form of diary/journal entries, which the two young characters plan on turning into a book about their lives, and I found this to be a brilliant way to really explore each character and their individual stories. The story itself is neither fast nor slow paced; it moves at the perfect speed to allow readers to get to know the characters, while holding the readers’ interest.  Spinelli writes with humor, honesty and an age appropriate seriousness and when combined together the three make for a wildly fun and entertaining story that is surprisingly moving and poignant.


Both Jake and Lily are wonderful MG characters. Spinelli creates a tangible and believable connection between the twins while giving each character enough depth and development to stand alone as compelling individuals. Jake is the calm, logical and rational twin, while Lily is the twin with a temper and knack for troublemaking. I really loved both of them, both as twins and as individuals, but I must admit that Lily is my favorite (she’s totally a kindred spirit!). I found myself so invested and caught up in the deep, powerful connection between the twins. There are other really awesome characters as well; Poppy and Soop are two of my other faves.


There are quite a few issues explored in this novel- bullies, grief, the pains; heartache and confusion of growing up- and I think Spinelli touches upon on these things in some really beautiful and honest ways. Both Jake and Lily have different experiences during the summer of their eleventh year, but they go through a lot of the same things and discover a lot about who they are and who they want to be. I think readers of all ages, but young readers especially, will be able to greatly connect with Jake and Lily’s stories and experiences.


MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Jerry Spinelli’s Jake and Lily is an outstanding MG Contemporary, full of funny moments, fantastic characters and a truly touching story. I really loved this book and highly recommend it!

MY RATING

5/5 Cupcakes 

Find the author: Website / Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

When Jerry Spinelli was a kid, he wanted to grow up to be either a cowboy or a baseball player. Lucky for us he became a writer instead. He grew up in rural Pennsylvania and went to college at Gettysburg College and Johns Hopkins University. He has published more than 25 books and has six children and 16 grandchildren. Jerry Spinelli began writing when he was 16 — not much older than the hero of his book Maniac Magee. After his high school football team won a big game, his classmates ran cheering through the streets — all except Spinelli, who went home and wrote a poem about the victory. When his poem was published in the local paper, Spinelli decided to become a writer instead of a major-league shortstop. In most of his books, Spinelli writes about events and feelings from his own childhood. He also gets a lot of material from his seven adventurous kids! Spinelli and his wife, Eileen, also a children's book author, live in Pennsylvania.