3 NBs of Julian Drew

by James M. Deem

Book Overview

Julian Drew "lives" with his father, his abusive stepmother and her children, but it's not a life anyone would want. He buys his first NB on October 25 at Osco Drug in Tucson. Green spiral. 80 pages. 34 lines per page. He tries to write but his pen won't cooperate. Then he develops a secret code. Mysterious notebooks record his fight for survival and recovery. Gripping and poignant, this story will hook readers from the first page.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0618439072
• ISBN13: 9780618439072
• Release Date: June 2004
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Length: 201 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.0" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 12 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 12

Customer Reviews

No word Can Fully Describe This Book

This book seriously defies the mind. When I picked up this book + read the 1st page I knew that it was going 2 B like no book that I have ever read. I had some knowledge of pager code before hand so it was not as difficult for me as it would B for someone who hadn't. I was intrigued w/ 16 y.o Julian who's life + everything in it couldn't be described as anything but [the underworld]. This book kept me turning page after page determined to find if he gets away 4rm his abusive parents or ever meets this "U" th@ he obsesses himself over. This book is a puzzle and unraveling it is only half the fun. I recommend this book 2 everyone. I thought it was a great story + if u take the time 2 sit down + read it, I'm sure you will think the same thing 2.

Heartbreaking & uplifting, all at the same time!

This is a great quick read. Echoing other reviewers, set aside several hours so you can finish this book quickly. Finally, a young adult novel with some depth. Characters who are not plastic, contrived, stereotyped. Julian comes across as genuine. A must read!

Don't start this book unless you can finish it all at once!

This is a one-sitting book. Once you pick it up you can't put it down until you're done, and even then you want to keep going. As you break through Julian's secret code, you also break through the secret barriers even he can't seem to get around. Deem gives just enough clues to keep you guessing, and Julian lets you see just enough of his soul to keep you caring.

Holy cow. This is a good book.

I read part of this book and then had to go to work before finishing it. That was the longest shift I've ever had to work. Talk about hard to put down... it's gripping, compelling, and most of all, disturbing. But it sticks to you, somehow.

3 Cheers for 3 NBs of Julian Drew!

This book was, in a word, fabulous! I was a bit confused in the beginning with all the "codes", but after a while I found it enhanced the story's authenticity and made me feel as if Julian was a real, breathing person (and maybe somewhere he is). This story of a teenage boy in search of his past and identity had me itching to read more after I had put it down for only a minute. There is, literally, never a dull moment! Mixed in with the exceptional dialect of this troubled 15-year old are wonderful pieces of "poetry" that express Julian's inner most intelligence and feelings: his work for Mrs. Pope, the concerned English teacher; as well as his thoughts on "U" (you), "43" (he), "543" (she), and "S" (Susan). Despite being misunderstood by family and himself, he somehow finds peace through the writings in his "NB". I picked up this book not knowing what to expect, but was indeed pleasantly surprised. This is a book you cannot afford to put down!