Black Tuesday

by Susan Colebank

Everything is going just the way superachiever Jayne Thompkins planned. She?s at the top of her class and captain of the girls? varsity tennis team. Her ultimate goal? Harvard. She wouldn?t be killing herself with all these extracurriculars otherwise. But her life changes when she crashes into another car?and a little girl dies as a result. Will she ever be able to live with the guilt she feels over this accidental death? A gripping and fastpaced...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0525477667
• ISBN13: 9780525477662
• Release Date: June 2007
• Publisher: Dutton Children's Books
• Length: 264 Pages
• Weight: 0.86 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.9" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 14 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 9 and higher

Customer Reviews

Decent read, boring narrator...

This review contains SPOILERS after the first paragraph. While I loved the content and center of the novel, Jayne's story should have been written in her own words, not third person. There were many times where I found myself having a hard time getting past the narrator's boring-ness. I also had trouble believing that some of the characters were real. We have this amazing story line about an intelligent girl who caused a car accident that killed a little girl, yet the parts I expected to be controversial and exciting ended up falling flat. I picked this book up because of the content, since it seemed like such an interesting idea to explore. Before I had even reached the middle I had decided that Jayne's story was being written a little too safely. With that said... Because Brenda's mother had her in the front passenger seat without a seatbelt, Jayne gets off rather easy. She ends up serving community service at a center for troubled teens, yet we barely see her helping anyone. She makes friends there that expose her to the world that her mother has sheltered her from, which was a good move on the author's part. The only time I can recall her actually doing something of worth there is when she takes her first crisis call. Other than that though, the center seems to be of more help to her. Lori and Jenna seem to have no dimension to them. They are given the formulated character traits of the typical high school cheerleaders who have no reason for their taunting and mean attitude. This bothered me a lot. I understand that Jenna was Brenda's (the young girl that died) older sister and that that was why Jayne was receiving so much backlash from them, but it almost seemed too convenient for the story line. Jayne mentions early on that the girls are mean and have a blog of some sort that they use to single students out. This online bullying is so realistic, yet never explored. Instead it's kept quiet; it seems like it was never reported to the school, never taken care of by teachers or guidance counselors. Stuff like that just doesn't fly today. Entire stories are written about stuff like that. Add the eggings and other horrible websites. Why there wasn't a bigger deal made about them? They were thrown in casually, soon to be forgotten until needed to make you hate Tom for hanging out with Lori. Gen, Jayne's mother, wants her to go to Harvard because she wishes she had had the chance to go to a good school. She controls Jayne's life while her father mills around being in a believable, supportive la-la land. I had a hard time believing that Jayne's mother was real though, just as I had a hard time with Lori and Jenna. They seemed to be characters picked up from the general vat of characters to use in a novel. Generic, common, and typical in every cliche way. The mother was rather irritating, though I'm guessing this is the vibe the author intended based on the mother's consistent examples of ridiculousness that show u

Susan Colebank is a great writer

Ms. Colebank's writing is straight-forward and honest. This story is realistic and griping. I love this book.

Awesome Read! Highly recommended!

I picked this book up on the recommendation of a friend (being a fan of all those classic girl books - Are you there god?, etc.), and I am so glad I did! Jayne's story is one of tragedy, rebirth, and triumph over adversity that sends a strong positive message to all girls who go through a tragedy in their teen years (and really, who hasn't had at least one tragedy in their teen years???). Whether you're 13 or 30, you can relate to the issues that confront Jayne as she struggles to overcome a horrific accident. Not to mention an overbearing mom, and a little sister who seems determined to destroy herself. Susan Colebank is a truly gifted writer, who clearly still remembers the trials and tribulations of the teen years. This is her first book, and I certainly hope it's not her last!

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Jayne Thompkins lives a charmed life. She gets straight A's, will probably be chosen captain of her tennis team, and plans to go to Harvard. She has a rather annoying younger sister, but her mother is somewhat of a local TV celebrity and her father is supportive and sensitive. Life couldn't get much better, unless maybe, Jayne could squeeze in a little time for a boyfriend. One Tuesday afternoon, one cell phone call, and one red light change everything for Jayne Thompkins. Rushing to tennis practice and as usual annoyed by a call from her sister, Ellie, Jayne runs a red light and smashes into a car. A little girl riding in the front seat without a seatbelt has her neck broken. After being pronounced brain dead, the little girl is eventually removed from life support, and Jayne must live with what she's done. Her license is suspended until age 18, she must fulfill a community service requirement, and she is required to report to a probation officer and attend counseling sessions. Jayne's life is no longer about good grades and future plans. Why not test the limits and spread her wings? Nothing really matters anymore, or at least that's the way things seem. Jayne chooses a new direction. Being more like her rebellious younger sister seems more attractive when she thinks she has nothing more to lose. Jayne finds out that facing friends and fellow classmates is not easy. People she once counted on are no longer there for her. Pressure from her mother causes her to behave in ways she never would have dreamed possible. And to complicate matters, her community service hours put her in contact with someone who takes advantage of her lack of experience in romantic relationships. Susan Colebank gives readers a glimpse into the world of a teen whose life is coming apart at the seams. Teens feeling that their lives are out of control will identify with Jayne's story. Seeing what it's like to hit bottom and then struggle to return to a former life makes this a definite must read. Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"