The Year Without Michael

by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Book Overview

This ALA Best of the Best Book for Young Adults and American Bookseller Pick of the Lists is reissued with new cover art. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553054309
• ISBN13: 9780553054309
• Release Date: August 1987
• Publisher: Delacorte Press
• Length: 164 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

Great Book Okay Ending

This is an awesome book by Pfeffer! It is a great book that I read when I was 10 years old and loved. It is probably meant for kids older than 10, but it is great! Micheal disappears and the family is torn apart. The mother takes it out on her daughters, and they turn against their mom. It is a wonderfully written book but the ending leaves you hanging. You never know what happens to Micheal, and you feel so upset. Why don't we find out what happened? The book leaves you with a powerful feeling for days. I would prefer closure. But the meaning is so much stronger and sticks with you after the end. I wish there was a sequal, but in real life you don't always find out what happened to missing people, so it is very realistic.

A GREAT BOOK FOR ALL AGES

This book is a great book.I was surprised after I find out itwas for ages 9-12. I read this book when I was 12 , I am now 15 andstill love this book! The only bad part is that the author left youwondering what happened to Micheal,and his family.This book would begood for all ages. My favorite character's were Kay,and Jody. I hopethat there will be a sequel. Some other good books are GentleAnnie,Say Goodnight Gracie,Homecoming,and Say Goodnight Gracie.Thanks

Not just for kids!

I listened to this story on audiocassette and was surprised when I found out it was aimed at 9-12 year olds. I am almost 40 and enjoyed it. The story is about 13 year old Michael Chapman who disappears without a trace and leaves his family wondering whether he is dead or alive. The story is seen mainly through the eyes of his older sister, Jody, who is at first sad, and depressed. Then as the months go by without hearing anything about her brother, she decides to get on with her life, and it seems to be going well for awhile, but reality catches up with her and she realizes that things are never going to be the same. Her mother takes it hardest of all and with nowhere else to throw her anger and frustration, takes it out on her youngest daughter. The story had a realistic view of how this would probably have felt for the different members of the family. I hoped too, that Michael would suddenly show up in the end, or that they would at least find his body and be able to put things to rest, but that isn't the way the author chose to end the story. We are left without an easy ending and I think a sequel would be a good idea. I recommend this book to any age group, young or old.

This is an excellent book!!!

The book A year without Michael is one of the best books I've ever read. I'm not much into reading, but when my English teacher informed my class we'd have to read books this year to get a good grade, I chose to read A year without Michael. I literally couldn't put the book down. I would read every chance I got, even while some of my teachers were lecturing! The book was very suspenseful. Throughout the whole book you wonder what happened to Michael and the ending I thought was very surprising. I thought that the book was a very good reflection of the real life. Things like that really happen these days and I think Susan Beth Pfeffer showed all of us who haven't gone through a family member diapering what a family does go through and all the hard times they must overcome. The book also shows us how family members take their anger out on other family members by verbally abusing them and physically abusing them. I would recommend that everyone, even those like me who don't really like to read, read this book-You'll love it too!

Amazing

This book was an amazing one. It was one of those books where you could identify with every character;Jody, Kay, their father,and sometimes their mother. I disliked Jody's mother because she took her anger about Micheal out on Kay; hitting her,screaming at her,and sending her to her Grandmother's and Bording school.