Claws

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Author(s)

Will Weaver

Publisher

HarperCollins Publishers

Genre(s)

General Fiction

Age Range

12+

Release Date

March 01, 2003

ISBN

0060094753

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"It's not the big, tragic things in life that do you in-" For Jed Berg, life is good: He's landed a major girlfriend, made number one singles in varsity tennis, and his father lets him drive his 1969 Camaro. Sweet.

Then a punk chick with pink hair enters Jed's life. She calls herself Gertrude, but something about that doesn't sound quite right. She begins to tell Jed things -- things about himself, about his father -- that make him very uneasy. He tries to ignore her, but she won't go away. Neither will the thoughts she's put into his head. As Jed searches for the truth about Gertrude, he begins to question the reality of his own life. The truth just might drive him mad.

Editor reviews

2 reviews

A book with bite

July 23, 2005

Overall rating

4.0

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This is one of those books that you continue to think about after you have finished it. It stayed with me, I suppose literally 'clawing' its way into my brain. It wasn't at all what I thought it would be.

Jed Berg has it all. Fancy house, a cool car to drive around in (his dad's), good parents, good grades, a hottie girlfriend, number one spot on the tennis team&life couldn't be any better for him. Any reader worth their salt realizes by now that something is going to happen to change all of that.

That something is a girl named Laura who informs Jed that his father is having an affair with her mother. As they try to figure out what to do about it and what they even want to have happen, Jed and Laura grow closer (against their better judgment and instincts). Their unfolding romance is an interesting one and the glue that holds 2/3 of the novel together.

Then they take the big plunge and give the cheating parents an ultimatum. Things take an unexpectedly tragic turn from there when Laura's little sister loses it and Jed and Laura have to chase her down into the woods. That trip ultimately costs Jed everything he has come to love.

The last section of the book deals with the aftermath of that tragic afternoon. Jed has fallen as low as he can possibly go and only by the very end of the book is he starting to claw his way back out again.

This isn't a happy book, but it is a well-written one. The tragic accident seemed a little too convenient for me (a medical helicopter just happens to crash?) but Jed's slow and steady descent is a gripping one. I recommend this book for readers aged 12 and up, though likely older teens will get more out of it than younger ones.

Kimberly Pauley Top 50 Reviewer 393 reviews

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3 reviews

Overall rating

4.7

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Unfortunate situations

December 13, 2008

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4.0

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Reader reviewed by Krista

Claws is about a boy, Jed Berg, who has it good. Hes junior in high school with a senior girlfriend. Hes number one singles in tennis. His dad lets him drive his 69 Camaro. His parents are still together. Of course this doesnt last for long. His life comes crashing down on him when he meets a pink-haired girl who tells him that his father is having an affair with her mother. Jed, obviously, doesnt take the news too well.

The ending will frustrate some readers. Weaver could have easily gone the happy route at the end of the novel, but he chose the other route, and it wont appeal to everyone. On Weavers website, he states: Ive gotten a lot of great letters and emails about it from kids in charter and alternative schools. This novel seems to speak to kids on the fringe." Anyone who reads the novel will see why.

While I still enjoyed Claws, I would have liked it just the same with a happy ending. A sad, instead of a terribly depressing ending, would have satisfied me the most, but life doesnt always go my way. And life doesnt always go Jed Bergs way either.

Guest #1 Reviewer

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awesome book

September 17, 2006

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5.0

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Reader reviewed by wwegurl

I loved this book! Its about a boy and he meets a girl who knows about his dad. They end up becoming friends, and in the end they both try to save someone but someione ends up dying. You'll have to read to find out who!

This book has a very suprising ending. I did not expect it at all. It keeps you interested up until the very last word. i recommend to everyone!

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One word to describe it : emotional

November 09, 2005

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5.0

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Reader reviewed by two sided freek

Everyone craves a happy ending, something to look forward to in the future. No one wants tragedies, but they are handed to us on a silver platter. What I love about this book is that it's real, and the author doesn't care about what you want from a book, only that you get a bite of your reality. You never quite know what is about to happen and that keeps the pages flipping.

Artfully written, this book is something we might not want to read and yes it made me cry, but you can't help flipping the pages just like life. You might not want to face what is in front of you but you do because it's the harsh reality, something that the faster you run away from it, the faster it catches up. You might not get the meaning of what i'm saying but all i can say is read the book, it truly is impressive.

Guest #1 Reviewer