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Avg. Rating: 4.59
A sad story of difficult choices.
"Whatever Happened to Janie" re-introduces the reader to 15 year old Janie Johnson whose life as the privileged, only child of a well-to-do Connecticut couple was shattered in the book "The Face on the Milk Carton." She discovered that the Johnson's were not her real parents, and that she had been kidnapped from her real family by the Johnson's real daughter, Hannah. Janie learned about why the Johnson's raised her as their daughter, and she learned about her real family, the Springs. For twelve years the Springs of New Jersey have agonized over the loss of their middle daughter, Jennie. Her disappearance and the uncertainties of her fate have cast a pall on what is otherwise a large, boisterous family. Then after twelves years of worry, Jennie was found- alive and very well. The Springs demand that she come home to her real family. Janie/Jennie is a total stranger to her real family. How can she adjust to this completly alien enviroment? How can she call Mr. and Mrs. Spring Mom and Dad, when she does not even know them? How can she relate to an older brother and sister who resent that she actually lived better than they did when they had feared her abused, dead, or worse at the hands of her kidnapper? How can she live without her life-long friends and her boyfriend Reeve? But she knows deep-down that she really is Jennie Spring and not Janie Johnson. In the end she must make the choice between the parents who gave birth to her and never gave up the hope of finding her, and the parents who raised her. There is no right choice here because innocent people will be hurt no matter what the decision. A poignant story, deeply reminiscent of Conrad Ricther's classic novel "The Light in the Forest," "Whatever Happened to Janie" makes for stirring reading. It's not perfect, some plotlines are not followed through, some characters underdeveloped, and the character of Reeve is a thumping bore, but it is still an outstanding story on difficult choices.
It was a great book and was written well.
How would you feel if you found out you have been living with complete strangers your whole life? That's what Janie Johnson discovers and finds her real parents in Caroline B. Cooney's novel Whatever Happened to Janie the sequal to The Face on the Milk Carton, the continuation of Janie's story. Janie Johnson has found her birth parents in Nwe Jersey and by a court order has to live with them since they are her birth parents. Not only does she have to deal with the difference in name she also has to love strangers who are her real parents and family. Since she was brought up an only child she had to learn to share with her four other siblings. As Janie struggles through the new living enviroment she also quarrels with her siblings and tries to fit in. I thought the book was excelent! Caroline B. Cooney wrote the book with a great flow and makes it easy to get a clear picture of the scene. Here's an exert from Whatever Happened to Janie?: "The Spring family did not 'do' things the way her real family did. Nobody visited museums. Nobody went to antique shows. Nobody got theater tickets. Nobody belonged to the symphony series. Nobody sat quietly at the dining-room table reading the newspaper. In fact nobody say quietly." Although I loved the book I still think it could have been shorter. I thought some parts of the book were too long and Caroline B. Cooney dragged it on as far as she could. I still enjoyed the book. This book was great but if you didn't read the first book The Face on the Milk Carton you will be lost. This book is a realistic fiction novel and always has you thinking (what if?). If you don't like realistic fiction books then this book is not for you.
Janie Or Jennie?
Janie Johnson, is a six teen year old, who thinks her life is great ( except that her last name is boring.). In the Face On the Milk Cartoon, Janie recognizes her face on a photo graph.
She is horrified to learn that she was abducted when she was only three years old. Janie soon learns that her real name is Jennie Spring and that she is the daughter of Jonathan, and Donna Spring who live in New Jersey. Not the daughter of her parents who live in Massachusetts.
Janie tries to cope with living in her real home, with her real family, and with real life problems, that she doesn't know how to handle.
She misses her mother and father, and her boy friend Reeve in Massachusetts.
Janie is trying to get a long with her biological family. However, the one person who is really making it difficult for her. Is Janie's older brother Stephen.
Janie is trying her hardest to fit in but her temper flares up a lot. She finds it so hard to call Mr. and Mrs. Spring mom and dad.
The Springs are a really nice family but Janie ( or Jennie as the Springs call her.)
However, every thing is different in their home. The breakfast isn't the same. The family doesn't know what privacy or relaxing is.
Janie finds her self scared to death living in the New Jersey home. But just when things start to settle down.
Something always stirs up.
Trying to find some sort of answer from the Johnson's real daughter Hannah is easier said then done.
This is a very well written sequel for the Face On the Milk Cartoon. It's filled with suspense, mystery, drama, and a little bit of romance.
There is also a surprising emotional heavy twist at every turn.
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