Subscribe to RSS Feed

Positive People and Press

One day when I am a little, old lady sitting in my frigid apartment, hanging out with my stacks of newspapers and all the cats, I am going to need to look back at this page and remember that I was a writer once and that people even said nice things about books.

So… “Hi, Little Old Lady, Carrie. Here you go! Don’t forget to shut off the stove. And go eat some fiber.”

What people are saying about LOVE:

“The story is honest, earthy, and appealing. BTW, it’s difficult to explain about the duct tape of the title, except that it is a charming creative medium. Jones knows about Maine, being a native, and she knows about writing (with an MFA from Vermont College.)” — Claire Rossier, KLIATT

“This is a thoughtful and often humorous read… Jones manages to make it all work. Her descriptions of life in a small town where everyone knows your business are spot-on, as are her depictions of high school… Belle is a likable, believable character whose emotional crises will resonate with teens.” — Kathleen E. Grover, School Library Journal

“Belle’s search for identity and her medical problems keep her from being a run-of-the-mill protagonist…. Teens will dig right into Belle’s relationship dilemmas and fully empathisize with her insecurities.” — VOYA

“Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape) is on my list of Best Books of 2008 (So Far). It is just as good if not better than its predecessor. Carrie Jones allows her characters to mess up and learn from their mistakes rather than condemning them. There’s beauty in flaws, and considerant, observant Belle is just the person to see that beauty – in others, in her world, in herself.” — Best Books of February, Little Willow.

“Carrie Jones brings Belle and her friends to life. The book ends with many problems unsolved, but the reader won’t be dissatisfied. It looks like there’s at least one more sequel for Belle and her friends which I hope won’t take the author long to write. — Bookloons

“If you’re expecting Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape) to be strictly romance, then you might be disappointed. This novel isn’t all about the love and lust of Belle and Tom. It is a novel beyond labels and easy definitions. It’s a novel about life, about love, about friendships, about knowing and loving yourself, about accepting others. It’s about friends. It’s about family. And it’s about love. The love between friends especially.” – Becky’s Book Reviews

“This book, the sequel to Tips on Having a Gay (Ex)Boyfriend, made me feel like I was in high school again. It was funny and sad and wonderful. And I was reminded that the tiniest sensory details can make a book shine. The rip in the vinyl seat of a pickup truck. A crack in the sidewalk that looks like New Hampshire. I was sad when this one ended.
“Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape) is what a young adult novel ought to be. Challenging and thought provoking, and always real and accessible. I teach middle school, and this is the kind of YA novel that my 7th grade readers aren’t ready for just yet — more of a high school title — but it will be well worth the wait.” — author Kate Messner

“Carrie vividly captures the highs and lows of teenage life. Belle and Emily were so real to me, their actions and reactions so true, I fell into this book completely and was sad to see it end.” — author Tamra Wight

“(LOVE) has numerous things going for it; humor, sadness, fully-fleshed characters, particularly the unlikable ones (the author does a fine job making their less than nice words and behavior make sense), explanations in stream-of-consciousness that hold water in terms of why everyone acts as they do and last, but not least, a terrific story. I expected Belle’s constant return to thoughts about sex might wear thin, but they never did, nor did her preoccupation with who she really was. This is a book that will get plenty of circulation in my small public library.” – John Rodgers Clark, IV, librarian

“LOVE (AND OTHER USES FOR DUCT TAPE) has the same charm and emotionally wrenching honesty as its prequel, TIPS ON HAVING A GAY (EX) BOYFRIEND. Belle is an engaging narrator, struggling to do the right thing even when she knows not everyone agrees on what that “right” thing is. Her reactions to the changing circumstances around her are believable, and readers will eagerly follow her every step of the way. The other characters, both teens and adults, are equally well-drawn, in many shades of gray, never black and white. The book raises many hot topic issues, from teen sex and pregnancy to gay rights, but it keeps them personal and real, without any preaching or judgments. Ultimately, this is a story about Belle defining who she is and who she wants to be. It’s a journey every teen must take, and this novel should be equally universal in its appeal.” — Lynn Crow, teensreadtoo. # Highly Recommended

“LOVE (AND OTHER USES FOR DUCT TAPE) is just as beautifully introspective as Carrie Jones’s first book. Carrie Jones is an outstanding writer, who tells quiet stories full of heart and eloquence. Her characters are well-developed, and thought out.” — Mango Firefly/Melissa Jarequi

Comments are closed.