Review of: The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti

Why I have been absent:

This may sound like an excuse, but the real reason why I am having trouble posting, is because of school. Almost every class gives me homework every night, and this all totals up to about 6 hours of homework a night. I am hoping to at least put out one post a week, whether it be a review or a meme. I hope you all understand the pressures of high school, and forgive me for not being on! </3

The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti

Page Count(Paper Back Edition): 288
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Released: February 27th, 2007
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
My Rating: 5/5 stars
Read: September 3rd-15th
Source: Books-A-Million

Synopsis: 

I am not my illness. "Girl with Anxiety," "Trauma of the Week" -- no. I hate stuff like that. Everyone, everyone has their issue. But the one thing my illness did make me realize is how necessary it is to ignore the dangers of living in order to live. And how much trouble you can get into if you can't.
Jade DeLuna is too young to die. She knows this, and yet she can't quite believe it, especially when the terrifying thoughts, loss of breath, and dizzy feelings come. Since being diagnosed with Panic Disorder, she's trying her best to stay calm, and visiting the elephants at the nearby zoo seems to help. That's why Jade keeps the live zoo webcam on in her room, and that's where she first sees the boy in the red jacket. A boy who stops to watch the elephants. A boy carrying a baby.

His name is Sebastian, and he is raising his son alone. Jade is drawn into Sebastian's cozy life with his son and his activist grandmother on their Seattle houseboat, and before she knows it, she's in love. With this boy who has lived through harder times than anyone she knows. This boy with a past.

Jade knows the situation is beyond complicated, but she hasn't felt this safe in a long time. She owes it all to Sebastian, her boy with the great heart. Her boy who is hiding a terrible secret. A secret that will force Jade to decide between what is right, and what feels right.

Master storyteller Deb Caletti has once again created characters so real, you will be breathless with anticipation as their riveting story unfolds.

This book has been on my to-read list for a little while now. I am so overly happy that I randomly decided to read this! The Nature of Jade was an emotional ride for me, but so worth it because of the great moral behind the story. (:

I was really intrigued when I first read the synopsis. Jade has an anxiety disorder which she has lived with all her life, which made this book stand out a little more than others. Throughout the book, you travel with her and her struggle with anxiety. Jade spends her time as a senior in a repetitive routine; school, watching elephants via webcam and homework. Then she spots a boy, Sebastian. Jade continues to watch him until..She decides to change up her routine, and goes to volunteer at her local zoo, and help with the elephants. Jade wants to change her fate, and finally meet Sebastian. She does, and her whole world is changed forever.

What really amazed me was Jade's ability to calm herself down when she got really stressed out. She reminded herself that physically her body was fine, even though her mind made her think otherwise. Jade would breathe in and out, and focus on smaller things to stay calm. At the end, Sebastian has to help her regain her calmness when she really is spun out of control. That was a really emotional part of the story that helped me understand what it's like to live with a disorder like that.

I really did like the character set in this book. I couldn't get enough of Jade and Sebastian and little Bo. Oliver was really cute, and appealed to me more than anyone else because he loved to read! Jenna, Hannah, Kayla, Michael and Akello were side characters that I didnt really care for that much. They didn't help nor hurt the story, but I felt they weren't all necessary, except for a few crucial parts. Jade's Mom and Dad were a really good add to the story, because along the way, they start to play a big part in Jade's life(I can't really explain it very well). Abe, her counselor, gave me more depth into dealing with an Anxiety Disorder. It was all sort of a learning experience for me when he asked Jade questions, and I really felt like I was there in 1st person. Damian and Delores were the two major people at the zoo that Jade communicated formed a bond with. Damian was like the head boss of the elephant part of the zoo, and trained Jade on how to interact with them, feed them, do enrichment tasks, etc. I found that really fascinating, Jade being able to be in person daily with elephants. Delores was the ticket booth person, but towards the end she bonded with a special elephant who was in need of it.

Every new chapter, there was an excerpt from  the book The Fundamentals of Animal Behavior by Dr. Jerome R. Clade. Each related specifically with what was happening in the story at that time. The facts were so interesting, that I put that book on my to-read list!

Overall, The Nature of Jade was a very touching, emotional read(to me), and I highly recommend this to anyone. Seriously, pick this book up ASAP! ♥

♦Haley♦