Just Call My Name

A must-read for all young adults, but read the first book first, as this is the second!

Very good

I loved this story. This is the sequel to "I'll Be There." Both are terrific.

Sam, Riddle, and Emily are characters I recently came to know, after reading the first book in this series, I'll Be There. While I felt I'll Be There could stand alone, I was grateful to be able to revisit this now-family to see what came next for them.Just Call My Name takes up exactly where the first book left off with Sam and Riddle living apart from the Bells - due to the nature of Emily and Sam's relationship - but still part of their family. Summer is just starting, and each kid has their own thing going on. Sam is starting school, Emily's started a new job, and Debbie Bell is determined to teach Riddle how to read. Pretty quickly the story takes shape by reintroducing us to the boys father, who is formulating a diabolical plan.There are some new characters introduced in this book. Mainly, Destiny, a beautiful, but slight girl with a big personality. Coming from a background similar to Sam's, Destiny is skilled in the arts of manipulation and getting by. In the beginning I was disappointed that after everything Sam and Emily went through in book one that their relationship had to suffer further testing. There was something about Destiny that I simply didn't trust, and I guess I still feel that way.Alongside the new faces were also some old ones I thought I could live without reading about again. However, Clarence and Bobby served their purpose in this story. In the end, I even warmed up to Bobby a little. And Clarence... What a nightmare. Holly Goldberg Sloan may write in lyrical prose, but that doesn't lessen her villain's venom. I was sickeningly satisfied with the conclusion to Clarence's story.Riddle is still my favorite. I will always root for that kid and kids like him. It killed me that Jared was so jealous of Riddle. However, I understood. If someone came into my home at the tender age of ten and it seemed like everyone, including my dog, liked them better, I would have felt that way, too. Riddle and Jared's relationship was nice to see. It added another element to the story, that thanks to the third person omniscient point of view we got to see.Just Call My Name is a high drama, fast paced read that elicits emotion of all sorts. There were times I wanted to scream and cry simultaneously, and spots that made me gooey inside. While you'll find familiar themes, like the color orange, this book is all its own. Well worth the read.Think there will be a third?

Sam and Riddle are finally feeling safe after they spent years moving from place to place with their paranoid schizophrenic father. Their dad is behind bars, and they have found a home with the family of Sam’s girlfriend Emily. But trouble still dogs the boys as Emily’s younger brother isn’t sure he wants Riddle being part of the family and Sam struggles to become independent while proving he’s worth the confidence the family places in him. Neither knows that true trouble is brewing as their father is determined to have revenge on his sons and the family that helped them.Just Call My Name by Holly Goldberg Sloan is a fast-paced story of unconventional relationships. Sam wants to do the right thing, but since he didn’t grow up with guidance from a loving parent, he’s not sure he knows how to recognize what the right thing is. Emily wants to believe in Sam, but she’s not sure she will ever really know and understand him. Riddle wants to make everything work out so he can catch up on so many of the things he missed when he was on the road. In the end, they will all have to dig deep to find the courage to face situations they never imagined.I loved reading Sloan’s previous book with these characters, I’ll Be There, and while this is a follow up, it can be read and appreciated on its own. Just Call My Name is a satisfying continuation that delves more deeply into the main characters and their motivations.The publisher provided me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Emily Bell has it all. She's in love with a boy named Sam Border, and his little brother has become part of her family. This summer is destined to be the best time of their lives --- until a charismatic new girl in town sets her sights on Sam. Now Emily finds herself questioning the loyalty of the person she thought she could trust most. But the biggest threat to her happiness is someone she never saw coming. Sam's criminally insane father, whom everyone thought they'd finally left behind, is planning a jailbreak. And he knows exactly where to find Emily and his sons when he escapes...and takes his revenge.There are few books that have the gift of making you feel all the emotions that you can. They make you feel happiness, anger, sadness and every other emotion in between. Sometimes, they make you feel those emotions all at once. I think this is something that Holly Goldberg Sloan --- author of JUST CALL MY NAME --- does really well. While reading this book, there were several points where I was bawling my eyes out. Then, out of nowhere, a character made a joke and I found myself simultaneously crying and laughing my butt off.Another thing I loved about this novel was how it felt like you were in the book itself, experiencing everything the characters were going through right along with them. The author did a great job of bringing the world in the book to life, which is not an easy feat. You felt like you were right there with Emily and Sam, crying and laughing with them.I loved JUST CALL MY NAME for many reasons, but especially for how the writing made me feel various emotions. Ultimately, that’s what a good book does. It makes you feel emotions and that’s why we continue to read. We relate to the characters and what they are feeling, and I think this book really nailed that aspect of what makes a good book good.Reviewed by Pranshu A., Teen Board Member

Super Buch!