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Jersey Tomatoes Are The Best (2011)

by Maria Padian(Favorite Author)

3.73 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0375865799 (ISBN13: 9780375865794)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Knopf Books for Young Readers

review 1: Jersey Tomatoes Are the Best, by Maria Padian, is a feel-good novel about two best friends who are going their separate ways for the summer. Eva is going to a ballet summer program in New York City, while Henry (short for Henriette) is off to a prestigious tennis camp in Florida. It’s the first time both girls have been apart for an extended period of time. While Jersey Tomatoes is a lighter read, it does deal with some serious issues. Each girl has an overbearing parent who seems to want nothing more than to live through his or her daughter’s talent. While Eva is passionate about dance and Henry lives tennis, both also feel conflicted and even dislike what they’re doing at times. They are constantly dealing with issues that are specific to what they do. In th... moree end, the story asks these questions: What are the important things in life? Who are you as a person? How are you going to react if put in a given situation? What is the right decision to make? All in all, this is a very good read, and a healthy read, for girls 14-15 and up. I really enjoyed reading it. There is a lot of tennis lingo, but it does not take away from the story. I don’t know anything about tennis and very little about ballet and I was able to follow Henry as she plays her game and Eva as she becomes alive on the dance floor. Jersey Tomatoes Are the Best is also a good one for those who liked reading The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series.
review 2: A coming of age book that covered some good points. Best friends at the top of their chosen sports: tennis and ballet. The tennis star learns how to win fairly, without resorting to head games, name calling or nastiness. (A challenge when your father is a pro at it and encourages bad behavior.) The ballerina ends up with anorexia--I know, a subject that has been covered many times--but the author's treatment of it has a different take. She actually puts you inside the ballerina's head, where you can hear the self-criticism and insecurities that lead up to her very dangerous health issues. It makes you empathize with her, while at the same time you're able to observe as a third party and can recognize how irrational and damaging it is. And it never becomes preachy or talks down to the reader. less

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