Unfinished Portrait of Jessica

Review

Common Sense Media says

Highly realistic adolescent confusion.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this book has writing that teenagers will understand and a story that gets to the heart of adolescence.

  • Positive messages0
    The main character deliberately ignores, deceives, and insults her mother, but later learns to love her.
  • Violence0
    Not applicable.
  • Sex3
    One scene that implies sex between adults.
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What's the story?

Jessica worships her father and blames her mother for their separation. She punishes her mom by sulking in her room until she is sent to Mexico to spend Christmas with her dad. There she learns the truth about her selfish father and realizes that she loves her mother after all. Highly realistic adolescent confusion.

Is it any good?

 

Conflicts with parents consume many teenagers, and blaming the parent who stays behind is all too common. Here Richard Peck examines a girl who blames her mother for her father's failings. When Jessica finally allows herself to see the truth about her father, she can see the truth about her mother and at last develop a loving relationship with her. While it all may seem too neat, it serves to make the point that we can blind ourselves to our own best interests.

The book requires some emotional maturity and thus may best please older, more experienced readers. It includes discussion of the art world, which intrigues some readers but bores others.

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What families can talk about

Families can talk about Jessica's complicated relationship with her parents. Why does she reject her mother? Why does she worship her father?

This review was written by Monica Wyatt
Author:Richard Peck
Book type:Fiction
Genre:Coming of Age
Publisher:Alfred A. Knopf
Publication date:January 1, 1991
Number of pages:162
Paperback price:$10.00
Publisher's recommended age(s):12 - 14
This review was written by Monica Wyatt
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

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