Common Sense Media Review
By Rachel Sarah
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Teen reinvents herself after suicide try in complex tale.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
As NICE TRY, JANE SINNER starts, a few months after trying to kill herself, 17-year-old Jane is trying to start over: She moves out of her religious parents' home and decides not to go back to high school. Instead, she enrolls in community college, but she has nowhere to live. Then she learns about House of Orange, a very low-budget reality TV show filmed by a student at the community college. In exchange for being a contestant on the show, Jane gets a room and the chance to remake herself. Along the way, she learns some poignant lessons about friendship, faith, and the meaning of life.
Is It Any Good?
Despite the rather devastating premise, this is a complex story about how to get back on your feet after falling hard. The writing in Nice Try, Jane Sinner is often snarky and sometimes raunchy, and the humor is both dark and real. The story's format flips between dialogue and journal entries without chapter breaks, which can prove to be a little frustrating.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how recovery after a suicide attempt is portrayed in Nice Try, Jane Sinner. How difficult would it be to pick yourself up and start over?
What do you think of the level of swearing in Nice Try, Jane Sinner? Does it seem realistic?
What do you think of the amount of drinking the teen characters do? Does the fact that the drinking age in Canada is 18 affect how you view it?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Contemporary Fiction
- Topics : Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship , School ( High School )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Clarion Books
- Publication date : January 9, 2018
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 18
- Number of pages : 432
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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