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How It's Done
Selected for the Book Sense Autumn 2006 Children's Pick List!
It's not like there's a "find yourself" kit or road signs that say "This way to being your own person." If you're lucky, maybe there's someone who can help you, like a fat lady on the beach might yell "Keep going! You can do it!" if you're a lousy swimmer and in way over your head. The funny thing is, that person is never who you think it's going to be. It's never who you want it to be.
It's not like there's a "find yourself" kit or road signs that say "This way to being your own person." If you're lucky, maybe there's someone who can help you, like a fat lady on the beach might yell "Keep going! You can do it!" if you're a lousy swimmer and in way over your head. The funny thing is, that person is never who you think it's going to be. It's never who you want it to be.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2006
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July 6, 2024
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I'm kind of sad that this author never wrote any more YA books after this one, because this was fantastic. Despite being published in 2006, it really doesn't feel dated. Reviews for this one are mixed, but weirdly, people seem to be taking issue with the exact things I loved about it. HOW IT'S DONE is one of those cautionary sorts of stories, about a sheltered girl with religious trauma, who escapes from her fundie parents by running right into the arms of a sophisticated older man.
I remember reading this as a teen and thinking Michael, the college professor, seemed hot. Now, reading this as a middle-aged woman, I just thought he was gross. The way he gaslit Grace and was constantly trying to Pygmalion her into being what he wanted was so brilliantly done, but it was also really hard to read. Grace also has a toxic relationship with her friend, Liv, who is poorer and desperate to escape her abusive family situation. They were close when they were younger but their diverging paths have created rifts in their relationship that have led to resentment, jealousy, and even a little cruelty.
HOW IT'S DONE never shies from its difficult subjects, and the writing is spare and beautiful and emotional. I know some people criticized the heroine for being too naive, but a fundie girl in the 2000s with the internet still in its infancy, and her only real knowledge of relationships coming from pilfered bodice-rippers? Yeah, I think her naivete makes sense. Just like how it also made sense that her strict religious upbringing and home environment ended up creating the perfect storm of self-blame and internalized misogyny that unfortunately made her so vulnerable to a predatory older man.
This is not an easy read but it is a good one, and I loved it as a coming of age story as well as a teen girl's ultimate triumph over her own oppression.
4 stars
August 31, 2008
I've wanted to read this for a couple years and now that I have, it just rubbed me the wrong way. First of all, it was hard for me to believe that an 18-year-old could really be so naive. Yes, that was the way she was depicted, with her sheltered, religious family life and her romance novels (ick), but she did go to public school in present day and her best friend was the wild child type. Second, were we even supposed to like Michael??? Because I hated him from the start and I really thought he was cheating the whole time, although I guess we'll never really know for sure. The way MacLean described him at first though, how he was focused on her legs and her body. And some of the lines he fed her were just so cheesy; I really couldn't believe he was an English professor. THEN, he's all like "oh, pulling out totally works, don't worry about it," and Grace was like, "Oh okay, you have so much more experience with sex so I'll just believe you," and I was like, WTF? Is he blatantly lying to her or is he just an idiot? I could see that he wasn't supposed to be bad character, but there wasn't enough balance; so many things about him bothered me. And how old was he anyway? Grace says something thinking he's 26, but how many 26-year-old professors are there out there, especially who act like that and have the respect of their colleagues?
The only character I really loved was Liv (hate her name though) and I wanted to see more of her, a lot more. Her story was interesting and one that reminds me of people I know in real life, the need to get out of her house and away from her abusive parents, and using writing to get there. But they never resolved that at all and I wanted them to, I even wanted more of what her writing is like since they kept saying how she was a much better writer than Grace. (My reaction: why is Liv not telling this story then??? Might be interesting!) I also liked Will and wanted more of him. I also liked the whole museum bit with the fetuses.
I think MacLean tried too hard to write a coming-of-age novel, and one that seems to have a "message" except that I couldn't figure out what it was supposed to be. A lot of conflicting ideas in this. The religion parts were interesting though because I'd just watched Bee Season before I read this so it was a lot to think about. Two discussion questions at the end were thought-provoking: 1) What does the "it" in the title refer to? 2) Who is the villain in this novel?
For the record, I think both the title and the cover are very generic and pointless. In fact, the cover doesn't make much sense.
Grade: C+
The only character I really loved was Liv (hate her name though) and I wanted to see more of her, a lot more. Her story was interesting and one that reminds me of people I know in real life, the need to get out of her house and away from her abusive parents, and using writing to get there. But they never resolved that at all and I wanted them to, I even wanted more of what her writing is like since they kept saying how she was a much better writer than Grace. (My reaction: why is Liv not telling this story then??? Might be interesting!) I also liked Will and wanted more of him. I also liked the whole museum bit with the fetuses.
I think MacLean tried too hard to write a coming-of-age novel, and one that seems to have a "message" except that I couldn't figure out what it was supposed to be. A lot of conflicting ideas in this. The religion parts were interesting though because I'd just watched Bee Season before I read this so it was a lot to think about. Two discussion questions at the end were thought-provoking: 1) What does the "it" in the title refer to? 2) Who is the villain in this novel?
For the record, I think both the title and the cover are very generic and pointless. In fact, the cover doesn't make much sense.
Grade: C+
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2012
Reviewed by Jocelyn Pearce for TeensReadToo.com
Grace is an eighteen-year-old girl who wants to, like any other teenager, break free of her home, the life she's always known, and her parents. Grace wants independence from her strict, fundamentalist Christian father and the house that looks like every other house on the street, in the neighborhood that is a prison to her.
When she meets older, charismatic college professor Michael, she thinks he is her escape. He's not that much older than she is, and he is oh so much more worldly and mature than the boys her age. Grace falls head over heels in love.
She had anticipated a life full of excitement, sophistication and happiness with him, but being involved with Michael brings unexpected complications to Grace's life. She doesn't want to stay with her father, but she's having doubts about her relationship with Michael, too...What is the right choice, and will Grace have the guts to make it?
HOW IT'S DONE is a wonderful book that should be required reading for everyone, especially teenage girls! Readers will feel drawn along with Grace as she is pulled into her love for Michael, as it changes her life. They will feel her elation as her life seems to be improving, and her helplessness and despair as the reality behind all that she thinks is true comes to light, and she is forced to deal with all of it at once.
Christine Kole Maclean, with her excellent writing, has created magnificent, believable characters who are all a part of the fantastic story she tells in HOW IT'S DONE. This is a brilliant, flawless novel in every way. It's a must-read!
Grace is an eighteen-year-old girl who wants to, like any other teenager, break free of her home, the life she's always known, and her parents. Grace wants independence from her strict, fundamentalist Christian father and the house that looks like every other house on the street, in the neighborhood that is a prison to her.
When she meets older, charismatic college professor Michael, she thinks he is her escape. He's not that much older than she is, and he is oh so much more worldly and mature than the boys her age. Grace falls head over heels in love.
She had anticipated a life full of excitement, sophistication and happiness with him, but being involved with Michael brings unexpected complications to Grace's life. She doesn't want to stay with her father, but she's having doubts about her relationship with Michael, too...What is the right choice, and will Grace have the guts to make it?
HOW IT'S DONE is a wonderful book that should be required reading for everyone, especially teenage girls! Readers will feel drawn along with Grace as she is pulled into her love for Michael, as it changes her life. They will feel her elation as her life seems to be improving, and her helplessness and despair as the reality behind all that she thinks is true comes to light, and she is forced to deal with all of it at once.
Christine Kole Maclean, with her excellent writing, has created magnificent, believable characters who are all a part of the fantastic story she tells in HOW IT'S DONE. This is a brilliant, flawless novel in every way. It's a must-read!
July 15, 2016
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
But a good 3.5 stars.
I only can't give it 4 stars because it didn't blow me away.
But here's the deal, I like this book, and for the intended audience, (because I'm pretty sure that people who write YA books like these don't intend for 26 year old adults like me to be the primary group reading them, let's be real here), I think it has a lot of merit.
I think teens should read books like this, because books like this carry important messages. Mostly, the big ones in this book were: it's okay to question the beliefs that you have always been taught by your parents, that's natural, and it's okay to explore the world and try to formulate your own opinions. Also, not knowing what you want is normal too. Being an adolescent is all about finding yourself, becoming your own person, figuring out what direction you want your future to move in, and how you feel about stuff in general. And that's basically the whole plot of this book. A girl who has always been told how to behave, who to be, and what to believe, finally learning to figure things out on her own.
Also, the one really important little tidbit that I think the book teaches teens that they may not know about (that I think literally EVERYONE should), is that pulling out is not always an effective birth control option. A side character in the book brings that up, and I'm so glad that it's touched on, because I think a lot of teens who are in Grace's position, who live in families or communities that are very conservative and/or religious, may not know that sort of thing. If the only sex-ed you've ever had is that abstinence is the way to go, then if you end up having it, you're not going to know all the details you need to make informed decisions, and you'll en up making those decisions based on the knowledge you've gleaned from TV shows, movies, the internet, friends, books, etc. So if you read this book, at least you know that pulling out doesn't necessarily prevent pregnancy. (What can I say, I'm a huge fan/advocate on fully educating kids. I keep a harm reduction mentality. People will do what they're gonna do, but at least if you arm them with knowledge they'll be able to make BETTER choices than if they are ignorant.)
As for the actual mention of sex in the book, I would say this book is pretty tame. There are depictions of kissing and some simple foreplay things, (breast kissing and things of that nature), but there isn't anything terribly explicit, I would say with the way TV, movies and music are these days, kids are growing up pretty quick, so there probably isn't anything in this book that the average 12 year old doesn't know about already. That said, if I had to say an age range, I'd say like 14 and up. probably not for pre-teens, because of the few slightly descriptive parts, but like I said, most teens I know are exposed to far worse these days.
And beyond that, I think the way those subjects are approached in this book, things like love and sex, and virginity, make for great teaching tools, because this is one of those books that will likely get teens thinking about how they feel about those things, if they haven't already, and help them to explore their thoughts on the subject without having to actually perform those acts first. And really, wouldn't you rather read a book like this with your teen and talk about these things than have them just go and do them? Just saying.
Point is, I think books like this that can be used to help teens explore ideas about adult things are incredibly important, and are things that teens should be reading. And, for parents who like to stay on the more traditional/conservative side of such matters, Grace's father represents the religious viewpoint in this book, and he does try to remind Grace of what God would want her to do, and how He would want her to act. So it's also a great book to bring up that subject with teens.
As far as the characters went, I felt Grace was pretty relatable and believable as a real teenager, and perhaps the other characters, her mom and dad, even Michael, were a little flat, but they had roles to play in this story, and needed to fill those, so I'm not holding it against the book. (Ok, and I won't hold the small handful of spelling/grammatical errors I noticed in the book against it either, because that's just poor editing right there.)
The only real issues I have are with Michael. For someone who was supposed to be portrayed as "worldly" and "sophisticated" he was just plain stupid sometimes. How can you be 26 and a college professor and all that, and not know that pulling out could lead to problems. Seriously? And to take risks like that with a young and inexperienced young girl, that you ought to know is naive enough to just blindly follow you, is just plain negligent. Beyond that, the cliche factor was too much, some of the things he said, and rushing her into things, manipulating her. I know he's not supposed to be the villain in this story, he's just supposed to be a guy who makes Grace's life more complicated than, say, a boy her own age in high school would, but still, I just didn't care for the guy at all. I kind of felt like Michael was a dick.
And Liv bugged me, not so much her rebellious character, she was written pretty well as a wild daughter of abusive parents. Her actions make sense given that she lives in such a crappy domestic situation, but no one ever told us how any of that panned out, and that irritated me. I know this was grace's story, but if you're going to introduce a small side conflict like that, the least you can do is give us some small closure on it. I would have liked to know that happened to live, especially since after a certain point, we just never saw her again at all.
All in all, I generally liked the story, and thought it was light and easy, but worthwhile read. One that isn't too deep or too intense, but a book that touches on important themes. I liked that it promoted healthy body types too, because you don't often see a main character talk about how she fills out her clothes, how she is bigger than her best friend, and then have the love interest of that character's response be to tell her that she is beautiful, and to make her FEEL beautiful. I liked Grace's narration of the events, because you could really get into her story and feel how conflicted and at times down right confused she felt.
Overall, I thought it was a solid book and a good read. And it gets MAJOR points from me for being a book that is not only enjoyable, but one that can actually help a teenager who is going through some of the same things as Grace work some of their problems out as Grace does. Major points for good messages: promoting a healthy view of sex, no real shaming, but also a message that safety ought to be a concern, drinking and driving is bad, healthy body image messages, all pretty solid in my opinion.
But a good 3.5 stars.
I only can't give it 4 stars because it didn't blow me away.
But here's the deal, I like this book, and for the intended audience, (because I'm pretty sure that people who write YA books like these don't intend for 26 year old adults like me to be the primary group reading them, let's be real here), I think it has a lot of merit.
I think teens should read books like this, because books like this carry important messages. Mostly, the big ones in this book were: it's okay to question the beliefs that you have always been taught by your parents, that's natural, and it's okay to explore the world and try to formulate your own opinions. Also, not knowing what you want is normal too. Being an adolescent is all about finding yourself, becoming your own person, figuring out what direction you want your future to move in, and how you feel about stuff in general. And that's basically the whole plot of this book. A girl who has always been told how to behave, who to be, and what to believe, finally learning to figure things out on her own.
Also, the one really important little tidbit that I think the book teaches teens that they may not know about (that I think literally EVERYONE should), is that pulling out is not always an effective birth control option. A side character in the book brings that up, and I'm so glad that it's touched on, because I think a lot of teens who are in Grace's position, who live in families or communities that are very conservative and/or religious, may not know that sort of thing. If the only sex-ed you've ever had is that abstinence is the way to go, then if you end up having it, you're not going to know all the details you need to make informed decisions, and you'll en up making those decisions based on the knowledge you've gleaned from TV shows, movies, the internet, friends, books, etc. So if you read this book, at least you know that pulling out doesn't necessarily prevent pregnancy. (What can I say, I'm a huge fan/advocate on fully educating kids. I keep a harm reduction mentality. People will do what they're gonna do, but at least if you arm them with knowledge they'll be able to make BETTER choices than if they are ignorant.)
As for the actual mention of sex in the book, I would say this book is pretty tame. There are depictions of kissing and some simple foreplay things, (breast kissing and things of that nature), but there isn't anything terribly explicit, I would say with the way TV, movies and music are these days, kids are growing up pretty quick, so there probably isn't anything in this book that the average 12 year old doesn't know about already. That said, if I had to say an age range, I'd say like 14 and up. probably not for pre-teens, because of the few slightly descriptive parts, but like I said, most teens I know are exposed to far worse these days.
And beyond that, I think the way those subjects are approached in this book, things like love and sex, and virginity, make for great teaching tools, because this is one of those books that will likely get teens thinking about how they feel about those things, if they haven't already, and help them to explore their thoughts on the subject without having to actually perform those acts first. And really, wouldn't you rather read a book like this with your teen and talk about these things than have them just go and do them? Just saying.
Point is, I think books like this that can be used to help teens explore ideas about adult things are incredibly important, and are things that teens should be reading. And, for parents who like to stay on the more traditional/conservative side of such matters, Grace's father represents the religious viewpoint in this book, and he does try to remind Grace of what God would want her to do, and how He would want her to act. So it's also a great book to bring up that subject with teens.
As far as the characters went, I felt Grace was pretty relatable and believable as a real teenager, and perhaps the other characters, her mom and dad, even Michael, were a little flat, but they had roles to play in this story, and needed to fill those, so I'm not holding it against the book. (Ok, and I won't hold the small handful of spelling/grammatical errors I noticed in the book against it either, because that's just poor editing right there.)
The only real issues I have are with Michael. For someone who was supposed to be portrayed as "worldly" and "sophisticated" he was just plain stupid sometimes. How can you be 26 and a college professor and all that, and not know that pulling out could lead to problems. Seriously? And to take risks like that with a young and inexperienced young girl, that you ought to know is naive enough to just blindly follow you, is just plain negligent. Beyond that, the cliche factor was too much, some of the things he said, and rushing her into things, manipulating her. I know he's not supposed to be the villain in this story, he's just supposed to be a guy who makes Grace's life more complicated than, say, a boy her own age in high school would, but still, I just didn't care for the guy at all. I kind of felt like Michael was a dick.
And Liv bugged me, not so much her rebellious character, she was written pretty well as a wild daughter of abusive parents. Her actions make sense given that she lives in such a crappy domestic situation, but no one ever told us how any of that panned out, and that irritated me. I know this was grace's story, but if you're going to introduce a small side conflict like that, the least you can do is give us some small closure on it. I would have liked to know that happened to live, especially since after a certain point, we just never saw her again at all.
All in all, I generally liked the story, and thought it was light and easy, but worthwhile read. One that isn't too deep or too intense, but a book that touches on important themes. I liked that it promoted healthy body types too, because you don't often see a main character talk about how she fills out her clothes, how she is bigger than her best friend, and then have the love interest of that character's response be to tell her that she is beautiful, and to make her FEEL beautiful. I liked Grace's narration of the events, because you could really get into her story and feel how conflicted and at times down right confused she felt.
Overall, I thought it was a solid book and a good read. And it gets MAJOR points from me for being a book that is not only enjoyable, but one that can actually help a teenager who is going through some of the same things as Grace work some of their problems out as Grace does. Major points for good messages: promoting a healthy view of sex, no real shaming, but also a message that safety ought to be a concern, drinking and driving is bad, healthy body image messages, all pretty solid in my opinion.
March 23, 2008
Grace Passedge lives in a fundamentalist Christian home, with a controlling father and a timid mother. She longs to break free, to find the person that she wants to be, and when she accidentally begins a relationship with Michael, a professor at the local college, she finally feels free. And when her father tries to come in between the two of them, Grace defies him for the first time and gets engaged to Michael.
But even though Grace is sure that getting married to Michael will help her find herself and be free of her father, she slowly begins to realize that by attaching herself to Michael, she is only letting herself be controlled by someone new. Now, Grace needs to find within herself the strength to step out of everyone's expectations for her and for once in her life, be true to herself and only herself.
This book is annoying because Grace is SO predictable. And so is Michael, and Grace's father, and all the other characters in the book (aside from the woefully underdeveloped Tori, who might have been interesting.) Everything is predictable, and Grace is irritatingly stupid, and the ending is entirely predictable. It felt like I was just reading to confirm that it would end exactly as I knew it would from the first page.
But even though Grace is sure that getting married to Michael will help her find herself and be free of her father, she slowly begins to realize that by attaching herself to Michael, she is only letting herself be controlled by someone new. Now, Grace needs to find within herself the strength to step out of everyone's expectations for her and for once in her life, be true to herself and only herself.
This book is annoying because Grace is SO predictable. And so is Michael, and Grace's father, and all the other characters in the book (aside from the woefully underdeveloped Tori, who might have been interesting.) Everything is predictable, and Grace is irritatingly stupid, and the ending is entirely predictable. It felt like I was just reading to confirm that it would end exactly as I knew it would from the first page.
November 10, 2014
A very well written and often moving read, "How It's Done" has quite a few parallels to "Good" by S Walden. While not strictly a student-teacher romance (since Michael is not Grace's teacher/professor) there are the same themes of a girl in the last year of high school, a hyper religious father, an older male with a lot more life experience and sophistication.
I'm not sure all of it was realistic. Michael suddenly expecting Grace to give up her high school party and act like a corporate wife seemed contrived.
Grace's mother was an interesting and sympathetic character, and in some ways I wouldn't mind re-reading this novel told from her point of view.
The ending will probably disappoint due to its abruptness. But that's part of the theme of this book: Grace's life is still unwritten. So it wouldn't make sense to give her a detailed, fixed ending. Because she doesn't know where she's going with her life and nor do we.
The point is that for the first time in her life, her future is hers to choose.
I'm not sure all of it was realistic. Michael suddenly expecting Grace to give up her high school party and act like a corporate wife seemed contrived.
Grace's mother was an interesting and sympathetic character, and in some ways I wouldn't mind re-reading this novel told from her point of view.
The ending will probably disappoint due to its abruptness. But that's part of the theme of this book: Grace's life is still unwritten. So it wouldn't make sense to give her a detailed, fixed ending. Because she doesn't know where she's going with her life and nor do we.
The point is that for the first time in her life, her future is hers to choose.
January 26, 2011
This was okay. It was fairly predictable the whole time, but I'm a sucker for trying to understand younger woman/older man relationships, so of course I ate it up. Good for one read-through, but I won't be reading it again.
April 13, 2018
Good book, didn't like the ending but I can see where it was coming from.
May 26, 2023
Good i guess but not my fav
February 26, 2012
This was a very addictive read!
This review can also be found on my blog.
Review:
a.) Characters: 4/5 score. Grace is a strong character, and you are immediately thrown into her life with her overbearing father and timid mother. You feel her frustration and defeat, and her admiration for Michael. You get family with Liv’s family and Tori’s situation- and you see a lot of strength and weakness overall in everyone. Because of all that, these characters felt amazingly real, as if I could call any of them up on the phone right now and have a chat with them.
b.) Plot: 4/5 score. I have conflict with the plot, because even though I liked it I had a hard time believing it. I guess I do believe it, but it felt like it made Grace’s intelligence suffer because of it. On the same note, the infatuation she felt toward Michale was fueled by all the points in her life, so it was believable. I guess my conflict is more of a personal issue about her course of action.
c.) Writing style: 3/5 score. There was nothing dynamic about this style except how much Grace ignored her own values/beliefs for the sake of “love” and “freedom”. I myself, never having grown up with a religious background, am mystifies at how “damaging” it can be to life. If this confuses you (which I bet it does), read the darn book.
Rating: 11/15 total
This review can also be found on my blog.
Review:
a.) Characters: 4/5 score. Grace is a strong character, and you are immediately thrown into her life with her overbearing father and timid mother. You feel her frustration and defeat, and her admiration for Michael. You get family with Liv’s family and Tori’s situation- and you see a lot of strength and weakness overall in everyone. Because of all that, these characters felt amazingly real, as if I could call any of them up on the phone right now and have a chat with them.
b.) Plot: 4/5 score. I have conflict with the plot, because even though I liked it I had a hard time believing it. I guess I do believe it, but it felt like it made Grace’s intelligence suffer because of it. On the same note, the infatuation she felt toward Michale was fueled by all the points in her life, so it was believable. I guess my conflict is more of a personal issue about her course of action.
c.) Writing style: 3/5 score. There was nothing dynamic about this style except how much Grace ignored her own values/beliefs for the sake of “love” and “freedom”. I myself, never having grown up with a religious background, am mystifies at how “damaging” it can be to life. If this confuses you (which I bet it does), read the darn book.
Rating: 11/15 total
October 3, 2013
3.5
Ah, I forgot how nice it is to read books that are easy to read. I missed that.
The story itself seemed kind of unrealistic to me. Not because it doesn't happen in real life; it's just that I would never in a million years marry a dude that I barely knew. It was a painful story, though, a nice one. And I give props because the main character's name is Grace and it didn't make me think of Grace from the Mercy Falls trilogy once, so! Sometimes the way things were worded and the way they occurred didn't make any bloody sense to me whatsoever, and I had to read things several times to even semi-understand them. Also, I am a person who fully supports ambiguous endings -- except this one. The last sentence was not a good last sentence, not even remotely. It is a good story, though, I love the way it approaches things.
Whatever. It was a good book.
Ah, I forgot how nice it is to read books that are easy to read. I missed that.
The story itself seemed kind of unrealistic to me. Not because it doesn't happen in real life; it's just that I would never in a million years marry a dude that I barely knew. It was a painful story, though, a nice one. And I give props because the main character's name is Grace and it didn't make me think of Grace from the Mercy Falls trilogy once, so! Sometimes the way things were worded and the way they occurred didn't make any bloody sense to me whatsoever, and I had to read things several times to even semi-understand them. Also, I am a person who fully supports ambiguous endings -- except this one. The last sentence was not a good last sentence, not even remotely. It is a good story, though, I love the way it approaches things.
Whatever. It was a good book.
February 24, 2011
This book was, of course, predictable at times, but if you'd paid attention to what was happening since the beginning of the book, it shouldn't have come as a surprise that it was predictable. The very fact that the main character's name is Grace should send warning bells in your head.
But that doesn't mean that this wasn't a spectacular read. Whether or not I liked Grace, she was extremely easy to relate to. Self-conscious girl swept up in the arms of an older man remains as self-conscious as humanly possible, and it creates roadblocks on her seeing the truth behind Michael's actions and behavior.
I would have liked to see her affinity for nature brought out a little bit more during the middle of the book. We get an excellent taste for it at the beginning and end, but in the middle, it's almost as though we forget that portion of who she is, save for when she mentions the African Violet.
More about Liv would have been nice, too. Her booking it after the car accident came as a surprise, even though her character had been deteriorating throughout. I don't think we got to know nearly enough about her family or the alcoholism, and I think that could have brought forward some more interesting interactions between Grace and Liv.
I really adored the writing in this book.
But that doesn't mean that this wasn't a spectacular read. Whether or not I liked Grace, she was extremely easy to relate to. Self-conscious girl swept up in the arms of an older man remains as self-conscious as humanly possible, and it creates roadblocks on her seeing the truth behind Michael's actions and behavior.
I would have liked to see her affinity for nature brought out a little bit more during the middle of the book. We get an excellent taste for it at the beginning and end, but in the middle, it's almost as though we forget that portion of who she is, save for when she mentions the African Violet.
More about Liv would have been nice, too. Her booking it after the car accident came as a surprise, even though her character had been deteriorating throughout. I don't think we got to know nearly enough about her family or the alcoholism, and I think that could have brought forward some more interesting interactions between Grace and Liv.
I really adored the writing in this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2010
How it's done, was a recommendation from a friend of mine, about a girl named Grace, who is brought up in a strict religious family. Grace finds the will to revolt and have an affair with a college professor. The tables do not exactly turn in Grace's favor, but she does learn some hard lessons that she would not have learned without the help of Tori. The book to me was good and interesting, not really my cup of tea from what I read of the summarry, but it did get to me towards the middle of the book, and I had to keep reading and figure out what was going to happen with Grace. The family that she was brought up in was not a healthy environment. There needs to be room to evolve and grow and Grace did that, just not in a healthy way, she got in over her head before she even knew what was going on. Overall the book was good and I enjoyed it, it was not what I was expecting at all.
February 8, 2008
This is a pretty interesting YA book - it's the basic YA storyline about a teenager who is trying to figure out who they are. In How It's Done the main character Grace is the only child of very fundamentalist religious parents who are incredibly strict. Grace doesn't really feel connected with God or the church because of her overbearing Dad, so she ends up having an affair with a college professor (even though Grace is only 18 and still a senior in high school). When her Dad finds out about them Grace and the professor decide to get married, but over time Grace starts to feel just as trapped and controlled by her fiance as she was by her dad. I won't give away the ending, but Grace does figure some things out for herself in the end.
November 20, 2011
I didn't expect a major Christian impact throughout the book; slight, but still there. This really isn't a very sexy novel, just a part or two and the rest is drama. But it's one of those coming-of-age-life-lessons book. It covers maturity, responsibility, and what it means to truly love someone. There are several debatable topics, but that's expected. No matter what, it always goes back to the parents; reflections are obvious. Needless to say, your parents prepare you (the majority of the time) for life ahead; they can't cover everything. The rest is up to you.
November 29, 2015
I would say that the book was too risque to be young adult - at times, I found it reminded me of Fifty Shades of Grey, which makes me shudder and horrified. Michael, the main love interest of this book, was pathetic and probably the worst love interest I've ever read about. I don't quite get the attraction there. Grace's parents and best friend were all terrible. The only likable character was Will, who was in the story briefly.
I found several spelling issues... 'bedsides' instead of 'besides' was the most obvious error. I don't know how an editor missed this.
I found several spelling issues... 'bedsides' instead of 'besides' was the most obvious error. I don't know how an editor missed this.
October 25, 2011
How It's Done ? How what's done? Getting engaged at 18 to an older man with tons of unknown baggage and a supposed-to-be-saucy cleaning lady just to upset your overly religious (yet of course hypocritical) father? Is that what gets done? Or is How It's Done just a title for your novel, because this novel is "how it's done". It's not. Jeeeeeez. I should've realized how bad this was, seeing that the publisher was some online thing. It borders on ridiculous.
February 28, 2013
I thought this was a pretty good ya book. About a girl from a very strict upbringing who meets an older professor from the local college and starts a relationship with him. I liked the authors writing and I thought the story was pretty true to what 18 yr old girls go through in life. I have two 18 yr old girls and it is a hard balance of being to strict and to much of a friend so I could really relate to this book
May 31, 2015
Grace is 18 and ready to start out on her own, as soon as she finishes high school. Pushed by her conservative Christian parents, she tries to be good and stay on the straight and narrow. Then she meets Michael, a 26-year old college professor, and everything begins to change.
This is a strong story demonstrating the importance of thinking for oneself, to make clear decisions based on personal beliefs, and to stand strong against outside pressure. It feels true to the character.
This is a strong story demonstrating the importance of thinking for oneself, to make clear decisions based on personal beliefs, and to stand strong against outside pressure. It feels true to the character.
May 13, 2016
An emotional read. The author did a great job of putting you in the girl's shoes and emotions. Even though she would get on my nerves sometimes; I'd have to remind myself that she is 18 while the boy is in his 30s. I can relate to him more. But this story is a clear reason why I don't think 30 year olds should date teens. There is just too much growing to still be done and the relationship will never last. It was a good book. It felt believable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2007
Suprisingly good novel about a girl growing up in a fundamentalist home... I thought the main male character's dialogue was unrealistic and clumsy to read but, at the same time, it made him pretty creepy. So maybe it was done on purpose. The supporting characters - the mother, Liv and Tori - were excellent and the story was intriguing from the start.
August 12, 2011
I had a rough time with this book. don't get me wrong, I really liked it but personally how could an 18 year old be so naive. and the ending just didn't set with me too well, it should have had a better ending. and maybe the author should do a follow up? that would be good. because if liv ran off and on top of that kissed Michael well maybe there should be a twist in a second book.
March 26, 2016
The cautionary tale version of age-mismatched student/teacher relationships, rather than the true love kind, which is super rude considering she's 18 and he's not even teaching at her school. Alas, it's not even really about the age difference in the end; Michael is just a manipulative jerk. You just keep on publishing winners, Flux.
February 25, 2016
Blech. What a disappointment. I do not recommend this title! There are a few quotes on the back of the jacket by well known YA authors and I say "pah" on them. There is not much redeeming about this book, from the writing to the plot line, to the title. It has a solid message - but one that has been told too many times.
September 12, 2007
Disturbing portrait of a girl raised by fundamentalist Christians, and how it colors her life when she falls in love with an older man. The characterizations are well-done for the main characters, and the story is quite believable.
February 26, 2008
This book is an great story of a girl's discovery of what it really is like to be with someone older. Grace changes a great deal along with her family through her experience and I believe that this is a great book about her experience
June 14, 2016
Wow. That was totally unexpected. I mean totally. And then it was a little depressing, on the side. Bad-ish aftertaste. Good in middle.
WHOOOOOOSH!
Yea, that's what it was.
Although I do have to say, awesome prologue. Don't forget to read it!
WHOOOOOOSH!
Yea, that's what it was.
Although I do have to say, awesome prologue. Don't forget to read it!
August 4, 2011
Good writing, bad characters. I like the line "... and my personal theater went black." Tip to author- Be more subtle and have more confidence in writing. Grace was very insecure and it seemed like a projection of the author's feelings. I liked the last two quotes in the acknowledgements.
March 7, 2014
I am more into fantasy and sci-fi to give a higher rating. It good but not the best book, I have read. When I read this book I was also had read TEACH ME. Both books are similar cause young girls go for a older man.
June 2, 2015
How its done was a very well written novel about a girl getting involved with an older man. The novel follows her through first falling in love and telling her parents and the other tribulations that come with a new relationship. The book keeps your attention and in suspense at all times.
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