With a dead mother and a distant, unloving father, siblings Josie and Jack have only each other. They may be brilliant, beautiful, and share a fierce love, but the sanctuary of their isolation is too often penetrated by the outside world, and the siblings begin to show signs of strain. This sort of desert island paradise people by tortured and unusually intimate relationships is a favorite (and none too guilty) pleasure of mine, and Josie and Jack appeals precisely to those tastesand knows it, going so far as to reference Flowers in the Attic, an iconic (if not particularly good) example of the trope. Initially, the siblings share a paradise of dirty debauchery, and, while the indulgence of their drunkenness and isolation is tempered by unenviable living conditions, there's a taboo, delightful romance to their relationship. The precise nature of that relationship has to be read between the lines, but the gaps between each line are a mile wide. It's dark, indulgent, and thoroughly addicting.But the book remains aware of the trope it's engaging, and isn't content to play it straightor, at least, to remain within the confines of indulgent isolation. The real world intervenes and the sibling's sanctuary begins to fall apartbut the true corrupting force may well be the siblings themselves. Jack is less the dashing rogue he appears, and his increasingly unreliable behavior threatens both Josie and their relationship; Josie is more and less the passive victim she appears, and ultimately she is the one to define their relationshipand herself. This isn't a wholly original interpretation, but by questioning the pleasure in its guilty pleasure, Josie and Jack manages, in a way, to have its cake and eat it too. It revels in the dark delight of its premise while questioning its sustainability and desirability, and the combination is addicting to the final page while offering something a bit more satisfying than indulgence alone, even if it doesn't attain significant depth. Braffet's voice is nearly transparent but peppered with the sort of gritty detail that brings the best and worst of the sibling's circumstances to life, and so aids both aspects of the book. The result is perfectly satisfying, and while I have some criticisms they aren't caveats: Josie and Jack offers what it promises, which is a delight to those who pick it up for that reason; it offers also something a little more complex and intelligent than that, which sustains the book just when the intrigue of its premise might begin to fade. It's neither perfect nor astounding, but it's a good readindulgent, addictive, compelling; dark and delightfully gothic but authentically discomforting; well worth seeing through to the end. Readers intrigued by the premise won't be disappointed by what they find; I recommend it.
I can't believe the great reviews of this book! I have a few gripes but my biggest one is the main character Josie. I know that not all females are going to be written as strong characters or even likeable characters but Josie was a complete non entity. She just floated through life like a piece of c&ap and just...did....nothing. Never made a decision, never had an opinion. Never did anything that wasn't suggested by others even if it was something she really didn't want to do. And not because she was afraid of what would happen if she didn't, there was no thought process in there at all she just floated along.Lots of meaningless characters, no real plot due to the complete non entity of the main character. I only finished it because I had to see whether she would actually do something in the end.
What do You think about Josie And Jack (2005)?
Hooked me from the start.....Weird.Dark.mind tripping BOOK!! After I began reading this book, I was addicted. I kept thinking about Josie and Jack and about how the hell this story would end. Josie and Jack are sister and brother, primarily isolated from the rest of the world by their mostly absent professor father. Separated when very young, their mother took Jack and left Josie with her father. However, when Jack was eight years old, their mother died, and Jack went to live with his father and sister.Both Jack and Josie are deeply troubled people, thanks to their crazy father, who basically abandons them all week to return home on the weekends to abuse, berate, and torment them. Eventually, Jack and his father have a falling out and Jack leaves, abandoning Josie. Jack returns six months later to take her with him.They survive through living off of the women Jack happens to ensnare with his charm. But it is an un-secure and insecure way to live.The overwhelming feeling that I got throughout reading this novel was one of despair. These two are desperate to remain next to each other in a strange, erotic, co-dependent, and antisocial way. They are the only people who can understand each other, and they desperately cling to each other while hurting each other in the process.The power of the story comes from rooting for them while knowing you shouldn't; wanting them to be together, even though you know it's wrong and dangerous.
—Diane ϟ [ Lestrange ]
I liked this story.This is not a love story or a HEA. The upbringing of these kids was really unique, the relationship with their father was a mess. Those two things were my favorite parts of this book * * SPOILERS * * If I hadn't known going into this book that it was about an incestuous relationship, I would have denied they had a relationship till halfway through the book.They say they love each other,but I didn't feel the love or think it was intimate. Their intimacy is eluded to, but their thoughts and actions toward each other are not overly intimate or even loving. Examples: Jack pimps his sister out, sleeps around and leaves Josie alone with their father for months with out a backward glance, till he needs money. Later we find out he's a psycho so it makes sense, he never actually loved her or anyone, not even in a broken way. Josie is just lonely, when Jack is away she doesn't pine for him, so much as she just has no one else. And then the WTF ending, talk about crazy town.And your brain goes ok their both psychos and thats why the author didn't get into their feelings on a deeper level.
—Teatree
Joe was really horrible, wasn't he? I, stupidly, had hopes that he'd be decent when we first met him. I'll never think of ferrets the same way again.So...[SPOILER ALERT - I DON'T THINK I CAN BLOCK IT VIA MOBILE COMMENTS SO JUST IN CASE... DON'T READ BELOW!!!]...is it possible that [spoiler] Jack really did father the kid [/spoiler] ?
—Kim Rox
