So far in this book, Janie Johnson has been thinking about her Conneticuit father who's in the hospital because he had a stroke and a heart attack. Reeve, Janie's neighbor, and Brian, Janie's brother, were staying with Janie and her Conneticuit mother throughout the beginning of the summer.Janie found a folder on Hannah (her kidnapper and the Johnson's daughter) while sorting through bills and folders in her Conneticuit dad's desk. Reeve and Brian also saw the folder, and the expression on Janie's face, and they all got interested and suspicious about the contents of the folder.Janie Johnson hasn't changed that much in this book, but she's changed from the first book in this series-The Face On The Milk Carton. In that book, she first didn't know that she was kidnapped, but when she found out, she wanted to refuse it, but she knew that it was real. When she met the Springs (her birth family) in the next book, she disliked them and wanted to go home to the parents she's been living with for most of her life. In the third book-The Voice On The Radio- Janie started liking her birth family, especially after she, her sister and her younger brother heard Reeve telling their story on the radio. (Janie couldn't tell her new parents what happened, because they'd been through too much with their daughter Hannah kidnapping Janie.End of the book reading response:I found out that in this book most of the characters changed and became closer to each other. Stephen, changed the most because when Janie, Reeve and Brian went to Colorado to visit Stephen at college, he bought Janie a pair of boots. Since then Stephen has treated Janie like a normal sister-not like a kidnapped sister who chose her other family to live with. Also, Janie and Brian forgave Reeve for what he did in the last book (The Voice on the Radio), so it seems as though Reeve and Janie are back together again. Stephen changed for another reason. First he liked a girl named Kathleen but when he found out that her father worked for the FBI, he didn't like them anymore since he had to deal with to many agents during the kidnapping case. Later in the book he learned how to forgive like how Janie forgave Reeve. Janie seemed to have also changed throughout the series because in the first book she didn't want the kidnapping to be real. In this book (the fourth and final book of the series) she wanted to meet Hannah and speak to her and help her Connecticut father pay his ransom to Hannah with the help of Reeve and Brian. Overall, this book was about happiness and sadness, forgiveness and understanding. It was about two families who were each torn up into pieces, came together, and helped each other through very challenging times.
This book has been around what Janie found after trying to help her mother pay the bills after her father had a stroke. That's her Johnson parents. Janie finds a file in Frank's office and then she finds out that he's not only been hiding this from her but also the FBI and maybe his wife. Janie doesn't have the heart to ask her in case Miranda knew as well. It's also not the best time to be bringing it up. Instead she confides in her little brother Brian and Reeve, who she's not sure she can trust. Reeve really annoyed me in this book. Always forcing his presence on Janie even when she clearly doesn't want him around. You can't make someone love you again just by always being around them. Especially when that person can't even trust you. It's just pathetic. Janie will go to Reeve when she's ready but instead he doesn't give her that option. He's just always there, expecting her to take him back. Janie again has another choice to make. This time it doesn't only include her families, both the Johnsons and the Springs, but Hannah too. Janie finally has the chance to get answers to her questions. But at what cost?I think Janie is finally getting those lady balls. This time she has to make the choice herself. I get that she only told Brian and Reeve because they didn't have a choice but this was something Janie had to do on her own. I seem to keep saying that Reeve and Janie annoy me but it just keeps being true. They are so freaking annoying. And Janie always seems to have some choice to make. I'm not sure what I would've done in her situation but I do know I would've gotten rid of Reeve. I'm glad she's getting closer to the Springs though. I really like Brian. At least there's only one book left, thank the gods! Then I'll never read them again.
One of the great things about the Janie books is that the anger and fear feel very real. Two families have had their lives torn apart, and Cooney doesn't shy away from the fact that the story in her series would cause people to think dark, disturbing thoughts and be unhappy and angry. Throughout the Janie books, Stephen (Janie's biological brother) has been the angriest of all the characters. He has spent his life being in charge of keeping all his siblings safe from other kidnappers, and it has
—Gayle Francis Moffet
The final book in this series of four about Janie Johnson, the missing girl who saw her own picture on a milk carton. In this book, Janie's adoptive father has just suffered a stroke, and is unable to do anything. Janie is now responsible for handling all of his paperwork, as her mother is not able to do it.Whilst sorting things out, Janie finds a folder marked HJ (the Johnson's daughter, Hannah, who kidnapped her). She is shocked to realize that her father might have known all along that she had been kidnapped, and furthermore, he has been sending Hannah money four times a year!She begins yet another investigation, to try and trace Hannah, with the help of Reeve, her ex-boyfriend, and her younger brother, Brian.As a finale of the series, it did tie up some loose ends, but I did wish that there could have been more of a story regarding Hannah, and the reasons behind why she kidnapped Janie in the first place. All in all, a slightly better than average series to read.
—Sarah
The concluding book in the Janie Johnson series helps clear the mystery and give the readers an answer. This book is the fourth and final book in a series about a girl who was kidnapped at age 3, but lives with her kidnappers parents, because for the 12 years she had lived with them believing that they were her real parents, and had no memory of her kidnapper, nor her real family. After living with her real family, and going back to her fake family, she has finally made peace with her story, and both of her families. It was believed that her kidnapper was dead, but when her fake father suffers a stroke, Janie stumbles on some paid bills made out to her kidnapper. This fork in the road, makes the story more suspenseful and interesting. Frank Johnson who was supposed to be a good guy, had been supporting Janie's kidnapper, lying to Janie and to the rest of the two families, and now is dying cannot give any answers. There is now only one person to get answers from. The kidnapper herself Hannah. "How dare he die now? How dare he leave her with that folder? Now it was too late for explanations. With him dead she could not confront, and scream, and tell him how much she hated him." This shows how Janie's dad turns from a bystander to a perpetrator.When Janie, Reeve and Brian get to Boulder, CO they start to get anxious. What if Stephen finds out? What if either sets of parents find out? It would break them. They were finally finished healing the wounds Hannah created, now Janie might be opening them back up. This event causes controversy, because there are two paths to go down. One is to ask Hannah about the kidnapping and get answers. The other is to protect the family and let Hannah stay hidden. This helps create and effect to the book as we don't know the ending. "Once they were in Boulder, she would suggest brotherly activities' Brian and Stephen must hike, or white-water raft, or whatever they did out there. She, Janie, would be hunting."At the end of the book it is time to make a decision, talk to Hannah or not. What is more important? This will tell us something about Janie's character. If Janie decides to get answers, and meet Hannah she is being selfish, and might open up some old wounds. If Janie does not get the answers does not meet Hannah she will protect her loved ones, but never know exactly why Hannah ruined their families. What will Janie choose? "I've been fighting for months, she thought. War with one family war with another, war with Reeve, war with myself. I even flew out her to wage war with Hannah Javensen."
—Paige O'brien
