Monday, December 10, 2007

What Janie Found by Caroline B. Cooney

what-janie-found.jpgWhat Janie Found by Caroline B. Cooney

Genre: Juvenile Fiction

Published in 2000

Recommended Age Group: 14 and Up

Summary: What Janie Found is the fourth and final book in the series that started with The Face on the Milk Carton. Janie is tired of being the good guy and doing everything to help other people. This book opens with her contemplating being the bad girl and like Hannah giving it all up and to be last seen flying west. Janie’s Connecticut father Frank Johnson had a stroke and a heart attack in the same day and to help support her family Janie is asked to take care of the bills. While looking in the file cabinet she finds a folder marked “H. J.” it could only be about Hannah the kidnapper and Frank’s original child. Janie doesn’t want to go through the folder with her mother sitting there so she decides to wait until she can be alone, unfortunately Brian, her little brother, and Reeve, her ex-boyfriend are in the room and see the folder too and want to see inside. The problem is she wants to see it alone. While waiting for a good time to look at the folder the possibilities of what could be inside go through the minds of all three. One thing is certain, being in the paid bills section Frank was giving money to Hannah or money to find her.

When they were finally able to look in the folder they found that not only did Frank know where Hannah was but he was also sending her large chunks of money four times a year to an address in Boulder, Colorado. Conveniently Janie and Brian’s oldest brother Stephen is living in Boulder going to college. They decide to visit him and while there find Hannah because they all have questions that need to be answered. Worried about how their parents will react to the trip they come up with all kinds of reasons but they are all happily surprised and readily pay for plane tickets for Brian, Janie, and Reeve to fly. As the trip progresses one by one they decide that finding Hannah isn’t the greatest idea. Janie also has to face the choice as to whether or not she should continue to support her kidnapper. In the end they decide not to meet her. They mail Hannah the rest of the money in the account with a note that she will not be getting any more and not to contact the Johnson family again. They also have a great visit with Stephen and Janie decides who her real family is and what she’s going to do with the rest of her life.

Personal Notes: Not the ending I expected but it was really good. With the way the others just ended I was happy to finally have a bit of closure with the last one. I appreciated the depth of the inner conflict in each character. They were all very round and complete. I also liked how everything worked out in the end with both the families and Reeve. It wasn’t a and they lived happily every after, there was actually work involved and I think that made it more realistic.

Other reviews available:

The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney

Whatever Happened to Janie? by Caroline B. Cooney


The Voice on the Radio by Caroline B. Cooney

24 comments:

  1. i didn't think it was that good,

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  2. I loved this book and the onther 3 before it. I thought they were really good.

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  3. excuse me imfao?! it was the best book ever!!!!!!!

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  4. Could someone please tell me if she forgives Reeve. If they get back together? I mean I know he was and jerk and all but does/did (not sure cause i haven't read the last book) love her. I think she should forgive him and stop being such a baby but someone just please tell me if she had the common sense to do it or not.

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  5. they dont, bbut best sereis ever! :0)

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  6. i want 2 know bout reeve & janie to0.

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  7. i think it was kinda good,they should have met hannah though

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  8. IT WAS AWESOME.BUT RIGHT NOW I ABSOLUTELY HATE JANIE FOR NOT MAKING UP WITH REEVE.POOR REEVE!

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  9. I don't get it why womissed her wouldn't she meet Hannah? Why wouldn't she and Reeve get back together?

    I couldn't put the book down but I really wish it had a better ending or Caroline would write another book. The next book could be about how Hannah misses her parents and so she comes back. When Hannah returns both her parents are gone and Janie is home ALONE and ANSWERS the door. Janie wouldn't know what Hannah would look like but Hannah would know Janie. CREAPY!!! I also think they need to come out with a movie sieries over these books. IT WOULD BE AWESOME!!!

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  10. i thought this book was excellent even though they didn't me hannah

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  11. Well... To be Honest, I like the first book. It's the most interesting one. The one that started all the mess!. These books are great! ... I have a book report on, " Whatever Happened To Janie" and i lost my library book so I had to look online. And this site helped me the most! Thanks. A lot!

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  12. maybe you should write it, i would read it!

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  13. 1st u never have read the book so how can u just say 'LOSER BOOK"(never judge a book by its cover) =)

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  14. ..yeah..,i like the first book.it is mysterious..

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  15. yeah i like the first book...

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  16. but it is a loser book

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  17. I didn't read the last book but i would bet she does

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  18. i checked out this book in library,, and page 17 was gone, so im trryin to find the pages online so i can read it:) if you know a website thanks:)

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  19. heyyy i checked this book out... and pages 17&18 were gonee,, if you know a website that has em then say so:)

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  20. Yeah me too i love those ideas....
    maybe u can send them to Caroline!
    either way i need a ending happily ever after or else i just get pissed off at the damn thing

    HAPPILY EVER AFTER
    the end


    love it!

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  21. i agree, i would have like to meet her, but in "a voice on the radio" lizzie says that shes dead. i hate that she makes up with reeve, though.

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  22. HANNAH'S DEAD! IT SAYS SO IN THE THIRD BOOK

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