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IT WASN’T SUPPOSED to end up like this. But it did.
When Theresa brings James to a party as her date, it’s just for the night . . . and he knows that. But when everything goes horribly wrong, James drives his motorcycle off a cliff—and Theresa knows she’s responsible for his death.
Theresa tries to run away from the pain, becoming a new young woman with a whole new life. She meets people, of course, but she never really makes connections—she’s too scared she’ll hurt them, too. But what Theresa discovers is that you can try to run away from the pain—but you can never really run away from yourself. The only way out is through.
This compelling tale of love and loss is about broken hearts—and how to begin to repair your own.
Gr 9 Up- Theresa's neighbor James has a huge, unrequited crush on her. Theresa loves Randy, who keeps breaking up with her. At a party, she uses James, with his permission, to make Randy jealous. It works: he takes her back, but James leaves the party and drives off a cliff. Convinced she is responsible for his death, Theresa runs away from home, takes on a new identity, and becomes involved in the troubled life of the young girl next door. Her involvement with this child runs deep enough to entwine their lives, and myriad difficulties ensue. When Theresa takes on her new identity, the perspective shifts (first person to third person). This is a bit gimmicky, but it does convey the teen's emotions in trying to escape herself. The author is ambitious and attempts to cover a lot of ground. Theresa has a lot on her plate just trying to deal with her own issues, but by adding abused children, Hyde complicates the protagonist's healing process immensely. Although the teen does grow and has a major turning point, it feels rather forced. The book is filled with snappy, sarcastic, sitcom dialogue and stock characters-the confused teen, the user boyfriend, the tough kid with the soft center. Still, the pacing is brisk, and the story is edgy and bold, with drinking, smoking, runaways, sexual banter, flirting, and murder. Older teens will be captivated, and the cover does a terrific job of selling the book.-Geri Diorio, The Ridgefield Library, CT
One I'm Sorry I Washed Your Car
Maybe I should have been nicer about it. But it was early. It was so damned early. It was daybreak, damn it to hell. And I didn't have to get up for school yet. And that's one of those things it just doesn't pay to rush.
I guess I should have been nicer about a lot of things. But that's hindsight. Isn't it?
I couldn't just roll over and go back to sleep, because there was water running somewhere. And there shouldn't have been.
So I rolled out of bed and put on Randy's red pin-striped shirt. I love that shirt. If we-God forbid-ever break up, he'd better kiss it goodbye. And I went to the window. And there was James in the driveway, washing my car.
I opened the window. Thought that would get his attention, but not quite. Usually it was not hard for me. To get James's attention.
I waved my arms around. Without raising them too high, because, you know, Randy's shirt only covered just so much. And James was easily encouraged. Pre-encouraged, one might even say. Like one of those computers you buy with the software already installed.
He saw me then. Snapped off the hose. Smiled. When James smiled at me, it made me a little bit nervous. When he smiled at me, his face lit up with this look that always made me wonder why being loved is not the joy the poets claim.
James or Randy, either one. It's just not what they set us up to expect.
He called out good morning to me.
"James," I said, trying to be half-assed quiet to keep my father out of it. My father was not so sure about the whole James phenomenon. "Why are you washing my car?"
It's really pathetic, what happened to that poor smile. It reminded me of a dog told to play dead. James had this way of making me feel bad. Life has this way of making me feel bad.
"Don't you want me to?" he asked. "I'm sorry."
How do I answer a question like that?
So I just looked up at the sky, which seemed somewhat black and expectant, and I said, "I think maybe it's going to rain."
"If it does," James said, "it will be all my fault. Because I washed your car. Do you want me to stop now? I'd at least have to rinse off this soap."
I didn't know if I wanted James to wash my car. I'd never really thought about it. It was too early to think about it when I was put on the spot to say. But one thing I did know for sure.
I said, "I definitely do not want you to wash my car and then apologize for it."
"Right," he said. "Sorry. I mean . . . you know what I mean."
I closed the window. My father stuck his head in through my door. The hose sound kicked in again from the driveway.
"Who are you talking to?" my father asked. "Why are you making so much noise? You woke me up. Why did you wake me?"
"You have to get up now anyway," I said, looking at the clock. "You'll be late for work."
He reached for my alarm clock. Knocked it over onto its back. "Aw, crap. Why didn't you wake me?"
I said, "I did wake you, Remember? That's what you were just complaining about."
See, it even extends to parents. What I said about love.
It rained. I can't entirely claim it's because James washed my car, because it rained days later. But it felt satisfying, somehow, to blame this and that on James.
I was sitting at the dining room table paying bills. Because somebody had to do it.
When I looked out the window it was raining in sheets, and I swore I saw James skate by. Down the driveway toward the garage. It was like a moment of action in bad animation. You know how when they're really hard up for animation dollars they move a static character across a static scene? Like that.
His hair was still short from that two-year stint in the Air Force. So the fact of being soaking wet didn't change his look much. He had a hat, but he wasn't wearing it. Just holding it by the brim. And then that was it. He just slid out of my field of view.
A moment later he came by in the other direction. Garage to street. Without his shirt. Hat in hand. Wearing a strappy sleeveless undershirt like the kind my uncle Gerry used to wear. Only, I have to say it, it looked better on James.
He'd certainly buffed up while he was away.
I couldn't decide if this was a fun game or not. Probably not.
On the third trip by, no noticeable change. Which made me wonder suddenly if he was still wearing his pants. Which made me jump up to see. Which made James laugh and point, like, I got you. I made you look.
He was wearing his pants. But he made me look.
What he was not wearing were skates. He was just sliding. Hydroplaning along the fresh concrete of my driveway in a quarter-inch sheet of standing water. Which didn't seem a good enough explanation until I realized he was sliding down the trail of automatic transmission fluid my crappy old hand-me-down car deposits on its way to and from the garage.
James was always telling me to get that fixed. He'd even offered to replace my pan gasket, an offer I'd several times refused. If I had been foolish enough to let him in just then, he likely would've offered again.
Once he had my attention, something happened to his. He failed to cut off the skid in time. He sort of bounced off our garage door. Then he recovered his poise and began to dance. It reminded me of a cat after it loses face. That sort of "I meant to do that" attitude. He looked pretty smooth, actually. Dancing. It was this old-fashioned Gene Kelly sort of a thing. Not half bad.
Then all of a sudden there was my father. Right at my left shoulder.
He said, "What in God's name is he doing?"
I said, "Apparently a scene from Singin' in the Rain."
He said, "The guy has no shame."
I said, "How can you say that, Dad? He's adorable. He's just being playful."
"You just described a golden retriever puppy. He has no shame because he doesn't even bother to pretend he's not in love with you when I'm around."
"Yes, he does. He can't see you from there."
"Of course he can."
"No, he can't. Come over here."
So he moved over to where James could see him. James slipped on a patch of transmission fluid. His feet came right out from underneath him. He landed on his hip and one elbow, and just lay there. Looking vaguely disoriented.
My father said, "Ouch."
I said, "I told you he didn't know you were here."
He said, "You really ought to get that transmission looked at."
Anonymous3
Posted March 19, 2012
Such an amazing book! I haven't experienced something like that but she made me feel a connection to her. Amazing read
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.The Day I Killed James is a heartfelt tale about a girl learning to come to terms with her grief. It also sends a clear message: Don't be careless with other's hearts.
James is Theresa's neighbor, and he is in love with her. He is a few years older than Theresa and he is a little weird. I couldn't blame Theresa for not feeling the same way for James as he did for her. That happens sometimes. But when Theresa's boyfriend decides to be a jerk and take another girl to a party, Theresa ends up taking advantage of James' feelings and lets him go to the party as her date. Theresa was up front and told James it was just for the night, but with James being so in love with her, he got his hopes up.
After the party doesn't go as planned, James kills himself. Theresa's grief turns her into a whole other person. She shaves her head and moves away from all her friends and family to start a new life. Of course, Theresa was really only trying to run away from the pain. This is where the main story begins. Theresa was so real as a character. Her emotions came off so honest and raw. No, Theresa shouldn't have taken advantage of James' feelings like that, but it is ultimately not her fault what happened to him. Of course, that is easy for an outsider looking in to see. I know if I was in Theresa's shoes, I wouldn't be able to help but feel the same way as her. The diary entries from Theresa that the author added helped the reader feel exactly what Theresa was feeling.
Hyde's writing is remarkable. Not every writer can pull off switching from first to third person so smoothly. This is my first Young Adult book I have read from her. Before this book, I always knew her as the author of Pay it Forward. Now, I will know her as the author of great Young Adult books. I can't wait to read more from her.
I want to say more about this story that I enjoyed, but I will refrain. I think the sub-plots will be best experienced going in without knowing of them first.
The story ended exactly how I always say these stories are supposed to end, not all tied up perfectly, but leaves you with beautiful and pure hope for the future. After all, what Theresa has been through is not something that just goes away. The Day I Killed James tugged on my heartstrings and had me tearing up. I really enjoyed going through Theresa's journey to overcome what happened, and start on the path of self-forgiveness. This story is one that will stick with me.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Besides all the little tidbits in this story that I enjoyed, I think the teachings in this book makes it a great read for anyone. It makes you think of your own life in some way and makes you question whether you have been emotionally disconnected with someone who deserved better than that......
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Everyone carries around some sort of guilt or regret. Most don't carry the burden that Theresa does. <BR/><BR/>James is her next-door neighbor. He's attractive, but a bit too bizarre for Theresa. And he's in love with her. He left for two years for the military and wrote her every week. She thinks she sent him maybe two letters in return. <BR/><BR/>Theresa is in love with her boyfriend, Randy. They've been dating for nine months now. However, he's just told her that he wants to take another girl, Rachel, to their friend Frieda's end-of-school party. There have been on-again and off-again periods with Randy before, but this is a first. Theresa lets him go, and in retaliation, she asks James if he'd like to go to a party with her. She is up front with him that it's purely for show, but James is thrilled to have the chance for even a pretend date with Theresa. <BR/><BR/>While James is off getting Theresa something cold to drink, Randy comes crawling back to Theresa, realizing he made a mistake. Theresa tries to think of James, but before she knows it, she and Randy are in a heavy makeout session. It's only after she hears James' motorcycle pull away that she starts to worry what he may think. <BR/><BR/>But that's not the worst of it. James doesn't come home, and Theresa goes to the cops. Not long after telling the cops he's missing, they come knocking on her door to tell her that his motorcycle has gone over the side of a cliff. <BR/><BR/>No one is to blame, but Theresa believes it's all her fault because of what James saw. Not able to handle the guilt or the remorse, she leaves home to reinvent herself. <BR/><BR/>Living in a beat-up trailer, a young neighbor girl starts hanging around. Before Theresa realizes it, life is changing again, and the thought-provoking actions of an eleven-year-old slowly brings Theresa back to the living. <BR/><BR/>What a powerful story. Theresa is determined to keep James' memory alive out of guilt. But Ms. Hyde weaves the story beautifully and the reader gets to see the slow healing process that Theresa, and also Cathy, her young neighbor, go through. You will surely laugh and cry with the story, but will come out much better for it on the other side. Just like Theresa did.
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Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 6, 2008
Theresa tells James that their party date is a one-time thing. She's only using him to make her maybe-ex-boyfriend jealous. It works, but Theresa breaks James' heart in the process, and he drives his motorcycle of a cliff, dying of suicide. Theresa's entire world collapses, and she blames herself for James' death. She severs ties with her old life, and tries to reinvent herself, all in an attempt to atone for what she did to James. Slowly though, through meeting a girl very similar to herself, Theresa begins to realize that she can't keep running away forever. Once again, Catherine Ryan Hyde writes a beautiful story about learning to live with what you've done. The story was incredibly sad, because Theresa kept blaming herself for killing James, even though it wasn't entirely her fault, and even though Theresa's only eighteen-years-old, this ages and matures her. Theresa's character and journey to self-forgiveness is very realistic, and I was so relieved with the hopeful ending. The Day I Killed James is truly a heartfelt, well-written, and unforgettable story, and one I will not likely forget. The Day I Killed James is probably my favorite of Catherine Ryan Hyde's novels so far, and I most definitely recommend it. The topic of death is never an easy one to write about, and I rank this novel high among others of this topic, including Saving Zoë by Alyson Noël, Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, and Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 12, 2008
This is truly the best book I've ever read.I'm not the type of person who likes to read books,but after finishing reading the book this is a truly an amazing book.Its love mixed with sadness,and horror at points.Its like a teenager movie put into a book.
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Posted May 28, 2008
James was Theresa's neighbor. It was obvious to everyone, even to her that he was in love with her. Theresa however didn't feel that way about James, she couldn't help it, it just wasn't there. He was four years older than her and besides that she already had a boyfriend, Randy. When Randy moves onto another girl, Theresa can't help but use James's willingness to her advantage. She knows he loves her, and she knows that using him is wrong, but he insists that he wants to be used. Theresa, however, didn't foresee the events that would play out the night of the party, or she never would have asked James to be her date. Theresa broke his heart and he killed himself. Overflowing with toxic guilt, Theresa flees her old life. She shaves her head, changes her name and moves to a new town where no one knows her. Determined that she won't let herself hurt someone again. Unexpectedly, Theresa's salvation comes in the form of a young scraggly abused child, that lives next door to her trailer. They set out on a road trip that ultimately aids in healing them both. I can't say enough good things about Hyde as a writer. She gets me everytime! The moral of this story is simple, be careful with other peoples hearts. The story, however, is anything but. The plot is intense, and the sporadic journal entries by Theresa add significant depth. Once again Ryan has superbly crafted a compelling tale that I soon won't forget.
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Posted June 9, 2008
Once again Catherine Ryan Hyde uses deceptively simple language to tell a multi-layered story of betrayal and death, forgivenss and redemption. As in 'Chasing Windmills,' Hyde gives her main character plenty of room to grow.
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Posted June 14, 2008
What an exceptional book! I've read all of Catherine's work, including her Y/A novels and have to admit I have enjoyed them ALL thoroughly. 'The Day I Killed James' is no exception. The book is beautifully written, has a strong female protagonist, and a voice that draws you in IMMEDIATELY. What an exciting journey of self-discovery! I was hooked from the first line. The novel is set on the California Central Coast and the descriptions of Hearst Castle and the little coastal town of San Simeon are breathtaking. If you like down to earth characters that take you on a roller coaster ride of emotion, then this book is for you, and especially for anyone who loves good literature. If there were more than five stars available, I'd give 'em.
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Posted April 18, 2013
Love this author and love this book!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.hikergirl629
Posted April 26, 2010
This was an interesting read told through journal entries written during the main protagonist's therapy sessions. Theresa asked neighbor James to go with her to a party in order to make her ex-boyfriend jealous. She's using James, as she knows that he has a crush on her. While at the party Theresa and her ex-boyfriend reconciled, leaving James behind who then committed suicide. Afterwards Theresa enters therapy to work through the guilt and grief. The journal entries take you back through specific days leading up to and after James' suicide. An interesting read, although it does jump around a little with the journal entries from different days.
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Posted July 18, 2010
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Posted April 16, 2009
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Posted February 1, 2009
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Posted August 10, 2009
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Overview
IT WASN’T SUPPOSED to end up like this. But it did.
When Theresa brings James to a party as her date, it’s just for the night . . . and he knows that. But when everything goes horribly wrong, James drives his motorcycle off a cliff—and Theresa knows she’s responsible for his death.
Theresa tries to run away from the pain, becoming a new young woman with a whole new life. She meets people, of course, but she never really makes connections—she’s ...