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    Paper Covers Rock
    Paper Covers Rock
    Paper Covers Rock
    Audiobook5 hours

    Paper Covers Rock

    Written by Jenny Hubbard

    Narrated by Steven Boyer

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Jenny Hubbard's debut Paper Covers Rock earned instant acclaim upon publication, garnering starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, and the Horn Book Magazine. Tucked away at an exclusive boys' boarding school, friends Alex and Glenn fail to prevent their classmate's drowning in a nearby river. Distraught, Alex pours his guilty feelings into a journal, and Glenn weaves a web of lies to explain their actions that day. Meanwhile, their English teacher Miss Dovecott grows suspicious of the two and begins a troubling investigation.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateApr 6, 2012
    ISBN9781464036231
    Paper Covers Rock

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    Reviews for Paper Covers Rock

    3.5/5

    79 ratings15 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Four boys were drinking a a boarding school, and jumped off a rock into the water. One died. Who knew when he was in trouble? Did someone have a reason not to help. What did the teacher see? And who does Alex owe loyalty to - his friends, his teacher, himself, or the truth?
    • 4/5
      A review on the cover relates this novel to A Separate aPeace- a novel I thoroughly love. But, that is not a connection I make here. They are both set in a boarding school and there is a death- end of comparison. This novel has its own story, and I enjoyed it. The author weaves poetry in with references to Melville, Hemingway, and other greats while she crafts a story of coming to terms with tragedy and guilt and the choices we make.
    • 5/5
      Sensitive portrayal of a boy coping with the accidental death of his best friend. Terrific writing and the glorification of literature/writing/books is an added bonus. Alex's best friend has died as a result of a diving accident at the local swimming hole. The boys had been drinking. Alex's role in the death is further complicated by doubts about the resuscitation and rescue efforts. In sum: Alex is carrying a load of guilt. He writes in a secret journal and his words help him cope but can only carry him so far. He can't talk to anyone for fear of being outed for the drinking (and expelled). In fact, he and his surviving friends conspire to cover-up and set up several fall guys for the incident ("The Plan"). Added to the mix is the fact that his English teacher (a mad crush) has witnessed part of the accident. How much does she know? How can they silence her? In addition to the fine writing, "The Plan" as it unfolds creates a nice thread of suspense. The book is also a true-to-life look at a boy's first love (again, on his English teacher) the loss of innocence / coming of age. The author captures beautifully the climate of a boys boarding school (i.e., the male culture) Alex's crush is sensitively handled but obviously carries a sexual component (he has erections; dreams of seducing her, etc.) Further, there is some hints of homosexual experimentation and name-calling (see "male culture" above!) All of this might rattle a few cages but, in this reader's estimation, is essential to the believability of the story.Highly recommended.
    • 2/5
      Set in a boarding school in 1982, Hubbard tackles young, male boarding school beliefs, and honor codes. Thomas drowns shortly after his 17th birthday, with the only witnesses being his friends Clay, Alex and Glenn. While trying to cover up their involvement, the boys learn that their favorite English teacher was also there. Alex wants to tell the truth, as he's in love with her, but can't bring himself to go against Glen and his plan. Under Glenn's tutelage, The Plan to get rid of the evidence, even if it means getting rid of their souls in the process, begins to fall into place. Hubbard's writing is disjointed at times, jumping from past to present, full of literary characters and references which all combine to keep the reader off-balanced proving good doesn't always win over bad.
    • 3/5
      I bought this book a while back and finally got time to read it. It began a little slow but once I got more to the meat of the story it grew on me.Plot: This is about a boy, who is in a private all boys school, and a tragic incident has happen. Alex feels let down that he was not on time to save his friend. This plot did move slow in the beginning due to the author giving the reader lots of background information. Once you get more to the middle and more lies and truths began to come out, the story begins to paint a bigger picture of what actually happened.Web Of lies: I didn’t think that guys can lie as well as girls. These guys made lies on top or more lies, they fought and brought other down faster than a quarterback on a Friday night. I mean, really these guys could give mean girls a run for their money. We all knows that lies can only cover for so long and then before you know it, the truth comes out.Ending: I really liked how in the end, all is revealed. The author did a great job leading the reader piece by piece till the very end.This is great book. Not only is it small but it really packs a punch. It’s one of those stories that sticks with the reader even after its finished. I thought about it for days. About the lies and about the truth. Paper Covers Rock is a great read.
    • 3/5
      The book opens with the narrator explaining why, after two years of letting the journal his father gave him when he went away to boarding school lay fallow on his shelf, he is now writing in his journal. The narrator, Alex Stromm, is writing the journal for himself spurred to do so by the death of his friend and classmate, Thomas Broughton, from drowning. Alex's thoughts, feelings, and overall reaction to this event comprise the rest of the novel. The story he tells involves another friend, Glenn, and a special teacher, Miss Dovecott, who is just a few years older than Alex, the junior student, and who encourages his writing especially his budding efforts at poetry. As he records his thoughts in the journal his relationships, both school and family, become clearer. There are a few touching moments such as Alex's letter of condolence to Thomas' parents that opens, "I have been wanting to write for a couple of weeks now, but I did not know exactly what to say or how to say it, so I have put it off. Now I realize that I will never know exactly what to say or how to say it. . . " (pp 64-65) Both the poetry and the prose in the book limn a young student of above-average ability. The writing ability helps Alex express his feelings about both love and death as he tries to move forward in his school life. Near the end of the book he writes, "...and he'll leave it as others have left it, as others will leave it, boys stepping into who they are without ever having known who they were." (p 163) , suggesting he still has work to do, and he is developing the maturity to do so.The book is laced with literary references, primarily to Moby-Dick which inspired Alex's literary nom de plume of "Is Male". This is both a literary reference and a symbol of his young male hormones that are as much a reason as any for his crush on Miss Dovecott. The tone throughout is one of mystery and melancholy; mystery as to the nature of Alex's involvement with the death of his friend Thomas and melancholy as his feelings are poured out over the pages of his journal. The result is a subtle portrayal of how one teenager matures through dealing with loyalty, honor, and love in a boarding school environment. While the novel is reminiscent of John Knowles' A Separate Peace, it does not quite match that novel's literary heft. However, I was impressed with the author's lucid prose and moved by the slight story. I appreciated young Alex's appreciation of reading in the opening pages when he wrote in his journal, "Read to your heart's content. Though if you are a reader, the heart is never content." (p 2)
    • 3/5
      Reviewed from library copy

      Very similar to A Separate Peace. Didn't that character die by drowning after a swimming prank went bad (swinging from a branch or some such)? I read it in high school, so it's a bit hazy. It felt like just a slightly updated version. Only the author didn't check what day of the week things were in 1982 - October 15 was a Friday, not a Sunday that year.
    • 4/5
      Paper Covers Rock is a beautifully written book. It is written in journal style not the normal form. As I kept reading it, it kept reminding me of a book that I read back in high school but I couldn’t put my finger on the title. When I finished reading it, it suddenly dawned on me that it was similar to A Separate Peace by John Knowles ( I loved that book back then).The cover doesn’t do justice to the story within. After the death of their friend Thomas, Alex and Glenn begin a journey full of lies to cover for them being at the river. As we keep reading, the journal style narration slowly begins to unravel what happened to the days leading up to the fateful day of Thomas’ death and what happens after. The tension slowly begins to build up as Alex and Glenn’s try to find out exactly how much their teacher Miss Dovecott knows about that day.The characters were well characterized and we’re able to relate to Thomas and Miss Dovecott, and despise Glenn and his selfish actions. The boarding school politics come into play here as well and people get away with things that should not be possible.Overall, Paper Covers Rock kept me on my toes, waiting to see what really happened and why it happened to Thomas.
    • 4/5
      Paper Covers RockByJenny HubbardMy "in a nutshell" summary...Boys...private school...drowning...lies!My thoughts after reading this book...Why do certain opening sentences just sing to me...I knew I was going to love reading this book from the start! It was adventurous, sad, confusing, and more. Choices made were not good ones...I still don't know why Thomas died...and un golden boy Alex...had far too many secrets. I felt sorry for Miss Dovecott but admired her teaching at the same time. I didn't like the way her story ended.What I loved about this book...Alex's potential? Hmmm...What I did not love...That's simple...the ending? I am still wondering what happened.Final thoughts...A bad incident at a boarding school leads to tragedy. Characters are key in this sad story.
    • 5/5
      I listened to this on audio (a short one, only 4 discs) and it captivated me from the very first lines. With audios, I usually instantly love it or instantly hate it; I'm a sucker for a great narrator. This was a beautifully written story about the aftermath of a drowning accident at a strict all boys boarding school. I recommend this book to everyone, and after loving the audio I am curious to read it in book form- there is a lot of poetry that I'd like to see on paper. Also, fair warning, this book may make you want to go pick up Moby Dick if you haven't already.
    • 2/5
      Alex, a junior at a boys' boarding school, cannot save the life of a friend who has had an alcohol-related accident on a nearby river. A newly minted teacher arrives on the scene and may have seen more than she is saying. She encourages Alex to explore his talent as a poet and share his feelings. This book is set in 1982 which may make it difficult for young readers to relate to; the stigma of homosexuality seems extreme by today's standards. Hard not to think of John Green's superior "Looking for Alaska" when reading this book.
    • 4/5
      This is the story of Alex, a prep school junior, who is coming to terms with his part in the death of his friend Thomas. Several boys were drinking some vodka and dared each other to jump from a high rock into the water below. Thomas dove in and hit his head on a submerged rock. He did not survive. The facts of the event are brought out in bits and are mixed in with Alex's crush on his English teacher, homosexuality (not Alex), and Alex's emerging life as a writer. Some of his poems are exquisite and though I think the story is a bit trite, the level is raised so much by Alex's writings - both prose and poetry.This short book would be enjoyed by mature high schoolers and older.
    • 4/5
      Alex, a gifted poet and writer, struggles with guilt after a friend, Thomas, dies in a swimming accident at their elite prep school in 1982. Thomas, along with Alex and two other boys, had gone to the swimming rock. Drunk from another of the student's vodka, Thomas dove into the water and hit his head on the rock. Moments later Miss Dovecott was on the scene, but isn't sure of what she saw. Glenn, another of the boys at the rock that day, creates a plot to get the very young and very attractive teacher fired before she finds out what happened. Alex himself knows there is more to the story, and struggles between loyalty to the living and living up to the expectations of Miss Dovecott, with whom he is infatuated. Told through the pages of Alex's secret journal, this is a powerful story reminiscent of John Knowles. Students at my high school might not fully understand the boarding school culture that plays an important role here, but will easily connect with the doubts and fears that plague Thomas's mind. The book is set in 1982, but aside from the singular REO Speedwagon or Cold War references, it could just as easily be set today. At 181 pages, this book will fall short of the typical 200-page-minimum English teacher independent reading assignment, which is a shame because it is a wonderful book that goes much deeper than the typical YA offering. Highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      Four boys were drinking a a boarding school, and jumped off a rock into the water. One died. Who knew when he was in trouble? Did someone have a reason not to help. What did the teacher see? And who does Alex owe loyalty to - his friends, his teacher, himself, or the truth?
    • 3/5
      This was the hardest, and maybe most dishonest, rating I have ever had to give. I agree with all of the other ratings, from 1 star to 5 star. For the first 2/3 of the book, I really did not care for it at all. The last 1/3 was amazing. I think this was a great book for a small audience. I still don't know why the author chose 1982 as the time setting, seemed a bit unsettling. I am also not sure that the voice of the author, 16 year old Alex, was authentic. Think this book may be one of the surprising ones though that will stick with me longer than I imagine.