Customer Reviews

Jay's Journal

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Everyone always thinks that nothing like that can happen to there child. This book proves that it does. A lonely and depressed 16 year old boy finds himself thrown into the world of drugs. He steals from his father's pharmacy in order to keep the girl of his dreams happy. When he is caught his parents send him to a rehab center. There he meets someone who helps him get into satanism.

The one thing that I hated about this book was that it isn't all real. "Jay", his real name was Alden Barrett grew up in Utah. In 1997 Alden's brother Scott published a book called A Place in the Sun the Truth Behind Jay's Journal. Scott included a facsimile of Jay's original journal. Alden had his problems and did kill himself but he wasn't involved in Satanism at all. Out of the whole book about 25 entries came out of Alden's journal. The other 90+ were either made up or came from other kids that Beatrice Sparks interviewed.

This book is a LIE.

Do the smallest bit of research and you'll see that. Beatrice Sparks defamed the reputation of an entire family and one poor kid through her witchhunt. She didn't care about the truth; she cared about "scaring straight" teens and making a quick buck in the process.

The real person this "journal" is based on was never into the occult. He was a normal kid who was interested in Eastern religions and liberal politics. Maybe that's the same think in Sparks' mind.

I'm very ashamed to have picked up this book. I wish I could get my money back so that Mrs. Sparks doesn't get her royalty check.

Though it has already been said several times, I just want to reiterate that this book is a work of fiction. It has absolutely no basis in fact. Sparks simply wanted to cash in on the growing Satanism scare, and in the process destroyed a family as well as a boy's memory. A boy who, incidentally, had nothing to do with the occult.
In fact, the local police have said that while there was almost no occult activity in town before the book came out, the amount of occult-related crimes committed after the book was published skyrocketed. Luckily, all Ms. Sparks cares about is money, so her job here is done.

The fact that Beatrice Sparks claims she merely "edited" journals of a troubled boy in Small-Town, Utah makes me sick. Sparks fabricated every lie written in a failed attempt to scare parents into over-parenting their children.
The boy who Sparks based her atrocious "journal" on was brilliant, smart, funny, popular, and incredibly artistic. His poetry would inspire anyone.
Beatrice Sparks has made a career out of scaring parents with "true fictions." She has hurt "Jay's" family members so badly, that I wish the same on her. May her horrible literature die with her, sooner rather than later.

For all of you who may not believe in the truth which lies within this books pages, I am sorry. The events which took place in this book happened in my state, Utah. It happened in a small town called pleasant grove. The events which jay has spoken of are things that can truly happen if you get into the wrong things associated with witchcraft. To all of you who believe this story is just a sham, and there is no reality to it's words, think again. There are dangerous things out there which will remain unseen, until you realize that they are there.
Ignorance is bliss.

jay's journal was a failed attempt at a book to discourage teenagers from the "evils of drugs and satanism"--but then again, that's not usually why i read books in the first place. what it has ended up becoming is sort of a cult classic here in utah.
it recounts, as can be gathered from the cover, a boy's descent into depression, drugs, satanism, and eventually suicide.
i was a little annoyed at the editing job because it doesn't allow the reader to get a full impression of jay's deepest feelings and emotions. apparently, sparks apparently felt that any sort or swear word or offensive material is evil and needed to be censored at all cost.
if you're looking to be discouraged from the evils that plague our modern day society, something you might try instead of reading this book might be along the lines of...going to church, but if you're looking to read the journals of a troubled youth that's almost too honest at parts, check this book out.

Jays Journal is a really good book. I picked it up after I read Go Ask Alice and I can totally relate to the issues he was going through. It's nice to read something that really happens and isn't always a "happy ending" just because. If you see it, you should read it.

I bought this book right after I had been obsessing over "Go Ask Alice", I assumed it would be just as good, but it wasn't exactly as good as I thought it would be.

The story is true and very depressing, but some stuff Jay did seemed pretty unrealistic or weird to me, and I found it extremely depressing, more depressing than any other Beatrice Sparks books I have read. I found it hard to relate to this book as much as I did to the others, and it was very tragic.

Still it was not bad and definately a worth read.

This book is amazing...creepy at times, but I really like it. I suggest if you liked Go Ask Alice, you will probably enjoy this book.

I read this book for the first time when I was taking a psychology class. That was several years ago but the book has stayed with me. The story of Jay, a bright, talented teenager who is sucked into a world of uninteruppted pain and terror is a story we can all relate to. It took me about 2 hours to read and by the time I was done, I felt exhausted emotionally. I had wept through almost the whole book and I felt depressed at the end. Still, this book is an excellant study in psychology and a powerful reminder of what can happen to teenagers everywhere if they go down the wrong path. It is not a book to be enjoyed, it is impossible to enjoy someone else's pain. But it is a powerful, impressive work that everyone should read.