Unable to deal with his past mistakes, Josh decides to leave the town where he grew up and move in with his uncle to finish his senior year. Uncle Larry is obsessed with karate and all things Jackie Chan and wants to help Josh deal with his demons. Josh thought that starting a new school in a new place would cure him of the pain that he's been feeling since Ellie gave birth to his baby and gave him up for adoption. Running away hasn't changed anything. It doesn't help that there is a baby living in the apartment above theirs that wakes Josh up with his cries, reminding him over and over again of all the pain. He begins taking karate classes from his uncle, which neighbor-girl Stella just happens to be taking the class too. They become friends and Josh even starts feeling something more for her, but there are 2 problems: 1. Stella has a boyfriend (a jealous one at that), and 2. Josh is so ashamed at what happened to him last year, he doesn't possibly feel he deserves love.

My Thoughts:
I read [b:Jumping Off Swings|6378239|Jumping Off Swings|Jo Knowles|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1320401740s/6378239.jpg|6236364] in 2012 and didn't love it. I did really enjoy the writing though, so I wanted to give this book a try. Plus I had always wondered WHY Josh never discussed what had happened with Ellie. It really really bothered me in that first book. He finds out he got a girl pregnant and then proceeds to get his friends to ask her if she wants his help.... ummm???? MAN UP! Anyway, when I found out that this was about his journey post-baby, I decided to give it a shot. Plus that title weirdly made me curious.

So Josh decides to leave town and move in with his uncle Larry. And Larry is something-else. He's this super corny annoying over-the-top dude that probably needed put down. (Did I go too far there??) Ok but he was like this big, happy lap-dog, slobbering all over Josh and super rah-rah about life. But the thing is he freaking GREW on me. How can you NOT like a guy who tries as hard as Larry? I found it impossible to keep up my annoyance with him and honestly now I'm thinking about trying to be more positive. (If you haven't noticed I'm not the most rah-rah person you'll ever meet).

Beyond that, this book had a lot of the same problems as the first book for me. It still seemed to send the message that sex=death. Okay maybe not death, but that bad things happen to teens who have sex. Also I had a hard time believing that someone would beat themselves up so much over a mistake like that. Maybe Josh was just more sensitive than the average guy... but clearly what happened with Ellie was just as much her fault as his.

There was a lot of internal reflection but with nothing new happening. Just Josh going over and over how he didn't want to deal with his problems or ever go home and how great Larry was being. At some point I was like okkaaayyyy what's next, move along. The first book was super short, but this one went too long for the amount of nonhappenings that there were.

I really liked the what is a true karate man stuff. I can see how doing karate could be extremely cathartic to someone with a lot of things going on in their head. I really enjoyed reading about how karate was more than just physical activity. It became more or less an example of the kind of person Josh wanted to be.

OVERALL: An okay book that looks at looks at the guys' perspective in an accidental pregnancy/adoption scenario post-adoption. I enjoyed it more than Jumping Off Swings, but still felt like it was too internal and judgey.

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I'm really glad I got to see how Josh's life turned out after Ellie. He was so deeply torn over everything and I wondered how everybody turned out. Knowles stories really depict real life events with perspectives that made me look at life differently. ( )

This book is the sequel to "Jumping Off Swings" although it is very different. The first book is told from four points of view, while this one is narrated by Josh, the teenage boy who fathers a son, given up for adoption, after a one night stand. I really enjoyed "Jumping off Swings" and this book is just as good. I didn't really like Josh in the first book, but he is a much more endearing character in this one as he battles with his guilt and self-loathing. I also like how it gives the father's point of view, something that doesn't happen often in YA novels. Overall, a great story about acceptance and forgiveness. ( )

I don't really remember much about Jumping off of Swings besides I liked it, and was a little nervous because of that going into this one since it is a companion novel. But I worried for nothing because I connected with Josh and though I didn't remember small details, we get the big picture from being in his head.
I really enjoyed Uncle Larry, he is happy, perky, supportive and a little strange, quirky, but still awesome. He really cares for others especially Josh, and I got really confused because he called him Sam all the time because of a childhood joke, but it became natural before too long and got used to it especially since his friend Stella picks up on it. I really appreciated extended family and the close and supportive relationship in this one. Although Josh's relationship with his parents is strained, I appreciate the efforts on both sides, and even acknowledging that things were rough for a while and nothing will be fixed over night.
The other secondary characters especially Stella bring so much to the story. She has a heap of her own issues with a possessive boyfriend. And as she becomes close with Josh, their friendship has to remain on the down low. But I enjoyed the easy nature and banter between them and the conversations that make them closer. Although I am in no way a fan of cheating, I so wanted them to be together because they are so good for each other.
Karate also plays a big role in this one and I was surprised how well it was tied in and made nature. As a fellow martial artist (well, at least I was before I had kids) I totally connected to those parts and understood how he liked to be a part of the group all doing the same thing at the same time and the power that can draw.

Bottom Line: Quick but emotional journey to forgiving yourself and finding acceptance with others.