Janie Face to Face

Starred review from February 18, 2013
The fifth and final installment of Janie Johnson's story brings the series that started more than two decades ago with The Face on the Milk Carton to a highly gratifying close. Janie—who in high school discovered that the family that raised her was not the one she was born to—is now in college, keeping her complicated past to herself to make a fresh start in New York City. When a true-crime author wants to use Janie as the subject of his next book, a complex chain of events propels her back into the arms of her onetime boyfriend, Reeve. Meanwhile, Janie's long-ago kidnapper, Hannah, embarks on a vengeful quest. Quick, short scenes and plenty of crosscutting between numerous characters' points of view keep the story moving with breathless momentum. Cooney generates a compassionate and thorough sense of closure by interweaving brief updates on nearly every individual—teenager or adult—that has appeared in the series. Though there's never much doubt that Janie, Reeve, and Hannah will end up where they ought to be, it's a treat to watch them get there. Ages 12 – up.

December 1, 2012
Over two decades after the Janie series began with The Face on the Milk Carton (1990), Cooney concludes the thriller-romance saga of kidnapped Janie Johnson. Janie, having balanced living with both her "real" family and her kidnap family, looks forward to the anonymity of college, only to discover that a true-crime writer wants to revive the ordeal in a book. Although her heart is still with Reeve, the boy next door who betrayed her, she begins to date Michael--who is actually stalking her as a researcher for the crime writer. Dumping Michael, she falls back into Reeve's waiting arms. In a romantic proposal scene at the airport, they decide to marry immediately. With much rehashing of back story and Janie's endless wrestling over which boy she loves, the pace drags until the heart-pounding final pages. Janie, for all she has been through, is shallow and saccharine--a throwback to decades ago. Janie's wedding plans and multiple professions of faith in God give the book an explicit Catholic tone. Kidnapper Hannah Javensen's character, expressed in the interspersed chapters that explore her mental instability, has more psychological depth. Fans who have wondered whether Reeve and Janie's love endures and whether the kidnapper is caught will want this final piece of the puzzle. (Fiction. 12-17)

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February 1, 2013

Gr 6 Up-This fifth entry in the saga ties up many loose ends. Janie, now a college student, is conflicted about her ties to both her birth family and the family who raised her after their daughter, Hannah, kidnapped her and passed her off as their granddaughter. Having ended her relationship with Reeve after he gossiped about her life story to the media, Janie falls for Michael, a student who seems overly interested in digging up details about her past. When his true intentions become clear, Janie returns to the security and comfort of her relationship with Reeve, who impulsively proposes. Meanwhile, Hannah's life continues to spiral out of control while she plans revenge on her parents. Numerous flashbacks make it unnecessary to have read the previous books, although readers invested in the characters will receive the most enjoyment from the story. Janie's desire to bond with her biological family, while wanting to protect the fragile feelings of her second family, is understandable and sensitively drawn. Although her impending wedding seems naive and rushed, her longing to establish a new life and identity is palpable. Hannah's psychological issues and deepening paranoia are believable and fascinating. The overwhelming feelings of guilt and regret that are inevitably felt by many families affected by kidnapping are genuinely expressed. A lengthy author's note explains the inspiration behind The Face on the Milk Carton and the reasoning behind each sequel.-Jennifer Schultz, Fauquier County Public Library, Warrenton, VA

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2012
Grades 7-10 Readers who have followed Janie/Jennie's story since The Face on the Milk Carton (1990) will be eager to learn how the series concludes in this fifth book. Ever since Janie recognized her face on a milk carton and dealt with the media aftermath, she has been eager for anonymity, and she sees her chance to blend in as a college student in crowded New York City. But her new life is threatened when a famous crime writer starts hounding her relatives and threatening to publish a book. There's one person Janie can turn to, thoughher ex, Reeve. Chapters alternate between Janie's former kidnapper, Hannah, who is seeking revenge on the parent thief, and the main narrative, which switches its third-person point of view between Janie, her siblings, and others. The revolving cast of characters will keep readers interested, as will Janie's search for identity. And while the thriller elements never reach a truly exciting climax and the culprit behind the tell-all isn't entirely believable, loyal followers will see this novel through and make sure Janie gets the happy ending she deserves. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The Face on the Milk Carton was a New York Times best-seller and became a movie on Lifetime. Fans will be eager for this finale.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

January 6, 2014
Janie Johnson is a former missing child—her face appeared on the side of milk cartons—who has reformed her life and managed to finally get back on track. However, a true-crime writer wants to dig up the past by helping her solve old mysteries making her the subject of his next book. In this conclusion to Cooney’s Janie series, narrator Bresnahan offers a performance that is entertaining from start to finish. Bresnahan’s Janie is as real as they come: flawed, haunted, hopeful, and, at times, desperate. Bresnahan deftly captures listener attention in what proves an enjoyable listening experience. Also included is a special short story from Cooney. Ages 12-up. A Delacorte hardcover.

July 1, 2013
Years after seeing her own face on a milk carton, twenty-year-old Janie is still struggling with her identity, and her kidnapper is still on the loose. Tension is diluted by clunky references to computers and smart phones, and the wedding planning that dominates Janie's attention may not appeal to young readers. Devoted fans of the saga will be most invested in this conclusion.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)