Jacobs, Deborah Lynn

PERSONAL:

Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; married; children: two. Education: Has a bachelor's degree and a master's degree.

ADDRESSES:

Home—WI. E-mail—deborahlynnjacobs@deborahlynnjacobs.com.

CAREER:

Writer. Worked for ten years as a counselor at a community college. Has worked as a freelance feature writer for newspapers and magazines.

WRITINGS:

YOUNG ADULT NOVELS

The Same Difference, Royal Fireworks Press (Unionville, NY), 2000.

Powers, Roaring Brook Press (New Milford, CT), 2006.

Choices, Roaring Brook Press (New Milford, CT), 2007.

Also author of the blog The Reluctant Blogger.

SIDELIGHTS:

Deborah Lynn Jacobs is the author of young adult (YA) novels. In an interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith on the Cynsations Web log, the author explained why she turned to YA novels after initially writing adult fiction. She told Smith: "I realized that the issues people face in their late teens were far more interesting to me. It's such a wonderful time of life, and so incredibly exciting to be on the verge of adulthood. Suddenly, the decisions you make—who to date, what school to go to, what career to choose—become life decisions."

The author's first novel, The Same Difference, focuses on a young girl's relationship with her autistic sister. In her second YA novel, titled Powers, Jacobs tells the story of Gwen and Adrian, high school students who have psychic abilities. Gwen can see into the future, and Adrian can read people's minds. Acknowledging each other's abilities, both struggle not only with what is the proper way to use their powers but also with each other. Telling their own stories in alternating voices, Gwen suspects Adrian of being a kind of psychic vampire, and Adrian thinks Gwen is manipulating him. The novel follows the two teens as they sort out their strange connection and inner feelings about one another. "A haunting story on many fronts emerges," wrote a Children's Bookwatch contributor. Other critics also praised the book. Leah Krippner, writing in the School Library Journal, called Powers "a traditional story of teenage angst with a refreshing twist." A Kirkus Reviews contributor referred to the novel as "a bewitchingly pulpy and enjoyable fast read."

Jacobs's third YA novel, Choices, features the teenaged protagonist Kathleen. Kathleen's older brother, Nick, has recently died in a car accident. To make matters worse, Nick was on his way to pick Kathleen up from a party. Even more tragically, the boy responsible for the accident, Mark, is unharmed. The book takes a fantastic turn, though, when Kathleen meets a boy named Luke at her brother's funeral. Luke is able to "shift" between multiple universes, and he tells Kathleen that she has this ability as well. Throughout the rest of the novel Kathleen visits different universes, struggling to make sense of her new world while mourning for her brother. In the process, Kathleen falls in love with Luke, yet she also learns that he is the person who was actually responsible for Nick's death. In the end, Kathleen must choose between her dead brother and her new love interest. Critics applauded the book, noting that Jacobs takes a rather stereotypical teen tragedy and transforms it into something new. Indeed, Heather Booth, writing in Booklist, remarked that the story's "supernatural premise makes this book about choices and consequences stand out." A Kirkus Reviews contributor found that the "melancholic tale does justice" to Kathleen's "moving story."