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E.C. Quinn's Reviews > Sour Apples: A Novel for Those Who Hate to Read
Sour Apples: A Novel for Those Who Hate to Read
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Sour Apples: A Novel For Those Who Hate to Read is a fun story! Author Paul Jantzen has crafted a humorous, coming-of-age tale following eleven-year-old Jimmy Hamilton and his friends as they navigate an epic summer full of baseball, friendship, and more mischief and misadventure than they ever could have imagined!
It’s 1975, and eleven-year-old Jimmy is looking forward to an epic summer, hanging out with his friends, playing baseball, and trying to stay out of trouble in his beloved treetop fort. He reluctantly tolerates church and the library, but only because his mother insists. When a series of mishaps leads to his treetop fort’s demise, Jimmy is devastated. Enter his “incorrigible” (his mom’s word) father and master fort-planner. Thanks to his dad and his recruits, Jimmy is bestowed a new, ground-level fort. But with this comes unexpected trouble of its own in the form of a series of, at least for Jimmy, seemingly never-ending fort battles—THREE!—just to protect his rightful spot from a number of unwanted tenants trying to move in and take it over.
Over the course of the summer, Jimmy learns a lot about life and death, choices and consequences. He navigates loyalty and betrayals, small triumphs, and the awkward magic of a first crush and starts to understand that every choice leaves its mark. But when he strikes up a friendship with Patch, a most unlikely friend, he begins to realize that life isn’t just about winning or losing—it’s about acceptance and the courage to choose kindness, even when it’s hard.
I connected with Jimmy right from the start and was rooting for him every step of the way! Fans of character-driven adventure stories with strong friendships, funny antics, and relatable kid situations will love this story, and I’m already looking forward to the second book in the series.
Please note: In an effort to reach all kids, author Paul Jantzen shares an important disclaimer—Sour Apples uses some adult language in various scenes to capture the authenticity of the moment.
--EC Quinn, author of Premonition: The Gift
It’s 1975, and eleven-year-old Jimmy is looking forward to an epic summer, hanging out with his friends, playing baseball, and trying to stay out of trouble in his beloved treetop fort. He reluctantly tolerates church and the library, but only because his mother insists. When a series of mishaps leads to his treetop fort’s demise, Jimmy is devastated. Enter his “incorrigible” (his mom’s word) father and master fort-planner. Thanks to his dad and his recruits, Jimmy is bestowed a new, ground-level fort. But with this comes unexpected trouble of its own in the form of a series of, at least for Jimmy, seemingly never-ending fort battles—THREE!—just to protect his rightful spot from a number of unwanted tenants trying to move in and take it over.
Over the course of the summer, Jimmy learns a lot about life and death, choices and consequences. He navigates loyalty and betrayals, small triumphs, and the awkward magic of a first crush and starts to understand that every choice leaves its mark. But when he strikes up a friendship with Patch, a most unlikely friend, he begins to realize that life isn’t just about winning or losing—it’s about acceptance and the courage to choose kindness, even when it’s hard.
I connected with Jimmy right from the start and was rooting for him every step of the way! Fans of character-driven adventure stories with strong friendships, funny antics, and relatable kid situations will love this story, and I’m already looking forward to the second book in the series.
Please note: In an effort to reach all kids, author Paul Jantzen shares an important disclaimer—Sour Apples uses some adult language in various scenes to capture the authenticity of the moment.
--EC Quinn, author of Premonition: The Gift
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Reading Progress
Finished Reading
September 9, 2025
– Shelved
