Whatever Happened to Janie? (The Face on the Milk Carton) (Janie, #2)

by Caroline B. Cooney

[Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews]

After recognizing her face on a milk carton Janie Johnson has been reconnected with her biological family and is facing an identity crises. Is she Janie Johnson or Jennie Spring?

The Springs, are decent people who had the worst luck fall upon them, obviously after hearing their daughter is alive and well welcome her back with open arms. Unfortunately, Janie is unwilling to except these changes and chooses to live in her seemingly perfect past. Most of the story revolves around Janie's adjustment, and whenever she takes one step forward, she takes two steps back. Just when I thought she was making progress and may end with a perfect family of seven she had to go do something stupid like instigate a fight. Moments like these brought the Spring's world crashing down once more and when there were no screaming matches the book was compiled of memories/flashbacks of the kidnapping and waves of tears.

I felt a big theme of Whatever Happened to Janie? was that "the grass is greener on the other side". From the minute Janie crosses the threshold to her new home she sees the drastic dissimilarities between the Johnsons and the Springs and yearns for her quite, simpler life in Connecticut. Because of these constant compressions Janie became Noname, weaving between two separate lives for which I felt sorry for. Then again, she reminded me of a three year old who isn't getting her way, stomping her foot until the adults finally give in. In the end there really is no winner here, everyone's lives were effected for better or for worse twelve years ago, and Jennie being found doesn't make it any easier. Whatever Happened to Janie is a powerful sequel to The Face on the Milk Carton.