The lovely, talented, and athletic Linda Benson sent me the new Julie Anne Peters' book, RAGE, to review for a future issue of VOYA. Peters enters relatively unexplored territory as she tackles an abusive relationship between two teen girls. Johanna spends a great deal of her life daydreaming about Reeve. Reeve seems unattainable, but Johanna is determined. However, the "relationship" when it happens is not quite what Johanna fantasized. Reeve is abusive. Johanna, eager to fulfill her dreams, makes excuses. In another YA book, the abusive relationship between a couple would be old familiar ground. However, it is new terrain in a story about two women by and large. Bravo to Peters for not flinching from the awful honest truth about abusive situations. As Alex Flinn did in BREATHING UNDERWATER, Peters presents a quite unlikable character and offers readers insight (not sympathy) into their behaviors. Readers who know Julie Anne Peters expect the truth; she does not disappoint them here.

Wow, just coming up from air after reading LIVING DEAD GIRL by Elizabeth Scott (Simon Pulse, 2008). Alice was taken by Ray from a school field trip to an aquarium. For more than 5 years, she has endured Ray's constant abuse, too fearful to resist. Ray has told Alice (not her real name just the one Ray has given her) that is she runs away, he will kill her parents. Now, Alice is growing too old for Ray. He sets her off to find a new girl, one she can help train to be a perfect little girl.

From page one to the very bitter end, this novel draws you in by the throat and refuses, like Ray, to let you go. The text is spare, almost lyrical in a tremendously awful way. In some ways, it is reminiscent of A Soldier's Heart by Gary Paulsen in its driving rhythmic text that describes the absolute horror that our main characters face.

So here it is a few days after Christmas. We took down the tree yesterday and Scout is still looking for it. However, we have our living room space back, and Scout also can look out all the windows in the front of the house. All is well, I think. The resident teens got to spend some of their Christmas loot yesterday courtesy of big sister, Cali. They cleaned out closets to make room for the new stuff. We dropped bags of discards off already. It's beginning to look a lot like a New Year.


I had some quiet time this morning to finish reading the new Norma Fox Mazer, THE MISSING GIRL. Told in several voices, it is the story of a tumultuous family with five daughters: Autumn, Fancy, Mim, Stevie, and Beauty. As they go about their daily lives dealing with a mother who smokes so much she wheezes as she climbs stairs and a father on disability, and the slings and arrows of mean kids at school, they are being watched by a man. He fantasizes about which one would be the best one to take home for himself. That is when the creepiness begins to climb up the spine. It takes strong hold and does not let go in this novel of suspense and intensity.

Mazer has explored the dark side of human nature before. Her books have dealt with abuse (OUT OF CONTROL), loss of a loved family member (AFTER THE RAIN), and the Holocaust (G0OD NIGHT MAMAN). However, I think she might fly under the radar for some. Take her new novel to your teen readers and be sure to have her other titles nearby.

So, I brought this book home early in the week to read it, but it "disappeared" into the black hole the resident teens call a bedroom (and trust me when I say I am not exaggerating much here). Corrie finished it after dinner the other night. Nat brought it back to me today. Finally, it was my turn.

I read it in one sitting, not able to put down this absorbing tale of Laine's relationship with the beautiful and popular Leah. Leah expects a great deal from her friend as Laine discovers over and over again. Problem is, Leah has her own demons, demons she seems intent to visit upon her "best" friend. When Leah's behavior turns increasingly self-destructive, Laine wonders how she can help. Why does Leah expect so much? Why does she treat Laine with kindness and cruelty? Why does Laine permit this to continue too long?

One thing this taut psychological tale demonstrates so aptly is that there is sometimes a thin line that separates victim and victimizer. Without giving away too much here, readers will empathize with Laine but also not villify Leah in the process. This very careful balancing act provides readers with some real insight into the complexity of friendship and relationships and life.