Dating Down

Gr 9 Up—Contemporary fiction set in a small town near Chicago, IL. Written in prose, and reminiscent of Ellen Hopkins's popular book Crank (S. & S., 2013), this story chronicles Samantha's relationship with a boy she refers to only as "X." As Samantha and X's relationship progresses, the angst escalates in her relationships with friends and family. When her friends warn her that she is dating someone whose morals and values do not match her own, Samantha chooses to ignore these words of wisdom because of her initial infatuation with X. Ironically, what each of her best friends fails to see is that they, too, are "dating down." This theme is rampant throughout the book and will speak to a wide variety of teens who have either dated a similar type of person or know someone who has. The pacing is a bit choppy at first, but as the story advances, the book becomes more fluid. The characters are well developed and rather typical of many love-struck teens today. The mood reflects the actions of the main character, Samantha. It's light and playful when she first develops feelings for a new boy, then it gradually evolves into something a bit darker when she finds out he is into drugs, and it becomes darker still when she decides to join him by taking drugs herself. Samantha finally evaluates her life and decisions and struggles to turn her life around.