Live Through This

Gr 9 Up—Despite the chaos of a busy life (dance team, friend squabbles, a new boyfriend) and family life (a strict stepfather, younger siblings, and an older brother, Bryan, who is floundering), Coley, 15, is working hard to act like everything is normal. What others can't see is that for years, Bryan has been molesting her. While the teen is confused and tormented by her relationship with him, she also feels protective of their friendship. Only Coley and Bryan, who feel like outsiders in their stepfather's home, know what it felt like to escape their abusive father and move from New Zealand to the United States. Her shame over not hating her brother and the resulting emotional complications in her relationship with her crush finally prove too much for her to handle. Coley takes tentative steps toward healing, reaching out to friends and family to help her. Scott does not reduce the complexity of the situation and Coley's emotions to a simple solution. Dramatic without melodrama, this title respectfully examines incest and sexual abuse.—Jennifer Miskec, Longwood University, Farmville, VA