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crowyhead's review against another edition
4.0
A novel of teens on the margins. At first I wasn't sure how I felt about the main character, Simone. She's a sixteen-year-old punk lesbian who's in love with her best friend, Cherry. Cherry probably isn't into Simone, but likes to toy with her -- it seems that they at one time may have had a better friendship, but at this point Cherry mostly seems to hang out with Simone because it's good for her ego. At first I was bothered by Simone because she lets Cherry talk her into a lot of stupid stuff, but as Cherry gets deeper into drugs and other trouble, she estranges herself from Simone, and Simone starts to come into her own.
One of my co-workers sent me home with this one, because we just got it in at the store, and he wasn't sure whether it should go in the YA section or the regular fiction section. I'm still kind of undecided, to tell you the truth. In a lot of ways, this seemed more like a novel ABOUT teenagers than one FOR teenagers... Usually I'm all about realism in teen fiction, but this book is explicit about things that most teen novels only imply. There is lots of sex, including at least one rape; one of the main characters is working as a prostitute; everyone does a lot of drugs, and Cherry eventually becomes little better than a crack whore; and for a while, Cherry and Simone work for a pornographic website. This is all stuff that happens in real life, of course, and I don't think it makes it a bad book or anything, but it DID make me hesitate to shelve it next to Annie On My Mind; it's the kind of thing that I would recommend to certain teens who come into the store and are already reading Michelle Tea and Lynn Breedlove. I'd love to hear any thoughts/opinions on the issue, especially if any of you have already read it.
One of my co-workers sent me home with this one, because we just got it in at the store, and he wasn't sure whether it should go in the YA section or the regular fiction section. I'm still kind of undecided, to tell you the truth. In a lot of ways, this seemed more like a novel ABOUT teenagers than one FOR teenagers... Usually I'm all about realism in teen fiction, but this book is explicit about things that most teen novels only imply. There is lots of sex, including at least one rape; one of the main characters is working as a prostitute; everyone does a lot of drugs, and Cherry eventually becomes little better than a crack whore; and for a while, Cherry and Simone work for a pornographic website. This is all stuff that happens in real life, of course, and I don't think it makes it a bad book or anything, but it DID make me hesitate to shelve it next to Annie On My Mind; it's the kind of thing that I would recommend to certain teens who come into the store and are already reading Michelle Tea and Lynn Breedlove. I'd love to hear any thoughts/opinions on the issue, especially if any of you have already read it.
ladykatka's review against another edition
4.0
Reading this was interesting. I was asked to read this book by my school library. afterwards I am to recommend whether they stock it or not. I have mixed feelings. I cannot recommend my school stock this book as I feel some parents will be quite upset about it. That being said, I would allow my teen to read this. It is a mature read, 16 and over for sure. I think teens would really like this book. a page turner. it has swearing, drugs, swearing, LGBT, love/lust, identity confusion, underage drinking, rape, attempted murder, more drugs and swearing, plus a puppy. Over all, it is a good book, but not for someone who doesn't want to know that this can be a reality for some people.
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