Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for allowing me to read this book!
I really liked this debut book - I would hesitate to call it Young Adult, even though it is about a group of teenagers in an affluent suburb of San Francisco.
The book is divided into sections - Eighth Grade, Junior Year, Senior Year - and follows these characters from a tragedy that united them/divided them in Eighth Grade through their Senior year of high school. Each of the chapters within these sections are written in a voice of one of the students involved as well as a new, young teacher to their school.
All of the elements that make high school a very dangerous place appear here - cliques, bullying, partying, sexual experimentation, just to name a few. There was a lot to not like about a lot of these characters, yet they felt real, and spoke to the feeling of entitlement that these rich young people seem to carry. However, many characters were so multi-dimensional that you could feel their struggles just to get through their day.
With the social media explosion, this book certainly makes me glad that my kids are grown although I do fear for future generations. A very thought-provoking read - should be a must read for middle and high school teachers!
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