Finding Katie

October 1, 2005
Gr 7-10 -Fans of "Go Ask Alice" (S & S, 1971) and Dave Pelzer's "A Child Called It" (HCI, 1995) will be interested in this sensationalized autobiography written by a teen in dire straits. Katie is almost 16 when her diary begins. She is an only child, living on a private, gated estate near Hollywood. Her mother, a former beauty-pageant winner, was once attentive but now uses drugs and alcohol to dampen the psychological and physical pain of domestic violence. Her father, while violently abusing her mother, has always ignored Katie until he sees her in a two-piece bathing suit and begins showering her with gifts and inappropriate physical caresses. He becomes enraged when he finds out that Katie has seen a boy behind his back, and forces her, alone, onto the streets. Abandoned, she begins an odyssey from shelter to foster and group homes and, finally, to an adoptive mother. Teens will relate to Katie's lightning-quick mood changes, her idealism warring with depression, and her universal experiences with school and a first crush. They'll also get a glimpse into the lives of the enormously wealthy, followed by a look at life in truly hellish physical surroundings. Readers drawn to this account of lifelong emotional neglect and the resilience to withstand it won't mind the immature writing style, exclamation points and all, or the gaps in the narrative. A foreword explains the extent of abuse in the U.S., and brief information at the close includes toll-free crisis lines. If your library emphasizes popular materials, order multiple copies." -Faith Brautigam, Gail Borden Public Library, Elgin, IL"

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