High School High

May 15, 2013
Three close friends, one of them African-American, one Hispanic and one mixed-race, begin their freshman year at Texas' Port City High in an accessible, if occasionally clunky, series opener. Chapters are simple and short, and each girl has a defined storyline. Brandi gets involved with an older boy who pressures her sexually from almost the first date. Marisa is dismayed to discover she has feelings for Brandi's ex-boyfriend. Shane, who has been trying to break herself of the habit of smoking weed, is given Adderall by a friend and spirals into addiction with exaggerated swiftness. Chapters cycle among the three girls' points of view, though occasionally a minor character's point of view slips in, which is somewhat distracting. Despite some conflicts, the girls support each other, whether by talking through boy troubles or by choosing to wear matching purity rings. Some elements of the storytelling, however, are shaky: Vocabulary is not always carefully chosen (" 'Well?' Brandi stated when the girls sat down"), and some Spanish words and phrases are written incorrectly. The narrative frequently describes to readers how the girls are feeling, which makes the action easy to follow but sometimes seems redundant. Warmhearted and easy to read, despite some flaws. (Fiction. 12-14)

COPYRIGHT(2013) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2014

Gr 8 Up-This first title in a hi/lo series focuses on three best friends just beginning their freshman year of high school in Texas. Brandi, a cheerleader, starts dating an older football player who tries to pressure her to have sex before she is ready. Marisa, a twirler, is dismayed to discover that not only does her class schedule keep her from seeing her friends, but she also has many classes with Brandi's ex-boyfriend. Predictably, they share an illicit kiss, putting her friendship with Brandi at risk. In the meantime, Shane, the photographer for the school newspaper, decides to turn over a new leaf and stop smoking pot, trying to earn back her family's trust. When the pressure becomes too much, she turns to a friend outside of their group and becomes addicted to Adderall. Besides the various cliched plot points, the sheer number of characters and story lines is likely to confuse readers. The perspective shifts among the girls' points of view and an omniscient narrator throughout the novel. The language tries a bit too hard to win over teen readers ("Christmas break was on and popping"). Freeman also spends too much time explaining how the characters feel. An additional choice for readers who like drama with an ending tied up neatly in a bow.-Lindsay Klemas, JM Rapport School for Career Development, Bronx, NY

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.