What We Hide

February 3, 2014
Expanding their horizons isn’t the primary reason that American siblings Tom and Jenny agree to study abroad. Tom is dodging the draft by going to college in England; Jenny will attend a nearby boarding school to be his “pal” and to make his going overseas “more believable.” Once at Illington Hall, Jenny, eager to play the role of “mysterious stranger,” fabricates a story about having a boyfriend in the Army. She succeeds in making an impression on her classmates, but she isn’t the only student telling lies. In this novel, set during the Vietnam era, Jocelyn (Folly) alternately delves into the psyches of Jenny and her newfound friends to unveil their secrets about dysfunctional families, sexual exploits, and acts of selfishness that harm others. Although the intimate details of characters’ lives can be soap operatic at times, Jocelyn provides authentic British flavor and an evocative representation of the tumultuous ’60s, when teens challenged social conventions. Intrigue builds as many figures, willingly or unwillingly, come face-to-face with what they are hiding and must decide whether to drop their deceptive facades. Ages 14–up. (Apr.)■

February 15, 2014
A group of teens alternate narration of this irreverent historical drama set at a Quaker boarding school in England. When her older brother, Tom, enrolls at a British university to evade the draft that is conscripting so many young American men--including his best friend, Matt--into service in Vietnam, Jenny winds up making the trip across the Atlantic as well. Somewhat uncomfortable in her own skin, she lies that Matt is her boyfriend, but she's far from the only one who projects an altered image to those around her. Jocelyn employs the points of view of a host of Jenny's peers in formats that include imagined film scripts and letters written to a former student and feature embarrassing secrets, plenty of sexual misadventure, and true-to-life and funny boarding school dynamics. In doing this, she effectively brings readers into the respective corners of her characters--even those who at first glance seem unlikable. There are also those who are intensely sympathetic, including Brenda, a smart and honest working-class girl on scholarship, and Robbie and Luke, who find each other and stick it out despite horrific gay bashing. These are textured, smart characters, and it's likely that readers will find themselves wishing for more from many of them--the only detraction of the slice-of-life style on offer here. Poignant and often witty, this novel treats its audience to a nuanced look at the era. (Historical fiction. 14 & up)

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May 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-As Jenny's brother is off to university in England to avoid the U.S. Vietnam War draft, she spends a semester at an English boarding school. Seizing the chance to reinvent herself, the teen lies about having a boyfriend. This is just one of the many secrets spilling off the pages in this multiple-perspective historical fiction novel, and teens will want to keep turning the pages to see how Jenny's lie plays out. The narrative jumps between characters, revealing everyone's backstory-made-up boyfriends, a mentally ill parent, and a mother famous for documenting her sex life in memoir-and is told through various formats, including letters and movie screenplays. Particularly compelling is the back and forth romance between two young men, set in a time when such a relationship was not just scandalous, but dangerous. The Briticisms will be challenging for an American audience, but this juicy, fast-paced volume will reward their effort. Pair this with James Klise's Art of Secrets (Algonquin, 2014), another book about secrets told from multiple points of view and narrative styles.-Leah Krippner, Harlem High School, Machesney Park, IL

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2014
Grades 8-11 To help her brother dodge the Vietnam War draft, Jenn heads to England, where she will enjoy a semester abroad in fifth form (junior year) at Illington Hall. It's a new start, so she asks to be called Jenny and takes scissors to her uniform when she spies what her new friends are wearingshe wants to fit in. So she lies. Lies a lot. Mostly about her (fake) boyfriend, Matt, who is actually a childhood friend and an unfortunate recent draftee into the military. But Jenny isn't the only one with something to hide. Jocelyn divvies up the narrative (and the secrets!) between Jenny, Penelope, Oona, Brenda, Percy, and Luke, and the result is an ambitious narrative that doesn't always land the execution but still provides a thought-provoking, if soapy, read. There's plenty for Anglophiles to enjoy here as Jenny and her crew muck about, and it will find a wide audience amid fans of prep- and boarding-school novels. This title won't be hidden for long.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)