The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely Lost It
Common Sense Note
Parents need to know there is domestic violence and teen drug use in this book. Teen characters struggle with family, interpersonal, and class issues. Overall the book has a light touch about these topics, as reflected in the title.
Families can talk about domestic violence and class issues in their school. Why did Gemma feel like she would be betraying Raven if she told what she had witnessed at Raven's home? How would you react? Is there a trusted adult that you could talk to? Why were the De Head children treated differently? Why did Gemma feel guilty for disliking Raven? Would you have been embarrassed to call him a friend?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Terreece Clarke
Lisa Shanahan has a large following in Australia as an author of children's books. This first foray into young adult literature is a great success. The main character, Gemma Stone, is having a defining year in which she finds herself outside of her safety zone, giving up old ways of thinking, and growing up a lot.
The book is touching and laugh-out-loud funny. Shanahan finds a way to mix a ridiculous wedding, a class war/food fight among students, a Shakespearean play, and profiles of three very different families into a believable vehicle in which Gemma is being taken for a ride. As the story is set in Australia, there's some slang or colloquialisms that may be foreign to many readers, but overall the book is universal in its themes.
From The Book
Dad walked into the kitchen, his hair slicked down with baby oil. "Bloody hell!" he said. "Did you fall on your face?"
Mum's bottom lip flickered. "Debbie gave me a makeover."
"With a plank?"
"No," said Debbie.
"She can't go to Brian's like that," said Dad. He wiped the oil off his hands onto a tea towl. "They'll think I bash her."
"All right, Dad!" cried Debbie. "It was an experiment."
"She looks like a rainbow trout."
Plot Summary:
Gemma Stone has a lot going on. Her sister is getting married and the groom's family is a bunch of loons. She normally throws up when she has to speak in public, but this year she's decided to go out for the school play -- it doesn't hurt that her crush is in the play too. She also has to worry about Raven De Head, a bad boy from a bad family who's insistent on being friends with her.
Related Books:
More Funny High School Woes:
Gert Garibaldi's Rants and Raves: One Butt Cheek at a Time by Amber Kizer
King Dork by Frank Portman
Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas
Reviewed: 02/29/2008
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentA married couple talks about passion and romance, there's a budding romance between two teens. A girl is called the "Big Mistake" because she was a surprise pregnancy. |
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ViolenceDomestic violence, bombs go off twice resulting in a person being killed and several injured. There are also fights among students. |
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LanguageSome swear words, but nothing excessive. |
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Social BehaviorThe characters are flawed, but find a way to cope with all that is going on in their lives. Most of them understand the consequences of their actions and when they hurt each other, they feel remorse. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoAlcohol and tobacco use by both teens and adults. |
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