Susan Callahan is overweight and constantly tormented at
Wayne High. When she witnesses Brendan, a gay classmate who has been subjected
to similar treatment, trashing the prized truck of a campus bully, she eggs him
on. Both are caught, and Susan
shares the blame. They find themselves in required after-school counseling with
four other teens in trouble. Kyle, the owner of the truck; Randy, a handsome
jock; Amber, a girl with a bad reputation and a soft heart; and Tracee, a
cheerleader with religious convictions. Susan is terrified to participate, and
the others balk. Guidance
counselor-instructor Mr. Duffy, however, encourages them to open up, allowing
extremely frank and sometimes coarse discussions, revelations, and language.
Amber, for example, divulges her drunken party experience being sexually used by
multiple boys. There are no group ground rules except to keep class
confidentiality. Eventually, the group reveals the reasons they were forced to
attend the class, and they change for the better. Susan decides to dress more
attractively, get exercise and lose some weight, become friends with Brendan,
and stand up for herself. She reaches out to her distant father, a coach at the
high school, and her older brother who has been embarrassed by her, and comes to
terms with her mother’s death.
Alt Ed
Award-winning author Catherine Atkins unveils the complex lives of today's teens in a story told through the raw, uncensored voices of its young characters. Shy, fat Susan Calloway knows she has nothing in common with the five other students in the afterschool group counseling sessions she's forced to attend to avoid expulsion. But as Susan and the others verbally attack each other and defend their own viewpoints each week, they begin to understand that none of their lives are as simple and straightforward as they appear on the surface.
1007173141
Alt Ed
Award-winning author Catherine Atkins unveils the complex lives of today's teens in a story told through the raw, uncensored voices of its young characters. Shy, fat Susan Calloway knows she has nothing in common with the five other students in the afterschool group counseling sessions she's forced to attend to avoid expulsion. But as Susan and the others verbally attack each other and defend their own viewpoints each week, they begin to understand that none of their lives are as simple and straightforward as they appear on the surface.
15.99
In Stock
5
1
15.99
In Stock
Editorial Reviews
Product Details
BN ID: | 2940171051563 |
---|---|
Publisher: | Recorded Books, LLC |
Publication date: | 01/02/2015 |
Edition description: | Unabridged |
Videos
From the B&N Reads Blog