Something Girl »

I couldn't swallow. I couldn't talk. When I got scared like this, a hand came up from inside and grabbed all the words out of my mouth. My dad started coming toward me and everything went into slow motion. I tried to run into the kitchen, but every step seemed to take five minutes. So I grabbed a chair and pulled it in front of me. My dad picked it up and threw it across the room. Then he grabbed my arm. "Stupid," he hissed. "No good. Nothing." Sophie is in a lot of trouble. She is on probation for stealing and is doing poorly at school. Her mom doesn't really talk to her, and the other adults in her life are pressuring Sophie to talk about her bruises. Sophie worries that if she tells, she will be sent to live in a group home. Her friend Jujube is the only person who knows the truth, and now Jujube, too, wants Sophie to speak up. Beth Goobie is the award-winning auther of books for young adults, including Before Wings, The Lottery, and Sticks and Stones. Beth lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-Sophie, 15, comes from an abusive family. Her mother is a depressive alcoholic. Her father appears to be an upstanding member of the community, but in reality he is a savagely violent man. Without any provocation, he has beaten Sophie many times. She has no real friends, her boyfriend has just dumped her, and she is on probation for petty theft. Her only ally is 12-year-old JuJube, her former babysitting charge. After a particularly brutal attack, Sophie is hospitalized and it is JuJube who forces her to tell the truth. The ending is happy yet bittersweet. The novel deals with mature themes in a quick and easy-to-read manner. However, it has all the hallmarks of a message book and is not the most subtle piece of literature. Still, it could help teens with severe issues.-Amy Patrick, New York Public Library Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.