Thank you for visiting.
This content is exclusive to subscribers only.
As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
Log In
Don't have a Horn Book Account?
Register Now
Register Now
Surviving Southside
6 Reviews
(4)
YA
Surviving Southside series.
In a series opener that reads like an LGBT Bluford High, out-and-proud Carmen teams up with oblivious jock Scott to start a GSA after his best friend Jamie is bullied into suicide. The issue is given formulaic packaging, but this hi-lo problem novel is a gap-filler, and Carmen and Scott's developing friendship is engagingly thorny and complex.
Reviewer: Claire E. Gross
(4)
YA
Surviving Southside series.
Bella witnesses a boy being gay-bashed and a teacher ignoring it; days later, the boy commits suicide, and Bella decides to make his fight hers by getting school recognition for a GSA. Karre perceptively depicts Bella's attempts to balance old friends and new causes in this hi-lo series entry, but the sense of place and situational backdrop are blandly purposive.
Reviewer: Claire E. Gross
(4)
YA
Surviving Southside series.
Hardworking Daisy usually spends her time helping at her parents' bodega or raising money for needy friends, but she likes to let loose sometimes. When her new boyfriend asks for sexy pictures, she obliges. Predictably, the pictures are leaked to her peers, leaving Daisy to salvage her reputation. Attention to Daisy's complex emotional struggle lends nuance to this hi-lo cautionary tale.
Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald
(4)
YA
Surviving Southside series.
Benito's life turns upside down when his father returns from Iraq suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. After Dad has a flashback in public, Benito decides to run away from the embarrassment. He doesn't get far before learning you can't flee from your problems. Though the story is unsubtle in message and tone, its topical subject matter may attract reluctant readers.
Reviewer: David Elzey
(4)
YA
Surviving Southside series.
Lucy is looking forward to a bright future with her boyfriend Luke--until she gets pregnant. Now that future will include abortion, adoption, or keeping the baby; as Lucy acknowledges, "the choices all sucked." An ambiguous ending keeps readers guessing. The problem-novel text grows melodramatic, but reluctant readers may be drawn in by the high-interest (if simplistically treated) topic.
Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith
(4)
YA
Surviving Southside series.
Kadeem Jones is headed for the NFL--after he snags a college scholarship. While being scouted, he relishes the meals and accolades showered on him at Teller College. Then at practice a stranger confronts Kadeem, claiming the recruiting coach is violating NCAA rules. Though its resolution is too neat by far, the novel offers insight into the complexities of college athletics.
Reviewer: Nancy Hull
6 reviews
We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.