Friction

Rating:
Summary: !!! FRICTION... !!!
Review: "Friction" is a book about some teens, a teacher, sexual harassment, and lies... this painstakingly authentic book shows how people other than the direct victim can get hurt. This book thrives with all of the confusion and immaturity of the characters, which made the book worthwhile to read. Let's face it: a book about a teenager getting harassed and acting weird is hardly going to fill up enough pages to make a book. So Frank seems to have been forced to add the character 'Simon', and the story take place from another girl's perspective. Mediocre book overall, but Frank has, in my opinion, wrote other books that are more up to the current standards in literature.

Rating:
Summary: !!! FRICTION... !!!
Review: Friction, by E.R. Frank, was a great book if you are looking for something to help someone who has been abused. It is very difficult to write about such a sensitive topic, but Frank does a great job. Frank's characters are well developed and easy to relate to, and they really reflect the attitudes of preteens. Stacy is the typical attituded girl, and it makes it easy to relate to her problems. The storyline is very believable and well thought out. It is written on a level appeasing to older readers, but is easily comprehended by the audience it's written for. I would highly reccomend this book to any of my friends who are wondering if they have been abused.

Rating:
Summary: E.R. Frank is 3 for 3
Review: I have just finished reading three E.R. Frank books in a row. She is three for three, in my opinion.

Friction is a very accurate description of an eighth grade classroom and what can happen at a small school when you add a new girl, rumors, and the natural confusion that teens feel as their worlds change from bubble gum and Big Chief Tablets to their periods, puberty and sexual feelings.

E.R. Frank does a superb job of drawing the reader into the story, accurately and believably describing the gossip and rumor circles that can easily develop in this type of school setting, and showing how seemingly innocent rumors and drama can turn into very hurtful items.

All of the characters in this book learn a solid lesson about life and how important it is to say what you are feeling and speak the truth on behalf of those you care for, or lives can be drastically changed.

Friction is a story of life, love, learning, betrayal, repression, trust, friendship, honesty, lies, the importance of parents being there for their children and knowing when a child is crying for help.

E.R. Frank knows kids very well. She knows teens even better. Most importantly, E.R. Frank has not lost touch with the younger generations.

E.R. Frank is a gift to Young Adult literature, and Friction is just the latest in her series of unforgettable contributions.

Rating:
Summary: Good, But not the Best
Review: In "Friction", we meet Alex, a spirited girl attending Forest Alternative School, where the teachers like to be called by their first names and things are done differently. One day a new girl comes to her class. Stacy shakes things up immediately and starts making Alex feel uncomfortable by spreading rumours that their popular teacher, Simon, "likes" her. At first Alex ignores Stacy, but after a class camping trip she begins to wonder if there's some truth to what Stacy's been saying.

Are the things going on between her and Simon just a special bond they have and a few accidents where she was in the wrong place at the wrong time? Or is Stacy right, and something perverted and gross is going on? Alienated from her best friends and unsure of how to talk to her parents or anyone else, Alex doesn't know where to turn and her confused narrative is a very gripping read.

Although I found this book a bit slow to start off, it got fairly good by the end. Sometimes it seemed a little juvenile, but overall it was an interesting, if imperfect book. Sexual absue is something that needs to be put out in the open, and "Friction" does a good job.

Rating:
Summary: Awesomest book ever
Review: It was a good book but I thought it would be better then what it really was. It was totally right on about the way gossip is spread but it wasnt very compelling.

Rating:
Summary: Perfect description of middle schoolers
Review: This book perfectly captures the middle school experience: the gossip, the friendships, parents, and sexual feelings. It is a complex story of feelings and accusations, thoughts, facts, wishes, desire, confusion. The parents want to be involved in the life of their daughter and they think they are: yet it is clear that they do not ask the right questions and are unprepared for the answers. Middle school students should read this because it addresses their own lives and feelings; parents of middle schoolers should read this to find out the secret lives that their children are living.

The only reason that I give this 4, not 5, stars is that I was disappointed with how it ended and felt it did not live up to the rest of the book.

Rating:
Summary: a pleasant surprise
Review: This book was not at all what I thought it'd be like. It's a great read focusing on middle school students and sexual abuse. When Stacy comes to school at Forest Alternative, she thinks Simon, the teacher, is "a babe". As the story continues, Stacy tells Alex that it's obvious Simon has feelings for her, and not just student-teacher feelings. Alex starts to believe these lies though they aren't true, and Tim, Alex's best friend believes them too and gets jealous. Alex starts to be suspicious of Simon's actions especially on a class camping trip. When she visits Stacy's house and finds out a little bit about Stacy's family, she realizes she has made a terrible mistake - but it's too late. This story makes you want to keep reading and reading, and it show's the importance of believing in what you know is right - a must read!

Rating:
Summary: A Poignant and Interesting Novel
Review: This book was one of the best that I have ever read. It takes you through the life of Alex, and 8th grade girl who I could relate to. She goes to an alternative school, with only one teacher for all her subjects through her middle school years. The teacher's name is Simon, and all of his students think he's awesome. However, when a new girl, Stacey comes to town, she brings things to the students' attention that haven't come up before. Why does he hug Alex? Why did things like this happen, repeatedly? She asks. Stacey challenges the students faith in their teacher, and that's when things get confusing. This book takes you through the class in one year. Although it is short, the theme is so clear, and it really makes you think. E.R. Frank writes in a different way than in her other novels, but this book just proves that she is an amazing author for teens. I would defeniately suggest this book to kids 12 and up, and even some adults. We all need to be more aware of sexual harassment, and this book really shows that.