Review: Growing up is hard to do...
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 13, 2012
I was a little taken aback when I opened the box which contained "Torn." The first thing I saw was a sticker saying "Winner, Next Generation Indie Book Awards" and then I saw that the book was over 400 pages long. I figured I was in for some long dull reading ... but was I wrong.From the time I read "A Note from the Author" and saw the words "If I had been successful in this task, I have created a place in which hearing these stories is as intimate and personal, as confusing and saddening, as the moments when these stories were first shared with me." I was hooked. And author Amber Lehman didn't fail.Krista is fourteen and new to Southern California, having moved from Ohio ... a completely different world. From the time she stepped out of Our Holy Sisters private school and into Crestmount, her new public school in California things were extremely complicated for her ... from the clothes she would have to wear to the fact that boys now were on campus. Not to mention, here she was a fourteen year old trying to find her place in the world without the constant supervision of a mom. Krista was being watched by her older brother while she was away on business.Being the new kid in school isn't easy, (is anything when you're a teenager?) Luckily Krista meets Carrie, who soon becomes her best friend. Carrie introduces her to Brandon, a dreamboat who all the girls adore, but does he feel the same? Along the way Krista also befriends Nick, Aeleise and Ryan. These friends, especially Carrie, Brandon and Krista, are typical teenagers. Or are they?Growing up is hard trying to figure out who and what you are. Throughout "Torn" the characters each take turns at figuring out their place in this world. We find out that Brandon is gay, but accepted by those who know--Carrie and Krista would never tell. Brandon acts as though he likes girls, even takes Krista to the Homecoming dance. That's where things started to get confusing for Krista. Brandon and Krista, along with Carrie and Ryan decide to leave the dance early and end up drinking on the outskirts of town and to liven the evening up play an innocent game of `Truth or Dare.' When she is dared to kiss Carrie, Krista not only does it, but finds out she likes it. It makes her feel things she never had before.As challenging as growing up is, when you don't know your place it is even harder. These friends all experiment with drinking, drugs and sex as most adolescents do. Carrie and Krista think they like each other in ways neither ever thought about before meeting. Brandon, although swayed by the local boys, also agrees to be Krista's first sexual encounter...and boy, that kind of stirs the pot. Krista believes she is falling in love with Daemon, the older brother of Aeleise and a Bible fanatic."Torn" examines all these situations and reads like a dairy that Krista would write. It was an easy read, in fact a page turner. (The 400+ pages flipped very quickly) The experiences these friends share are unique, but are things that many teenagers will relate to. The underlying messages are that friends are there for you, even when you think they aren't, that whatever we experience as we grow up will affect us in some way, and that people can, and will, change.In the words of Amber Lehman, "The world is a difficult place for children. Thank God we turn out as well as we do."I recommend this book to anyone--early teens, so that they realize they are not alone in their search for self-discovery. To males and females--we all need someone to help us through at one time or another. And to adults--not only to see what today's teens think about and have to deal with, but to relive some of what they did back when they were younger. It was a great way to spend a few nights, I am truly grateful that I read this book. And I'm sure you will be, too!Philip Norkauthor of Misguided Sensitivity