Review: Wonderful book that touches on many taboo topics
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 19, 2014
I was given the chance to read this book and give an honest review.  I found this to be an amazingly written story that covers so many topics and still manages to keep you hanging on.This is a story that covers lots of topics that most seem to want to sweep under the rug.  I liked how Candy Crum not only wrote about them, but she did them in a very good way that also gave her characters great depth.  This is a great book for any young/new adult to pick up and read and to probably relate to in some way or another.In Lean on Me we are introduced to Bri Grace finding out that she is pregnant.  She is trying to figure out how to breech the topic with her very demanding over the top parents.  When she decides to bring it up to them she is surprised that her father brings up the topic over dinner about one of her classmates.  After the comments made by her mother Bri decides to keep her pregnancy to herself until she is far enough along that abortion will not be a choice.When one of Bri's classmates, who is supposed to be her friend, happens to find out about the pregnancy she goes straight to Bri's so called boyfriend Mike.  When he confronts her she admits that she is indeed pregnant with his child of which he denies because they had only had sex once.  ( and we all know you can't get pregnant if you only do it once right).  Well due to the fact that she refuses to get an abortion, Mike decides to take matters into his own hands.  When Bri's parents tell him that she is at the local gas station Mike shows up with a few of his friends and beats Bri with in inches of her life all while trying to kill the baby.  When she arrives at the hospital she is unconscious.  Upon coming to she immediately asks about her baby, which catches her parents off guard.  When she firmly states she is going to keep it her mother then decides to leave Bri to herself so that she will have to be on her own.  During all of this her best friend Matt continues to stay by her side and is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that Bri is taken care of physically, mentally, and financially.This book is amazing because it not only is a good sappy read, but it really opens the doors for conversations about teenage pregnancy.  Domestic abuse that can happen in any age range and shows that it can be emotional as well as physical.  It also touches base on abandonment and bullying.  I love that Candy Crum put this story out there covering so many of the taboo topics and used her characters to portray a positive message that no matter how hard life may be to always stay positive, don't give up, and be willing to work to achieve your dreams and goals even when there are set backs.  Again this was a beautifully written story that really gets the message out there and should be a story that many young adults should read and parents should read and talk about with their teens.  I think it opens your eyes to the things that kids today are faced with and how do they deal with them.  Also I think it is a good way to bring up the topic of teenage sex and how important safe sex is as well as open communication between young adults and their parents.I hopet Candy Crum will give us another book even if just a short story following the journeys of this young couple