Swollen

Apparently I read this because it's in my library reading history, but I don't remember the plot, so really, how good could it have been? ( )

This is in many ways quite a gritty story -- promiscuity, unprotected sex, marital infidelity, self-mutilation, drug addiction, steroid use, abortion and suicide are all touched upon in some way. Yet somehow the author manages to get them all in without it seeming like an after school special. Samantha and her family and friends could be at any middle-class suburban high school. Although there wasn't much of a plot here and Noah's death didn't play as big a role in the story as I expected it would, I thought this was a very realistic portrait of how things are, especially the arc of Samantha's relationship with Farouk. In other words: win. ( )

A story about a teenager desperate for love. Her father can seldom be bothered with her, and when he is he sets a terrible example, often asking her to lie for him while he cheats on his girlfriend with other women. Her best friend cuts herself, and she expects any boy she's with to be like her father. Plus, she has a mother who didn't exactly do the best by her daughter in leaving her with her father. So, out of her desperate quest for unconditional love comes time with boys, and even a desire to become pregnant.

This is a decent book. While there's nothing really profound here, there is an honest look at what life is like for a teenager in this position. While reading it, you just know that Samantha's life would be better if only the people in her life were better towards her. I liked the ending, since I was left feeling sure that things were finally getting better for Sam.

With as fast of a read as this one is, I suppose it's worth picking up and spending an hour or two on. ( )

I found this book to be pretty strange. It didn't really capture my attention as much as other books do. It didn't turn out to be as wonderful as i though it would be. It's like a kind of romance story but the main character has many inter conflicts about breaking out of her social zone a little to find out more about the new boy at school, Farouk. It isn't that long of a story so i don't suggest to not give it a try to see if you like it. It just isn't as thrilling as other stories that i've read in the past. ( )