Judy Baer

I jumped into this second Live From Brentwood High novel right after I finished the first one, pretty much. I realize this ChristFic YA series was rereleased about a decade ago, but I wanted to try out the original '90s novels for nostalgic reasons (and for informal research regarding the history of Christian Fiction).

For most of the read, I was fully into the way this story tackles sexual harassment, including the fact that it doesn't only happen to females. The novel also touches on other show more kinds of harassment and bigotry—and somehow does it all without becoming a dark and depressing slog of a read, or a sermon rather than a story. The dialogue sometimes becomes repetitive, but the angles and questions the characters bring up are worth thinking about.

However, one aspect of the novel's discussion on sexual harassment really bothered me. The main characters' conversations essentially indicate that victim-blaming is wrong, but they point that out in the cases of victims they view as blameless according to only certain factors. One businessman complaining about harassment accusations brought against him says, "The girls come in here dressed in miniskirts and tight blouses and then don't want anyone to notice? Hah! They want everybody to notice—they just don't want anyone to do anything about it... What are the men who work here supposed to do anyway?" Two of the main characters walk away from that scene feeling uncertain, saying that the complaining man might be right, even if they don't want him to be.

No. Just no. I'm not sure if that scene is or isn't meant to serve as a roundabout lesson on dressing modestly. But short skirts, tight shirts, or any other kind of female or male fashion choices do not force anyone to make sexual comments or advances toward anyone else, as if to say, "Well, I just couldn't control myself. Because you're dressed that way, I had to sexually harass you." Just no.

Besides, although there are women in various cultures around the world who traditionally wear modest bonnets or veils and plenty of clothing that covers them from head to toe, too many of them also are sexually harassed and assaulted. Again, I don't know if it was an intention in this story, but even suggesting that a woman's miniskirt or the like is what causes sexual harassment (and then not rebutting that suggestion) is off base.

On a different note, the key Christian character in the group might have come off as a little too perfect in this book as she quoted Bible verses to address a couple of different topics. I won't go into the novel's side story about one of the guys wanting to get a tattoo, but I wished to tell the Christian character to be careful about using scriptures from Old Testament law to assert what actions are sins. If she were to turn to that same ancient law and quote the verses regarding rape, those verses wouldn't all line up with the important lessons these young people are learning about sexual harassment and assault. And victim-blaming. Even so, as it also is in the first book, the Christian character doesn't take over the whole story just because it's ChristFic.

On an additional note, even though it moves the plot in some scenes to have an adult present with the teenage group of friends, it's weird to me that the professional camera guy they're working with keeps hanging out with the gang outside of work. I think the camera guy is all right, but a grown man going out to restaurants and the skating rink and such with a bunch of high schoolers starts to look iffy. He doesn't seem to have any friends his own age.

Anyway! Again, besides the question of women's clothing, I did appreciate how this story handles its main topic and the young lady at the center of it. I'll be moving on to Book Three in the series soon. show less

I vaguely remember seeing a book or two from this vintage ChristFic YA series when I was a kid or kid-adjacent. I believe updated editions of the books came out about a decade ago, but my nostalgic self wanted to try one of the originals.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this first book. It's funnier and, well, smarter and somewhat grittier than I anticipated. Not too corny or simplistic, and while it isn't the kind of story that would keep me guessing at every turn, I also show more wouldn't have predicted every little thing these characters say and do.

Granted, some of the dialogue, especially in the beginning, is obvious info-dumping to introduce members of the cast, and there are little moments when the characters don't exactly talk like teens, I'd say. For instance, I wouldn't imagine an everyday adolescent in the 1990s using phrases like, "We mustn't...!" in normal conversation with their friends.

On another note, I've got to say that people, young people included, don't necessarily exude something great or "special" just because they're Christians. For whatever individual reasons, Christian folks vary in personality, attitude, sense, etc. as much as anybody else, whether particular attributes of theirs are positive, negative, or neither. I've often seen a general picture painted in certain Christian books, movies, skits, and such implying that if you put a bunch of random people in a room, then the kindest, wisest, most at peace, most welcoming, "special" people full of light in the room are bound to be Christians. A religious idealistic idea that isn't an accurate one.

But, hey. I'm reading a ChristFic teen novel from the '90s. So, it's no surprise that in the case of the key players in this story, the young character who has something "really special" about her happens to be a Christian.

Even so, while she's open about her faith, she isn't preachy or pushy about it here, and the overall story doesn't revolve around her or what she has to say just because it's ChristFic. Without any forced sermons or come-to-Jesus moments that wouldn't have fit the story, the book is entertaining while also offering some serious ideas and realistic questions worth thinking about.

I'm quite looking forward to continuing the series. show less

I flew through this third book in Live From Brentwood High, a YA ChristFic series originally published in the '90s. (Yeah, I'm reading the '90s editions, with my nostalgic self. Don't know if the rereleased editions have any 21st-century updates.) This is the kind of fast-paced series you should start from Book One, to get introduced to the characters and to follow their progression.

As with the previous books, the group of Brentwood High students here grapple with questions concerning a show more serious issue most of them never had to think much about before. Some of the different angles they come to consider about violence are worth thinking about.

Now, in the style of the late '80s-early '90s TV show Saved by the Bell, since the kids are facing a particular issue in this "episode," the issue pops up pretty much everywhere during the story. At times, it feels contrived.

Like, Izzy has apparently never seen his younger sisters physically fight. But now when the two little girls walk into the living room and happen to get into a swift disagreement, they actually start landing punches on each other, back and forth, one of them throwing in a kick. It seems that if the girls would readily display that level of violence with each other in front of Izzy and his friends, he would have seen it happen before. Or if the girls were new to acting out like that in front of their brother, they might start with a push or a slap or two, and probably shock themselves into stopping with tears or embarrassment, rather than jumping straight into pounding each other with their fists.

Also, the Christian teen of the bunch, Sarah, kind of teeters between being more of a natural character and being the "Christian teen cliché," in my view. Sharing a little about her faith sometimes is one thing, but Sarah quoting verbatim from the Bible in conversation with the other characters, including chapter and verse in her quoting, feels somewhat forced.

On a different note, the N-word pops up once in this book, spelled out. It's the Black character, Josh, who says it while he's sharing something from his personal experience, which I understand. But I think (including when it comes to some in Christian publishing who may not be personally familiar with the Black experience) not everyone realizes just how strong a word the slur is for many people—especially considering the history and the generations of trauma that comes with it. As I've said in my reviews of some other Christian novels, if it isn't a book where you'd find it okay to spell out the F-word, then you shouldn't spell out the N-word. (Again, I don't know if the word also appears in the rereleased edition of this book or not.)

Nevertheless, I found this novel to be another worthwhile read in the series. I'm looking forward to continuing on to Book Four soon. show less

As I've mentioned earlier during my extended trip through Live! from Brentwood High, this YA ChristFic series has been republished since the books first came out back in the '90s. I don't know if the republished content has any revisions or updates, as I've been reading the original editions for nostalgic reasons.

The Brentwood High series has some similarities to the iconic late-'80s to early-'90s teen sitcom Saved by the Bell. For instance, when major coincidences suddenly pop up in show more convenient fashion to relate to the current story's subject, the viewing/reading audience is meant to just go with it. But if you're intentionally in the audience in the first place, chances are that you're already in a mindset that'll go with some teen-sitcommy plot devices.

Now, this isn't the only book in the series so far where I'd say the characters don't always talk like teenagers would. Sometimes their phrasing is more grammatically exact than you may typically hear in casual conversation. And now and then, characters in general declare the name of "Brentwood High" when it seems it'd be more casual/natural in those conversations to just say "this/our school" or "here." For instance, "Aw, that kind of thing doesn't really happen here."

On a different note, I should mention that the series didn't start out as obviously evangelistic as it is at this point. That's understandable, if the idea might have been to attract a wide audience with the first book and then ease them into the gospel content later on. In any case, I know it's something a lot of readers prefer to be aware of ahead of time.

Overall, I enjoyed this quick read, my "Saved by the Bell-ish and earlier" side especially getting a kick out of stuff like CD-ROMs and school chalkboards that add a certain flavor to the story. I plan on reading the sixth and last Brentwood High book in the near future.

Note:
• some discussion of serious violence, but without gory details show less