Target

Rating:
Summary: Terrific
Review: Target hits hard from the beginning and won't let go. Grady West has a problem. And he doesn't want to talk about it. To anyone. So he changes schools, stops eating, speaks only when necessary and keeps himself to himself. And if he fades away into nothing--that's good. But Jess comes along. Dreadlocked, fast-mouthed, furiously living Jess who can't stand to see this curious white guy refusing to get with the program. The program of recognizing that Jess is cool.

Kathleen Johnson hits it out of the park with this wonderfully realized novel of friendship, suffering, and the fear of reaching out. Grady is circling the drain and the reader feels the pull with him, the knowledge that any moment he's going down and knowing it might be sweet relief. The reader feels how hard it is for Grady to reach out and hold on.

It's been a long, long while since a book made me feel that much so vividly.

A winner.

Rating:
Summary: Isolating
Review: This is the Story of Grady West, a teen who is dealing with severe issues after he was brutally raped by two men. These issues include post-traumatic stress (symptoms of social phobia), and anorexia.
The author makes Grady's self-imposed isolation seem so real, that I found myself feeling isolated from the outside world while I was reading it. Normally this is a good thing, but I felt depressed while reading the book, despite the fact that I loved the story. I would definately suggest reading this book, but maybe read it outside on a sunny day.