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Publisher:
Booklocker.com, Inc. |
Release
Date: 2003 |
ISBN:
159113322X |
Awards:
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Format
Reviewed: Paperback |
Buy
it at Amazon |
Read
an Excerpt |
Genre:
Fiction/Young Adult |
Reviewed:
2003 |
Reviewer:
Elaine Broome |
Reviewer
Notes: Reviewer Notes: Mature sexual themes, some violence
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Visiting
Grandma
By Debra
Stang
Adults!
Who needs them? Who can trust them? In Debra Stang's Visiting
Grandma, thirteen-year-old Danny Bowman is convinced that the
adults in his life are even more messed up than he is. There's his
mother, who sees life through an alcoholic haze and can't even take
care of herself, let alone a confused teen. Then there's Mark, his
mom's latest in a series of loser boyfriends. Mark abuses Danny
physically and sexually, and then tells him he loves him. How can
he know what's real? Finally, and worst of all, there's his grandmother.
She's Danny's best friend, the only person who ever protected him
and loved him, but she's dying of Alzheimer's and hardly knows him
anymore. Danny's sure that the biggest loser of all is himself:
after all, his best friend has ditched him because he's gay, his
grandmother can't remember his name from one day to the next, and
suicide is starting to look better and better.
Visiting
Grandma is a moving book about a young man's search for acceptance,
love, and finally, for himself. He's the kind of kid we've all met,
a little confused, trying to figure out where he fits in the world,
just ordinary. As Danny's world unfolds, we are shocked by the violence
that surrounds this ordinary kid, and we are amazed by his strength
and courage. Debra Stang makes us feel Danny's sadness and hopelessness,
and makes us cross our fingers that somehow he will be okay. This
is a beautiful, disturbing story of a truly unforgettable boy.
Visiting
Grandma is for mature young adult readers. Debra Stang addresses
the difficult themes of abuse, alcoholism and death with great honesty
and compassion. To most of us, Danny's world is far from our safe,
ordinary lives. So, go ahead, step out of your world and meet Danny
Bowman. You won't regret it.
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