Teen Fiction - Body, Mind & Health, Teen Fiction - Choices & Transitions, Teen Fiction - Boys & Young Men, Teen Fiction - Family & Relationships, Teen Fiction - Peoples & Cultures
Scab
Robert Rayner
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Overview
Life was never easy for Julian, aka Scab. After years of being tormented by his peers and ignored by his parents, he's about to show everyone that he has what it takes to make it. But he finds himself in a situation where he has to choose between his own ambitions and the only person who's ever cared about him.This dark and gritty new story examines the moral choices of one teen with a childhood filled with emotional neglect and social bullying, and how haunting real-life choices made when you're young can be when you're older.
Editorials
CM Magazine
"Rayner has captured the complicated life of a teen in a world that seems unable to cope with this complexity A thought-provoking read. Highly Recommended."Resource Links
"Well-written...Descriptions of homelessness and how it feels to be bullied are well done."The Horn Book Guide
"The unsettling choices that Julian makes will stay with readers."Children's Literature -
In this day and age when bullying seems to be on the news every other day, Scab is a timely story. The main character, Julian, has not had an easy life. At school he is bullied by his classmates for being different, and at home he is ignored by his parents. His one refuge is behind the lens of his camera, where the pictures he takes are different in a way that brings respect instead of harassment. Julian's chance to make it as a photographer is threatened however, when he has to choose between his ambitions and the one person who has treated him well. Scab isn't an easy story to read and enjoy, but it's a powerfully moving one. The characters are authentically drawn and their actions that propel the story feel realistic. Shorter than the average young adult novel, it still manages to pack an emotional punch that reverberates long after the last page. Reviewer: Jennifer WaldropBook Details
Published
September 1, 2010
Publisher
Lorimer, James & Company, Limited
Pages
152
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9781552774823