"Realistic fiction at its best" praises School Library Journal on this YA novel selected as a National Book Award finalist.
When she is caught in the backseat of a car with her older brother's best friend—Deanna Lambert's teenage life is changed forever. Struggling to overcome the lasting repercussions and the stifling role of "school slut," she longs to escape a life defined by her past. With subtle grace, complicated wisdom and striking emotion, THE STORY OF A GIRL reminds us of our human capacity for resilience, epiphany and redemption.
Reviews
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In Sara Zarr's reading of her debut novel, the strongest voice is that of narrator Deanna Lambert, whose father discovered her having sex at age 13 with 17-year-old Tommy. The story has washed over their small town (Pacifica--called "Pathetica" by Deanna) in versions Deanna painfully recalls and relives as she encounters abusive classmates, potential employers, and family members--especially her father, who will not look at her or speak to her. Zarr doesn't attempt voices for the other characters--including Deanna's brother, Darren, who married suddenly and is living in the cellar with his wife and infant daughter. As grim as teen life can be, small positive steps move the novel credibly from angst to optimism. D.P.D. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
