Clean by Amy Reed is a modern day version of The Breakfast Club gang, beginning to heal together at a rehab center. This book follows the story of five young people on the road to recovery as told from their own perspective; an inside view on how they think, feel, and where their true motivations lie. This novel is truly an example in human nature, exploring the inner workings of the mind and how people end up where they would never want to be. Find out what drives five teens with promising futures to turn to drugs, alcohol, and eating disorders in Reed’s sophomore work.
This novel is incredibly strong in its real life connections
because of the personal narrative style offered from each character. The fact
that readers can unravel the monster of addiction with five very different
stories in one novel makes it a very accessible and dynamic read for high
school students. There is some questionable language and content that may make
the novel unsuitable for younger students in middle school, but it is a
valuable read for students with a high maturity level. Not only does this novel
attack the issues with teen drug and alcohol use but there is also a good
amount of information regarding eating disorders and the consequences they may
have on the body.
Reed’s novel is an exemplary work of contemporary fiction. The well-written passages of inner thought
afford a clear and deep connection with the characters and their struggles
while allowing for the reader to interpret or infer past events and reactions.
This is an excellent novel for high school students because it not only serves
as a tool in drug awareness but also allows a view at the human psyche and the
insecurities some perceive that lead them into a downward spiral of addiction.
8 comments:
I agree, high school students suffer from great turmoil. I feel I would love to read this book because it so applicable to real life and how the human mind works. Does it have psychology in it? Insecurities I can say are something that is applicable to most if not all human beings. I feel reading books like this about recovery help see the success and triumph of being healthy and alive.
This sounds like a unique read and I know I would have been interested in it at that age. Especially having my interest in psychology, this book sounds interesting to me even now. Just from you description, it sounds like the drug and alcohol references are pretty strong. I'd hope they are negative enough to persuade readers not to try them as opposed to just sparking curiosity. Sometimes that can be a thin line!
I love your description of this book. Breakfast Club is my absolute favorite movie, so that line of course caught my eye. This book sounds like such an interesting concept. I'm usually not interested in the drug addict/rehab type books, but you've described this one very well and I think I'd really enjoy reading it!
I think that as humans we all are vulnerable to insecurities and what I feel students will gain out of this is learning how to think about the consequences of our insecurities. It reminds me of psychology and our inner motivations and drives. Learning how essential and beautiful is our health and life is something people take for granted. Am interested in this book, regardless of the drug and alcohol theme. I will check it out.
I always hope that a book like this will be educational for the teens that read it. In this case, it is especially my hope that college bound high school students will learn from the painful situations that fictional characters find themselves in becasue for many young people, this is not fiction. I think back to when I first started college and I remember all the people who already had addictions including drugs, alcohol, and eating disorders. I think that a book like this will at least help some students recognize the signs of a problem and just how serious those problems can be.
I always hope that a book like this will be educational for the teens that read it. In this case, it is especially my hope that college bound high school students will learn from the painful situations that fictional characters find themselves in becasue for many young people, this is not fiction. I think back to when I first started college and I remember all the people who already had addictions including drugs, alcohol, and eating disorders. I think that a book like this will at least help some students recognize the signs of a problem and just how serious those problems can be.
I always hope that a book like this will be educational for the teens that read it. In this case, it is especially my hope that college bound high school students will learn from the painful situations that fictional characters find themselves in becasue for many young people, this is not fiction. I think back to when I first started college and I remember all the people who already had addictions including drugs, alcohol, and eating disorders. I think that a book like this will at least help some students recognize the signs of a problem and just how serious those problems can be.
I enjoyed reading your description on the book. I think that this is great young adult literature that needs to be read in the classroom. Often times we sugar coat these types of topics and tend not to address them when in fact many of our students may actually be able to relate to the content in the book. Reading this text could actually help students who may be facing these same issues.
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