Something Girl

by Beth Goobie

Overview

Sophie is in a lot of trouble. She is on probation for stealing and is doing poorly at school. Her mom doesn't really talk to her, and the other adults in her life are pressuring Sophie to talk about her bruises. Sophie worries that if she tells, she will be sent to live in a group home. Her friend Jujube is the only person who knows the truth, and now Jujube, too, wants Sophie to speak up.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781551433479
Publisher:	Orca Book Publishers
Publication date:	04/01/2005
Series:	Orca Soundings Series
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	4.25(w) x 7.00(h) x 0.30(d)
Lexile:	HL530L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Beth Goobie grew up in a family in which the appearance of a normal childhood hid many secrets. She moved away to attend university, became a youth residential treatment worker and studied creative writing at the University of Alberta. She is the award-winning author of over twenty novels, including The Pain Eater, The Lottery, the CLA Award-winning Before Wings, and the adult novel The First Principles of Dreaming. Beth makes her home in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Read an Excerpt

I couldn't swallow. I couldn't talk. When I got scared like this, a hand came up from inside and grabbed all the words out of my mouth. My dad started coming toward me and everything went into slow motion. I tried to run into the kitchen, but every step seemed to take five minutes. So I grabbed a chair and pulled it in front of me. My dad picked it up and threw it across the room. Then he grabbed my arm.

"Stupid," he hissed. "No good. Nothing."

Editorial Reviews

"This is a well written story about the struggles a young girl goes through dealing with an abusive and controlling fater. Written from Sophie's point of view, the author has done a masterful job of letting the reader into Sophie's thinking."

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Something Girl is so compelling that this reader couldn’t put it down until finished. Highly Recommended.

CM Magazine

"Those in the series' target audience will be rewarded with a condensed, strangled gulp of a novel, one capable of cojuring both wrenching suspense and the 'soft peace' of hope."

Booklist

"Children need to see titles such as these in library collections, because some of them may be living an existence close to this work of fiction...Highly recommended."

Hip Librarian's Book Blog

Gr 7 Up-Sophie, 15, comes from an abusive family. Her mother is a depressive alcoholic. Her father appears to be an upstanding member of the community, but in reality he is a savagely violent man. Without any provocation, he has beaten Sophie many times. She has no real friends, her boyfriend has just dumped her, and she is on probation for petty theft. Her only ally is 12-year-old JuJube, her former babysitting charge. After a particularly brutal attack, Sophie is hospitalized and it is JuJube who forces her to tell the truth. The ending is happy yet bittersweet. The novel deals with mature themes in a quick and easy-to-read manner. However, it has all the hallmarks of a message book and is not the most subtle piece of literature. Still, it could help teens with severe issues.-Amy Patrick, New York Public Library Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

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