Spiral

by K. L. Denman

Overview

When fifteen-year-old Abby is seriously injured, her wounds go far deeper than her broken back. Rehabilitation therapy teaches her to cope with her new physical reality but once she's home with her family, she refuses to participate in life and withdraws into a world of drugs.

Abby's family discovers her addiction, and she is sent to a farm that specializes in Equine Assisted Therapy. She must still do battle with her cravings, but when she witnesses the connection between another young patient and a pony, she decides that if this girl can heal, she too can learn to be present in life again.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781551439303
Publisher:	Orca Book Publishers
Publication date:	10/01/2008
Series:	Orca Soundings Series
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	4.20(w) x 6.80(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	HL480L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

K.L. Denman has written many novels for youth, including the Orca Currents titles Destination Human and Agent Angus. She lives in Delta, British Columbia. For more information, visit www.kldenman.com.

Read an Excerpt

He opens his hand, and there's this little plastic bag of powder. White powder. He reaches into his pocket again and pulls out a short straw. "Voila," he says. "Care for a toot?"

I stare at the cocaine, and while part of my brain wants to say, "No, jerk, get out," another voice inside me is saying, "Why not?"

Editorial Reviews

"An excellent addition to Orca's high interest, low vocabulary "Soundings" series...a realistic and thoroughly gripping read. Highly recommended."

CM Magazine

"Highly recommended."

Tucson Unified School District

"Strongly recommended for school libraries...The emotional yet believable plot is deftly told with honesty and freshness. The focus on what is possible may cause some students to review their choices and set a new focus."

Tri State Young Adult Book Review Committee

"Succeeds with a strong plot and suitably empathetic characters to attract a teen audience...Contains a surprisingly realistic and positive message about dealing with life's challenges."

Southwestern Ohio Young Adult Materials Review Group

"Surprisingly touching...captures something about the near-mystical quality of the connection between horses and people."

CBC Radio One - All Points West

*no details*

NMRLS Youth Services Book Review

*no details*

TeensReadToo.com

Abby, age fifteen, adjusts to changes in her life after being paralyzed by a back-breaking accident at work. Narrated in first person, Abby's forceful voice reveals her anger and fear. She resents losing mobility and lashes out at her friends and family, especially her younger brother Will, who visits her in the hospital. Abby learns to use a wheelchair and attends group therapy sessions led by a paralyzed counselor, Mrs. Green. Returning home, Abby realizes her father traded his sports car for a handicap-accessible minivan and remodeled their house to accommodate her wheelchair. Depressed, she plays computer games and chats online with Mrs. Green and therapy group members, particularly Jim, who supplies cocaine to Abby who becomes addicted. Will sees Abby using drugs and tells their parents who send Abby to Spiral, a treatment facility where Abby is introduced to a therapy horse named Charlie. While grooming Charlie, Abby meets Taylor, a paraplegic, who emphasizes her capabilities and potential. Abby's experiences riding Charlie and talking with Taylor and a traumatized girl named Gabby transform her perceptions of her future. This tightly written book in the "Orca Soundings" series honestly depicts Abby's emotional intensity as she confronts her paralysis and eventually embraces forgiveness of herself and others. Similar themes associated with recovery from serious injuries, including acceptance of imperfections, are addressed in Priscilla Cummings's A Face First (2001). Reviewer: Elizabeth D. Schafer

Children's Literature - Elizabeth D. Schafer