Treacherous Love: The Diary of an Anonymous Teenager

by Beatrice Sparks (Editor), Beatrice Sparks

Overview

Fourteen-year-old Jennie's life is turning upside down. Her father has walked out, and her anguished mother seeks solace in pills. Her best friend practically abandons her to be with a boyfriend. It seems like Jennie's real best friend is her diary. Then she meets Mr. Johnstone, the substitute math teacher. Jennie has never met such a charismatic teacher. She feels honored when Mr. J. seems to single her out for special attention, and begins to fantasize about him as her boyfriend. When Mr. J. first reveals his feelings for her, she is thrilled by the relationship that grows outside the classroom walls. Then, slowly, Jennie's diary becomes a record of her loneliness, pain, and confusion. Will it also offer her a way to escape from this treacherous love?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780380808625
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	05/28/2000
Edition description:	1ST AVON B
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	4.18(w) x 6.75(h) x 0.44(d)
Age Range:	13 - 12 Years

About the Author

Beatrice Sparks is a family and adolescent therapist who edited the diary that formed the basis for Go Ask Alice, and has since edited many diaries on topics such as gangs, AIDS, and teen pregnancy in the 1988 Annie's Baby. She lives in Provo, UT.

Read an Excerpt

September 9th–Monday–1:15 a.m.

I just woke up with a cold spooky feeling running through me. At first I couldn't figure out what it was and pulled myself deeper under my covers and put my pillow over my head, but the shivers just got worse . . . then I realized Mom and Dad were fighting again! I HATE IT . . . HATE IT . . . HATE IT . . . when they do that!

I can't understand a single bit of what they are saying, but the feelings come through like giant rocks and electric shocks and fire darts. I want it to stop!!! Stop!!! Stop!!! I hate it! And I hate them for doing it! I don't really hate them. Actually, I want, with all my might, to run into their room and snuggle up in their bed with them. Me in the middle being kissed and hugged and spoiled like when I was little.

Whatever happened to our loving, happy little family that used to play hide-and-seek in the house and have picnics on the floor in front of the fireplace on rainy days? And do all the fun nice things that we always used to do? Like talk and talk and talk and talk.

Monday–7:00 a.m.

My stupid old alarm clock just woke me up with its stupid old song, "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning." It's hardly that! My pillow is all wet and soggy with tears and I'm as tired as if I had just climbed Mount Everest. I guess I cried myself to sleep again last night. I hate that!

Monday–7:36 a.m.

I just got out of the shower and finished drying my hair and I AM SO EMBARRASSED! How could I have felt all those horrible hating things about Mom and Dad last night?

As the warm bubbly water splashed and gurgled overmy body it washed all the badness away and made me think more like a sane person instead of like a dumb little kid. They have a right to disagree about things just like I do! They aren't clones. They don't have to just say "yes sir" or "yes ma'am" to each other to death about every little thing. Bridget and I sometimes have almost screaming matches over who played the best at some of our hockey games and other stuff that's not all that important, so why couldn't Mom and Dad have just been arguing about a movie they'd seen or Mom's alcoholic sister Meg, who comes by occasionally and drives us all crazy, or . . . there are a million things . . . oh, I'm such a worrywart, look-for-trouble, negative, dumbhead sometimes.

Editorial Reviews

The editor of Treacherous Love, Beatrice Sparks, is also the editor of the classic Go Ask Alice. Sparks brings readers another tragic soul who finds that her diary has become her true friend. Fourteen-year-old Jennie's life is falling apart. Her father has walked out on the family and her mother, unable to cope finds comfort in pills. Her loneliness and feelings of betrayal come to a head when her best friend abandons her to be with her boyfriend. During this time of vulnerability Jennie meets someone who she thinks will comfort and console her. Mr. Johnstone, the substitute teacher is so nice and pays special attention to her. Jennie welcomes this attention and soon finds herself involved with J. J. outside of the classroom. This true and gripping account of teenage exploitation and survival will captivate young adult readers. 2000, Avon Books, $4.99. Ages 14 up. Reviewer: Sue Reichard

Children's Literature