This is the story of a day in the life of three very self-absorbed but typical teenagers. Leticia, Dominque and Trina come to life in alternating chapters that tell us everything we need to know about them in very few words. The story of how Leticia overhears Dominque threaten to "jump" Trina after school becomes almost secondary to the inner lives and concerns of these three girls.Will Leticia listen to her friend, Bea, and warn Trina or should she just hope or assume that she misunderstood Dominque? Is it possible to feel sympathy for someone who is as smug and clueless as Trina?
This was a sparsely written yet very revealing book. Williams-Garcia doesn't really give anything outright but she is able to paint a picture of high school, the pressures that teens face and the self-centeredness of even the nicest teenager. I wasn't really sure how I felt about this book at first, but by the time I finished it I loved it. I can see why it was a finalist for The National Book Award. The characters are spot-on without being stereotypical and the expression of their inner selves is lyrical and brillant.
This would be a great novel for a literature circle or book discussion, but it's not one that many teens will be able to understand on their own. It has been my experience that when things are not overtly obvious the average teen gets lost, confused and loses interest. They really like things to be in black and white.
