North Shore High School is a real pressure cooker. The students aren't all from affluent families, but most of them are. The students aren't all overachievers, but most of them are. North Shore High School has a shameful secret, though. The students are killing themselves. The most recent victim was one of the most popular guys on campus and everybody is shocked. But even in their shock, everything goes back to normal. One thing is for sure, though. Suicide is going to keep plaguing North Shore High School. Will the next victim be Mallory the tightly wound perfectionist with a narcissistic mother? Or the first generation Korean who feels the weight of his family's honor on his shoulders? Or the transfer student from England who had to leave everything behind? Or the pot-smoking kid who saw Braden step in front of the train? Or will the students of North Shore High School band together to keep another one of their classmates from thinking that there is no hope?
Teen suicide is a scary subject to talk about, let alone write about. And reading about it - when you have teens? Well, it is terrifying, to be honest. The pressure that teens feel today is not anything that I can comprehend. I think the author did a great job of exposing those pressures. The Gatekeepers has a real "John Hughes" feel to it, which is not surprising given the author, Jen Lancaster, does not keep her adoration a secret. The characters in the book are all good kids - a product of their environment, both at home and at school. There was a traumatic point in the book where I had to stop reading and set the book aside. It wasn't graphic, but it was tough to read. - CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS. I liked how the author took the traumatic events and created something positive with the group The Gatekeepers, a group of students who mean to look out for their friends, act as "Gatekeepers" between them and suicidal thoughts.
Bottom Line - Jen Lancaster is known for her wit and humor, but you could not tell the topic was out of her comfort zone. In The Gatekeepers, she tackled the tough topic with dignity, respect and a little bit of her trademark wit. The Gatekeepers is the kind of book you should read with your teen and open that dialogue.
Details:
- The Gatekeepers by Jen Lancaster
- On Instagram
- Pages: 464
- Publisher: Harlequin
- Publication Date: 10/10/2017
- Buy it Here!
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