Family Secrets - Softcover

Klein, Norma

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0449701956 ISBN 13: 9780449701959

Publisher: Juniper, 1987

Synopsis

Peter and Leslie's families have had beach houses near each other for years, so it seemed only natural when their friendship turned to romance. Their perfect summer romance is shattered when Leslie finds her mother's diary and discovers that her mother and Peter's father are having an affair and want to get married. Suddenly the two teens find themselves stepbrother and sister, and must learn to cope with their new lives and old friendship.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

Grade 8 Up Can Klein's fans read one more novel about a 17-year-old female anxiously anticipating her first sexual encounter? Just in case the answer is no, Klein has added a 17-year-old male also anxiously anticipating the same thing. Leslie and Peter, who have spent their summer vacations at the same beach since childhood, casually extend their friendship to become lovers. Then Leslie reads her mother's diary and discovers someone else in her family is having an affairher motherand with Peter's father. Almost immediately the two families are involved in dual divorces and a new (albeit brief) marriage which legally makes the young lovers stepbrother and stepsister. The two protagonists report the chain of events, narrating in strict rotating fashion chapter by chapter. Klein omits much of her usual wit, but she does not scrimp on modern teen issuesdivorce, obesity, feminism, drugs and sex (with little attention to birth control). However, few of these issues have any relevance to the plot. The text contains inconsistencies and awkward transitions. This author's reputation, the brief sexual encounters and the sprinkling of four-letter words will undoubtedly gain instant but evanescent popularity for this title, but it is far from one of Klein's best. Cynthia K. Leibold, Anderson High School, Cincinnatti, Ohio
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Juniper
• Publication date: 1987
• ISBN 10: 0449701956
• ISBN 13: 9780449701959
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224