Unsaid

By Anika Maura Cassidy

Book Overview

Do you know a perfect family? Do you wish you knew their secret...or secrets? Readers of Unsaid will meet Janice Marshall, a quiet sixteen-year-old with perfect, uptight parents and a younger sister, Katelyn, who is pushing the limits of their family rules. Janice has no idea what the future holds when she begins keeping a journal. She records the details of her life as she starts a volunteer job, meets the boy of her dreams, deals with her father's favorite phrase, and receives a mysterious phone call that unleashes a storm of conflicting emotions. "One thing happens and everything is different," Janice writes in her journal. "Changed forever."

The situation portrayed in Unsaid is often hidden from view, especially in "perfect" families. This story brings into the open one of the most controversial issues of the day, giving teen readers the opportunity to examine and discuss the characters' decisions. Through getting acquainted with this fictional family, readers may be able to make more informed choices for themselves.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 059534268X
• ISBN13: 9780595342686
• Release Date: February 2005
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Length: 164 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"
• Age Range: 4 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 7

Customer Reviews

Start A Dialogue With Your Teen

UNSAID would be a start for parental and adolescent discussions on sexual behavior. Cassidy presents a controversial topic fairly from a teenager's viewpoint.

I liked this book!

This is a great book!The characters are absolutely believable.And I like how they make descisions that affect the people around them and this book really teaches you to be more aware of the choices you make! It has a few addicting controversial issues. I think that a lot of people and teenagers would probably dislike just because of its topic, but many people dont give THE OTHER SIDE a chance. You shouldn't not read it, just because its totally against what you think. You really take in the characters opinions and examples in this story!And who knows maybe you might change your mind about the situations in every day life. I hope you enjoy it!

Unsaid SHOULD be Read

As a young adult librarian for the past eight years, I know this book will fly off the shelves just by word of mouth. It addresses an issue that has been, amazingly enough, overlooked (or avoided) in young adult literature. Janice is a sympathetic character and the situation she finds herself in is more plausible than many people would like to acknowledge. Katelyn, Janice's younger sister, is very similar to teens I've worked with - concerned with the here and now and lacking a clear understanding of the consequences of their actions. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book for its well written, thoughtful portrayal of a very controversial subject.

Unusual book on a controversial topic

I suspect the Grrllibrarian has more of a problem with the topic than the actual writing. I found the journal format unusual -- I don't usually like this kind of format -- but in this case it works, especially for young adults. I will try not to reveal much of the plot since that might spoil it for the reader. The book deals with one of the most controversial topics we have to deal with today, a topic that most people find difficult to discuss or debate. That's the great benefit of this book, which presents the issue from both sides and in a realistic situation: a rigid and unsupportive family, close sister relationship, young love, and a teen faced with making a terrible decision. It is a great book for beginning discussions with teens. As far as the writing. It's a fictional journal supposedly written by a teen and I think the author has tried to honestly capture the way a teen would think and write. I might quibble about a couple of things, but in general the book realistically captures the quandary faced by a teen and how this girl faced the problem. Highly recommended for 9th - 12th grades, especially class discussions.