Leslie’s Journal by Allan Stratton deserves all the awards
that it has won, including "Best Books for Young Adults List"
(American Library Association), "Quick Picks for Reluctant
Young Adult Readers 2001 List" (Young Adult Library Services),
"Our Choice 2001 List" (Canadian Children’s Book Center)
and "Gems of 2000" (The Canadian Bookseller). It is
a well-written novel that details the rapid degeneration of a
teenage girl’s relationship with the most desirable boy in school
into sexual and physical abuse, and what happens when she finally
decides to extricate herself from the relationship.

Leslie’s Journal is set in a suburban community somewhere
in the USA. Fifteen-year old Leslie Phillips is having difficulty
adjusting to the many crises in her life. Her parents separated
the previous Spring and her Mom is not coping well with the fact
that her Dad has moved in with his much younger and prettier lover.
Kate, her girlfriend since third grade, is being corralled into
church activities with "more acceptable friends" by
her mother. The administrators at her high school, sensitive to
her home situation, seems to be going lightly on her about her
frequent absences from class and school. In short, no one seems
to notice that Leslie’s world is crumbling, in fact, no one seems
to notice Leslie at all! Is it any wonder that Leslie is acting
out? Enter Jason McCready, a recent transfers from an exclusive
prep school and senior "hunk" with a motorcycle that
has all the girls swooning, except Leslie. It is Leslie, however,
that Jason wants to date. Jason is rich and spoiled. He has an
alcoholic mother and a lawyer father "with connections"
for any trouble that Jason might stir up. Is it any wonder that
Jason is exploring all his options and exercising his desires
for sex, alcohol, drugs, and fast living? Afraid to lose Jason’s
love, Leslie lets him push her beyond what she feels is safe into
ever increasing rough sex. How far will Leslie let Jason go to
keep his affections?

Leslie’s Journal is written in a journal format. Assigned
to write a journal in English class with a promise of complete
personal privacy for the writer, Leslie at first writes to shock
her English teacher. As Leslie’s relationship with Jason becomes
more intense, and those whom she felt that she could trust fade
or are pushed away by her, she finds that writing in her journal
is her only mean for sorting out her feelings about what is happening
to her.

Leslie’s Journal is excellent. There is no doubt about
its ability to keep readers hooked. Still, in my opinion, the
novel has two minor drawbacks. First, Leslie’s writing style is
clearly more sophisticated than that of a fifteen year old. I
am not convinced that even an adult would be able to write with
such depth of understanding and insight about what is occurring
in the writer’s own life. Second, I personally did not like Leslie.
She was verbally vicious and cornered the market on being obnoxious
to her parents and teachers. She lies, steals, drinks, uses drugs,
sneaks out, and…well, judge for yourself. She is begging
for attention and is ultimately, becoming more out-of-control.
She is a parent’s worst nightmare and I pitied her mother trying
to cope with her antics. (I would have ripped my hair out and
then, would have grounded her for life or at least twenty-one
when I could have legally kicked her out!) While I would not
have wished what happened to her on anyone, I found it hard to
feel great compassion for someone I found so disagreeable. It
may be horrible to say, but she was lucky that she did not end
up in greater trouble than she did. This is not to say that she
is not realistic. I have met quite a few young people just like
her. It is only to say as an adult, "I" did not like
her. Young people, on the other hand, may have quite a different
opinion about her.

Allan Stratton is both an actor and writer. Rexy!, his
second play, won him a Chalmers Award, the Dora Mavor Moore Award,
and the Canadian Authors’ Association Award, all for best play.
His Friends of a Feather was aired on the CBC. Papers
won the 1986 Chalmers Award, Governor General’s Award nomination,
and the Dora Mavor Moore Award. His adaptation of Dracula
was nominated for the Dora Mavor Moore Award. His Bag Babies
was a finalist for the 1991 Toronto Book Award. His first novel,
The Phoenix Lottery, won a Stephen Leacock Award of Merit
and was nominated for the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humor, and
the TORGI Award (C.N.I.B’s Talking Book Award) and a play version
of it opened in January 2001. Leslie’s Journal is his
first novel for teens. Stratton has a M.A. in Drama from the University
of Toronto. He is the past Head of Drama for the Etobicoke School
of the Arts and a former member of New York’s Actors’ Studio.
He currently lives in Toronto with his partner, and a menagerie
of pets.

Leslie’s Journal by Allan Stratton is a fast paced novel
guaranteed to hold teens readers’ attention. While labeled for
"Age 13+" many parents may be offended by the graphic
language and description of teenage sex. I would highly recommend
this book to both teen and young adult readers. I would also highly
recommend that parents read this book and discover what can very
easily happen to their sons and daughters.

© 2001 Suzanne Garrison-Terry

Suzanne Garrison-Terry


Education: B.A. in History from Sacred Heart University, M.L.S.
in Library Science from Southern Connecticut State College, M.R.S.
in Religious Studies/Pastoral Counseling from Fairfield University,
and a M.Div. in Professional Ministry from New Brunswick Theological
Seminary. She is currently completing a Certificate in Spirituality/Spiritual
Direction from Sacred Heart University (July 2001). She is a Licensed
Minister of the United Church of Christ and an Assistant Professor
in Library Science at Dowling College, Long Island, NY.

Interests in Mental Health: I am interested in the interplay between
psychology and spirituality. My current research focuses on the
role of hormonal fluctuation during puberty, pregnancy, and peri-menopause
as a stimuli for mystical experiences. Through the study of autobiographical
accounts of the mystical experiences of “historically accepted”
female Christian mystics and additional biographical information,
I am analyzing the connection between the onset of mystical experiences
and biological data/symptomology for the potential existence of
hormonal fluctuation or irregularity. If this sounds like an unusual
topic, nota bene how many medieval female mystics began having
“vision” on or about the age of 40!

Categories: Fiction

Tags: Rape