At Risk

Did not receive the edition I ordered. Deceptive and upsetting.

I didn't heed the warnings from friends who had read this book and am glad I didn't. They warned me how sad it was. And they warned me how depressing it was. What they didn't say was how simply beautiful it was. Hoffman has so many different aspects of this book going at once--the number of characters and their points of view--it's amazing the way she keeps it simple. Yet nothing in this book is "surface"--it is all deep and gut-wrenching. When an author can lay out this many characters and explain how they feel--and why--with such precision and beauty, I know I want to read more of the author. Alice Hoffman is a new favorite of mine.

At Risk was written by a Boston author named Alice Hoffman. Hoffman writes about a family and the walls they need to break down to survive as a whole. Their love grows, as their problems increase, but they may receive one push too many that they might not be able to tolerate. Amanda lives at home with her mother, Polly, her father, Ivan, and her brother Charlie. Their house is located in a quiet suburban town called Morrow. Amanda, an 11-year-old girl, strives to be an Olympic Gymnast. She practices everyday to her Madonna tape. Being the best on the team is what she plans to continue. Her eight-year-old brother, Charlie, is fascinated by science. He goes daily to the pond to study the animals with his best friend Sevrin. Amanda's father, Ivan is also involved in science. He is an Astronomer. Polly, Amanda's mother, is a photographer. In this quiet town, everyone has the same mind-set, this could never happen to me. Well, things are about to change. Amanda acquires AIDS from a routine appendicitis procedure. Her life, as well as her family's life is about to transform. Friends, and family members are pushed away, and shunned by the community. Sevrin's mother forbids him from hanging out with Charlie, even after the doctor's explain the ways to contract AIDS. Never again will they be the same. Amanda faces many problems, and this takes a toll on the family as well. The family struggles to stay together, as Amanda struggles to keep alive. Can the family stay together, and get through this tough time? Alice Hoffman doesn't waste any time. By the end of the first chapter the reader is already told, something is wrong with Amanda. It immediately draws you in, and you have trouble putting the book down. Event after event happens in the book, and it gives it a certain flow that is easy to follow. The chapters switch on and off between characters, that is, each one concentrates on a specific character. This is good for a book, you don't have enough time to get sick of a character, but you have just enough time to get addicted to the character they focus on. Because this book is written in third person, you always know what each character in the scene is thinking. If you don't like having to figure out what is really going on at the moment, I recommend this book. However, there is still some mystery to the story. Not everything is told flat out. Some things are implied, but are easy to figure out due to past events in the book. There is a sudden breakout with AIDS right now. You hear about it everywhere, so I'm glad I chose this book to read. It teaches you a few things, without over-doing the facts. The AIDS virus is very real, and can be hard to deal with as you find out in the book. It tears apart the family, but also makes the family's connection stronger. I wouldn't urge you to read this book if you are looking for a book that deals with illnesses, because it deals more with the emotions of the family than

I was assigned to read At Risk for English class. In the past when I've been assigned books, I've read it to get the assignment over with, but with this book I enjoyed every page. The book starts out giving this picture of a perfect suburban family living in a nice house in a small town. From the very beginning I felt as thought i knew the family. I think everyone has the attitude that "That could never happen to me." This book sends a powerful message that no one expects for bad things to happen to them. The familyhad this idealistic attitude about the perfect life they wanted. Amanda was determined to become an olympic gymnaist and a seemingly insignificant operation that happened when she was a little girl decided her entire future at that moment. The feelings everyone has a very real and the characters seem like actual people. You, as the reader feel the emotions the family does and it is like you are going through the situation with them. The real-to-life character change throughout because of everything that has happened. They are at first seperated by the tremendous tragady but they learn the only way they can get through the hard times is together. They grow together in love and realize that they need each other. Amanda has a conflict inside herself. She feels confused and helplessness. She is used to being independent and now she can't really do anything for herself. The reality of each at the different realtionships is wonderful. Amanda has her best friend Jessie, who is very supportive and sticks by when no one else does. For anyone who has ever had a best friend you know the feelings and emotions Jessie and Amanda exsperiance are real. Hoffman also explores the brother-sister relationship Charlie and Amanda have. They have the typical sibling rivalry but the unconditional love they have for each other in incrediable. The two of them probably never realized they actully loved each other until Amanda was diagnose with AIDS. Charlie then realizes her isn't only loosing a sister but a part of himself as well. The saying might be old and somewhat oever used, but it still remains true: you never know what you have until it is gone.

I thought this book was among the best books that I have ever read. At Risk talked about the issue of AIDS in such a way, that I will never think the same way about a person with the AIDS disease. Alice Hoffman showed so many different peoples' feelings, and I was actually surprised about how many different people in that community were affected, and by how everybody treated Amanda. In closing, I would like to say that this book was really well written and worth anybody's time to read it.

At Risk made me shed tears. I should point out here that I am not particulary sentimental when it comes to books or movies. This novel, however, was so powerfully and emotionally potent that I cried for an hour afterwards. I truly loved this book. It is so simply written, yet so compelling and heart-rendering. PS. If you are a fan of Hoffman, I recommend reading Second Nature. Please e-mail me if you know any other books by her which you enjoyed and think I should read.