Borrowed Light

I read a great deal of books, with teen fiction being one of my specialities. Believe me when I say Borrowed Light is a must-read. The protagonist is a teenager named Calliope who finds herself more or less caring for her little brother. She is a smart girl who is growing up more quickly than she should. Unbeknownest to her family, Calliope is pregnant and plans on having an abortion. The title is so fitting for this book, coming from a great passage in which Calliope relates family members to celestial bodies. She is named after a moon, and, like that moon, feels that she borrows light from others, from family members who are suns and stars, who far outshine her. Borrowed Light will inspire thoughtful discussions in book groups or classrooms. What some may consider a "touchy subject" is handled with feeling and deliacy, with no judgment passed. Shine on, Calliope.

This is a truly excellent book. Anna Fienberg deals with the 'problem' of teenage pregnancy sensitively and her wonderful description of Callisto's life is great to relate to. Overall, a great read.

This book was one of those books that you just can't put down. It's clever, interesting and amazing. I really loved it. It has to be one of my favourite books I have read. Me and my friends talk about what would happen if we got pregnant, well this book is about a girl who has to face this reality, and what she is going to do about it, have an abortion or have the baby. Its sometimes sad, scary and frightening but true to life. The feelings and emotions that the characters feel are so real. The writing is wonderful and sometimes confronting. I could even feel them myself. I recommend this to everyone, teenagers, adults, young and old, women and men. I love this book and you should definately read it.

When Castillo's mother becomes seclusive and meditates with stange people, her father pretends nothing is wrong and goes off to South Africa on some pretense to buy art. Castillo ends up taking care of her 5 year-old brother Jeremy. Castillo eventually gains popularity when she starts going out with Tim. But when she becomes pregnant he all but vanishes. Castillo is faced with a very difficult descion in her life, and she decides to get an abortion. Because of her mother's neglect of Jeremy, Castillo has to take Jeremy with her to the clinic, where he dissapears when she is being operated on. After the onslaught of the argument that follows, Castillo learns an important lesson about her life, and can accept loving her new boyfriend.I found this book to be very intriguing about issues that teenage girls are facing today, but he plot was very weak. It does make you think, though.