Safe

Safe
By Susan Shaw
Dutton Books, 2007. 168 pgs. Young Adult

After thirteen-year-old Tracy is raped and left for dead, she just wants to forget that anything happened to her. She no longer feels safe going outside, so in an attempt to regain feelings of security, she practices the piano for several hours each day. Although her friends try to encourage her to participate in her former hobbies and her father thinks therapy will be helpful, Tracy thinks she can get through things in her own way.

This book doesn't have the edge of Speak, but it'd actually be a good one to use in combination with Speak, as readers could then discuss the similarities and differences between the two stories. Shaw handles the topic of rape without providing any gory details. I thought the ending was a little too simplistic, but at the same time, it's appropriate for younger readers.

AE