ARC Review: Amy Reed - Clean

Amy Reed - Clean

• Pub. Date: July 19, 2011
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
• Format: Hardcover 288pp
• Review Copy: ARC from Galley Grab
• Age Range: Young Adult

You’re probably wondering how I ended up here. I’m still wondering the same thing.

Olivia, Kelly, Christopher, Jason, and Eva have one thing in common: They're addicts. Addicts who have hit rock bottom and been stuck together in rehab to face their problems, face sobriety, and face themselves. None of them wants to be there. None of them wants to confront the truths about their pasts. And they certainly don’t want to share their darkest secrets and most desperate fears with a room of strangers. But they'll all have to deal with themselves and one another if they want to learn how to live. Because when you get that high, there's nowhere to go but down, down, down.

Thanks to Galley Grab for the eARC of this novel. Here is my honest review:

I really enjoyed this rehab tale. It wasn't anything like what I was expecting, and I appreciated that. I love how Amy Reed dances around ideas, doesn't say things directly, but still makes sure the reader knows what she's talking about. There are a few instances with Christopher where this really shines. Even with Jason and Kelly as well. Certain words don't need to be spoken for the reader to understand what's really happening.

All the characters were so different from each other, and it was great to see them grow. By the end you really are pulling for these teens. Each of their stories is unique to each other, but I'm positive that some teens can definitely relate to them. Some sound like they used to be normal teenagers, and somewhere things went wrong. Some had problems with death, family, and friends, and those are common issues. But their paths took a wrong turn somewhere, and it can happen. Maybe a teen reading this will realize it's not too late for help.

Amy Reed wrote a fantastic novel that you should definitely check out. It's a dark yet inspirational story for teenagers these days. Very well done.

Rating:

4/5 book sharks!