Candy's Raves (and Rants)

This was pretty good. A little disturbing, of course – makes me be very afraid for those kids who do run away from home. I wish the book had had a better editor, a few things seemed to lose their thought or cohesiveness. I hope there is a follow up book, a definite “will read” if so. I will admit, that while I started out feeling sorry for Janice, somewhere in the middle I didn’t anymore, I’m sure her life is much different now, but let’s face it – at 17/18 we all know everything and she was no different. I wanted to reach through the pages and smack the heck out of her. *laugh* I wonder if she wants to smack herself at 18? Gah, I know I want to rewind and smack myself around too

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From the Publisher
At fifteen, sick of her unbearable and increasingly dangerous home life, Janice Erlbaum walked out of her family’s Brooklyn apartment and didn’t look back. From her first frightening night at a shelter, Janice knew she was in over her head. She was beaten up, shaken down, and nearly stabbed by a pregnant girl. But it was still better than living at home. As Janice slipped further into street life, she nevertheless attended high school, harbored crushes, and even played the lead in the spring musical. She also roamed the streets, clubs, bars, and parks of New York City with her two best girlfriends, on the prowl for hard drugs and boys on skateboards. Together they scored coke at Danceteria, smoked angel dust in East Village squats, commiserated over their crazy mothers, and slept with one another’s boyfriends on a regular basis.

A wry, mesmerizing portrait of being underprivileged, underage, and underdressed in 1980s New York City, Girlbomb provides an unflinching look at street life, survival sex, female friendships, and first loves.

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