Abigail Vona

Abigail thought she was going to a summer camp when her father dropped her off at Peninsula Village in Tennessee. After being escorted by unfriendly staff to a brightly lit room with eight beds, no windows and no door on the bathroom, Abby figures out that this is not your typical summer camp; it is a boot camp for delinquent teens. Abby spends almost a year at the facility, they call it The Village, and almost goes crazy during her stay. In the end she learns to cope with the problems that inspired her parents to send her there in the first place, lying, stealing, drinking, running away. I was a little disappointed in this story. I wanted something a little bit more dramatic and this story left me wanting. Abby is very confused when she first arrives at the facility, not sure why she is there, or what the rules are. She is very frightened by the whole system, but eventually comes to accept it. The story was set up for the reader to hate Peninsula Village but by the end Abby is singing it's praises. I had a hard time reconciling those feelings as a reader.… (meer)

These are the true confessions of a teenage delinquent written as journal entries with comments from her case therapists at the treatment facility. The book provides discussion questions for the readers. Teen readers (male and female) would enjoy this book as there are aspects some could related to, especially, those like (or thinking of becoming like) Abigail. Adults would gain perspective on how teens feel and why they act out. The most redeeming aspect of the book is that she does in fact turn away from a destructive lifestyle. Otherwise, there is nothing "special" that makes her story any different than other self-help memoirs.… (meer)

Finished this one in November 2006. Abby is a troubled teen sent to a restrictive hospital in the American South. Along with other kids who have varying degrees of problems, Abby works through her issues through the help of a twelve step program. Sadly, I thought the rather jarring appearance of the 12 steps ruined the book. I found myself more interested in the horrible things the teens did, rather than the "personal discovery" Abby went through when following the steps. I will not be reccomending this book to anyone.… (meer)