High School: The Most Dangerous Place on Earth

All that glitters is not gold... Just ask the teens in an area just north of San Francisco. They have been given immense opportunities and while they also have everything they could possibly want, they are vulnerable to the secrets they hold–especially in the technological age we currently live in.

Lindsey Lee Johnson’s novel craftily exposes the people within the stereotypes found in high schools. The once popular girl (responsible, early on for the demise of a young classmate) leaves her clique to become one of the campus hippies. A perfect ballerina lives a life completely in control during the week, but goes crazy on the weekends. The high school ‘bad boy’ returns from rehab and tries to pick up the shattered academics he once pushed away from.

The most shocking of all, of course, is the perfect A student who courts the Ivys–and takes this year to be the year where she has a relationship with her teacher. The ramifications of this are great, and far-reaching. Especially when the new teacher from a poorer part of the state also courts the idea of more than a friendship with the teacher. As this new teacher reaches out and tries to be a friend and confidante for her students, the ripples of each of their pasts, and the waves of their current lives will do some possibly irreparable (and far reaching) harm.

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Who would read this: Those recently graduated from ya to adult literature, fans of tom perotta’s work, fans of up the down staircase

Time to Read: 5 hours
Rating: 4.5/5

Funny Story: when I went to high school i was definitely one of the driven kids, but at the same time, i had some more thought-based friend groups. i don’t think i was in any one group.

Final thoughts: this book will be staying with me for quite a while.