Walking Away from Texas

Sharon Bradley

12/4/2005

The narrative opens with high school senior Jaclyn bragging to Katie Mitchell that she will be going to the homecoming dance with foot ball captain Brian Edwards. Even as she was bragging to Katie about her date Jaclyn insisted that Katie must not attend the dance with her childhood friend Alan Thomas. Although they have not dated; Katie and Alan have been best friends since Kindergarten. Jaclyn began dating Alan soon after her arrival at the high school during their Sophomore year, and even though she and Alan no longer date Jaclyn calls him daily. A huge fight in the hall at school, Alan and Jaclyn named homecoming royalty and the night ends without undue problem after all.

When Alan gets football scholarships to several southern schools Katie is torn. She has dreamed of leaving Texas and going to California. Adding to Katie’s frustration is the fact that her parents now insist that Katie attend school in Texas. High school ends, and college begins. Frequent group emails and telephone calls help to keep Katie, Brian, Jaclyn and Alan abreast of each other at college. Brian moves on to begin a life with an old flame. Jaclyn’s childhood interest Zack asks Katie out. Old chum Sarah helps keep Katie grounded. When Alan and Jaclyn finally become engaged Katie finds the courage to step out and begin a life of her own. Will she be able to make it on her own? Katie doesn’t know, but she is going to transfer to California and give it a try.

Walking Away From Texas is a short novel sure to please teenaged girls. Filled with perturbation, typical boyfriend/girlfriend angst and growing up fears Walking Away From Texas is filled with interesting situations and characters. Katie, Jaclyn, Sarah, Alan, Brian, and Zack all seem pretty typical of the young people I know. They express strong opinions, float into and out of relationships with one another and finally begin to settle into relationships that may actually lead to life long commitment.

Language use is not typical, but refreshing to read: I liked the lack of profanity so prevalent among many teens today. While the girls stress over weight and the boys walk in a bit of a fog when it comes to figuring out what they really want the characters all seem pretty much as my own kids, nieces and nephews and the teens at the school where I teach.

Kids tend to face life and problems much differently than most adults, of course. We adults tend to forget we did the same and with our selective memory we remember ourselves so adult. While I would not choose the book for pleasure reading at my age; I did chuckle over many of the situations in which the young folks thrust themselves.

Not a book for middle grades or we ‘older’ folks, but a book sure to please the target audience of teens. I am happy to recommend Walking Away From Texas for the teen pleasure reading library, home school curriculum and public library shelf.

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