Choices | 
 enlarge | Author: Kate Buckley
Publisher: iUniverse, Inc.
Category: Book
List Price: $13.95
Buy New: $8.72
You Save: $5.23 (37%)
New (13) Used (8) from $8.27
Avg. Customer Rating:  9 reviews
Sales Rank: 862632
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 170
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.6
ISBN: 0595409261
EAN: 9780595409266
ASIN: 0595409261
Publication Date: May 4, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: Brand New! Perfect Condition!
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Product Description
Binge drinking, date rape, family secrets, and teen pregnancy collide in Choices, a compelling and bumpy coming-of-age journey that hurtles fifteenyear- old Kara MacNeill into a state of panic, fear, and confusion. A sophomore at an all-girls Catholic academy in Colorado, Kara finds herself crossing the line into womanhood after an arrogant high school basketball star rapes and impregnates her, and then urges her to get an abortion. Facing lifealtering decisions and a major confrontation with her conservative Catholic parents, Kara discovers the allies that will help her to deal with her crisis and recover from her mistakes. Choices is the powerful story of a teenage girl who learns to think for herself, take responsibility for her choices, and discover a solid sense of self along the way. This young adult novel tackles date rape and abortion with remarkable tenderness. Ms. Magazine A Catholic teenager collides head-on with the doctrine of her youth A fast paced story that portrays real events to which many teens can easily relate. Kirkus Discoveries
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| Customer Reviews: Read 4 more reviews...
great book July 28, 2008
Juno meets real life.
This book is a great read, its very real and down-to-earth.
Its written very well and very emotional.
I loved it!
All choices have consequences... July 8, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
In this novel for young adults--with something valuable to say to older adults, as well--Kate Buckley has had the courage to take on subject matter few will touch. As evidence: after a long search for a traditional publisher, Buckley had to self-publish for her story to see print. While none of the traditional publishers denied the quality and value of Buckley's writing, all were squeamish at backing up a topic that continues to ignite a furor among those who are pro-life and those who defend a woman's right to make choices about her pregnancy. Only after Buckley's book saw quick success and critical acclaim (Kirkus, Ms. Magazine, and others) did traditional publishers consider her work, and Choices may yet see the imprint of one of these on its title page in a second printing.
The author comes to her writing with substantial experience. A Santa Fe, New Mexico resident, Buckley holds a master's in human development with a concentration in women's studies. She has facilitated support groups for girls in California and New Mexico. An activist for women's rights, she has worked as a teen advocate in the Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women's Teen Abuse Prevention Project and has trained for the LA Commission's Rape Crisis Hot Line team. Buckley has administered a three-year, science based drug and alcohol abuse prevention program in public middle schools of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
When Buckley wrote Choices, she meant it to be read and discussed not only by teen girls, but to open lines of communication between girls and their mothers, equally their fathers and brothers, even an entire community, for it takes a village to protect a young woman. Indeed, this is the line running through the novel. When 15 year old Kara MacNeill finds herself pregnant after being raped by a school jock at a party, she must confront her every fear in dealing with a moral and ethical dilemma. There is the rape itself. She must cope with the violation of body, mind and spirit that a person undergoes after a rape. To complicate matters, Kara's mother is an impassioned pro-life activist who often has her daughter help in passing our flyers and joining in protests against abortion clinics. Surely, Kara will not find help in her dilemma at home. Time is of essence, however, as Kara searches for support in various places with varied results. The young rapist adds pressure to abort the fetus, for, as it turns out, she is not the first girl in school he has raped. The complicit and shamed silence in his female victims is something he has come to rely upon.
Choices addresses all variations and possible solutions to a problem too many adolescent girls and young women face. Is Kara in some manner responsible? Is a girl at a party who drinks too much accountable for what a boy does to her? Will a parent who has strong pro-life views feel the same way when a daughter has been raped? As simple as it can be to hold firm views when they apply to others, the insights Kara's parents experience when the results of rape hit home are fascinating for the reader to witness.
This is a story about growing up, about being accountable and taking responsibility, about taking risks and being honest when honesty becomes a matter of life and death. This is a story about what it means to be a young not-yet-woman in a society that often puts the blame and the shame on the female (in no small part due to the views of women themselves about being "nice" and that "boys will be boys") when sex becomes an act of force. Kudos to Buckley for speaking up.
Author interview in the Summer 2008 issue of The Smoking Poet.
~Zinta Aistars for The Smoking Poet
Choices: A Book Every Teenager Should Read October 8, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Ever felt like the really tough decisions you face as a young adult, or parent of one, are just too complicated, painful and ultimately not worth facing? Then you should read Kate Buckley's "Choices." In a story of Kara, a young woman who gets pregnant in high school and sees her whole world unraveling in loneliness, fear and rejection, author Buckley reaches deep down into the humanity of Kara herself, her best friend Mel, and her parents, and shows us how their seemingly daunting circumstances turn into a profound wake up call to be courageous, face the truth and discover one of life's miracles: that people deep down inside really do care for each other despite circumstances that may seem impossible.
Written with ease and a compelling sense of "I can't put this book down", "Choices" will help you see your way through and shine new light on the choices you face. And for everyone, by the end of the book you'll feel like you are better person. Thank you Kate Buckley for a wonderful gift.
A catalyst for parents and teens.... August 29, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I recently read the book Choices I was not sure what to expect just knowing it was geared toward teen aged girls. As a mother of a 16 year old girl Choices is a wonderful catalyst for parents and children to have this sometimes "unapproachable talk" about the pressures of drinking, sex, social life and the importance of education. Even as a means for the girls and boys to talk and find out more about each other ...or just to give it food for thought.
What would you do if you were in her shoes at what point would it have become different for you? Would it have played out the same?
My daughter is dating a boy for a year now. I think it is important to know that there are consequences for every action. Some aren't earth shattering and some change you forever.
Just have some forethought.
Must read!! August 24, 2007
Reviewed by Tabytha Joy (age 15) for Reader Views (8/07)
"Choices" is the story of a teenage girl, Kara, who wants to be more like other girls her age. She wants to go out more often and go out at night, but her parents won't let her. They are strict and give her an early curfew even though she is fifteen. Kara decides to sneak out her bedroom window to go to parties with Jake (a popular boy she meets at a basketball game).
Many difficult consequences result from Kara making this choice. After going out with Jake several times, Kara overdoes it with Jell-o shots at a party and ends up getting raped. She does not tell anyone what has happened until she discovers she is pregnant. Kara lives in Colorado where you must have a parent's permission, if you are under eighteen, even to get birth control.
After this happens, Kara blames herself for everything. She becomes depressed and hopeless. She thinks because she made bad decisions that she must suffer for them. But as the story unfolds, Kara learns a lot, and she grows.
I really enjoyed reading this book and it taught me some very good lessons. One of those lessons is that your parents tell you "no" because they want to protect you in every way possible. Sometimes you have to learn the hard way to understand why your parents are the way they are.
Anything can happen to anyone, at any time. But, if something happens to you, it is not always your fault. Sometimes you are a victim, and sometimes, just talking about it and getting your feelings out can help you begin to feel better.
"Choices" is a must read for everyone! We can all relate to something in this story. Great job, Kate!
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