Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead
Text Publishing, 2015. ISBN 9781925240320
(Age: 11+) Highly recommended. Bridge, Tabitha and Emily swore that
they wouldn't fight but now that they are in Grade 7, things are
beginning to change. Emily has connected with the soccer team,
Bridge has taken to wearing cat's ears all the time and Tab is
obsessed with a feminist teacher. Then Emily begins to text pictures
of herself to Patrick and the girls find themselves with problems.
At the same time, another teen is skipping school and going through
pangs of remorse because she has betrayed her best friend.
This is a stunning read about making mistakes, the joys and
tribulations of friendships and growing up by a wonderful author who
writes in a very sympathetic and compassionate way. The reader knows
that Emily will get into trouble when she starts sending photos of
herself to Patrick and receiving ones from him. Even though Bridge
and Tab try to persuade her of the folly of doing it, Bridge still
helps her take a photo. The way the girls handle this misstep and
the consequences of the mistake make for spell-binding reading. At
the same time an unnamed girl is relating the mistake she has made
about telling a secret to a friend who can't be trusted, and the
reader is kept guessing just who this might be.
The relationships between Emily and Patrick and Bridge and Sherm are
handled with a deft touch. Sherm is angry with his grandfather, who
has left his grandmother after 50 years of marriage, and the reader
finds out about this in a series of letters that he writes but
doesn't post. It is unusual to read about divorce between an older
couple and Stead shows how a marriage break-up can affect people of
all ages. Tab too comes to realise that she must act responsibly
within her feminist beliefs. Stead also subtly shows the physical
differences that can occur as girls grow up. Emily's body has
matured and she is becoming much more interested in boys, while
Bridge is still looking young.
Utimately this is an unforgettable book about young girls coming of
age written with wit and compassion. It would make an interesting
Literature Circle book engendering discussion about the
appropriateness of sending photos, what makes a good friend and how
to overcome the consequences of a bad decision.
Pat Pledger