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Alt Ed
Alt Ed
Alt Ed
Audiobook5 hours

Alt Ed

Written by Catherine Atkins

Narrated by Johanna Parker

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

()

About this audiobook

Award-winning author Catherine Atkins unveils the complex lives of today's teens in a story told through the raw, uncensored voices of its young characters. Shy, fat Susan Calloway knows she has nothing in common with the five other students in the afterschool group counseling sessions she's forced to attend to avoid expulsion. But as Susan and the others verbally attack each other and defend their own viewpoints each week, they begin to understand that none of their lives are as simple and straightforward as they appear on the surface.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateJan 2, 2015
ISBN9781490672557
Alt Ed

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Reviews for Alt Ed

Rating: 3.638461461538461 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

65 ratings8 reviews

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  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Disappointing. There's no depth to the story or the characters.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Susan is fat, Brendan is gay. Together with four other students, they attend an afterschool class with the guidance counselor. Each student has done something that could result in expulsion unless they attend the pilot project “Alternative Education.” Susan and Brendan develop a friendship through unpleasant shared experience: they are both victims of bullying and harassment. Each week, they have to face one of their most vicious tormentors (Cale,) a perfect and popular student (Tracy) whose goals for college eclipse any notice she would normally take of such outsiders as Susan and Brendan. Then there is football star Randy (Susan has a secret and hopeless crush) and the sluttish (name is a blank. Mandy?)This is a very plausible portrayal of the cruelties of adolescent “dissing”, sexual and alcohol abuse (gang rape) and of how seeking peer group approval often overrides compassion. The story explores the concept that encounter groups can be effective and helpful without entirely solving the underlying problems. Susan is also struggling with a father and brother who have yet to come to terms with the death of Susan & Tom’s mother. The story brings in the important themes of silence about loss and parental blindness to teenage problems. This could definitely be a good read for junior high students as they are at the highest risk of initially perpetrating or being victims of bullying and, as witnesses, often feel ill equipped to do anything but "run with the pack".
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Alt Ed is about an over weight girl who has to go to an afternoon therapy class after she was caught spray painting a students car. Only she didn't do. Her soon to be best friend does, but she takes the blame. In the afternoon class she meets different people. Her best friend is one of them. They all have problems concernig school. Like her best friend is gay. Going to the classes help her better herself and her personality towards the people around her. I like this book because it shows that everyone has problems no matter how big or small they are.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The book Alt. Ed is a about a teenage girl. She got put into a special class, created by her school for the students that deserve to be expelled; it is kind of like a second chance. The girls name is Susan and she is scared to live her life after being bulled for being overweight. In this class she learns to speak her mind. This is an excellent book for teens that need some inspiration in their life’s.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Susan is an overweight girl who fears being ridiculed at school. She has no friends and she spends most of her time trying to make herself invisible and being suspicious of anyone who talks to her.. waiting for the "fattie" punchline. Susan is accused of vandalizing her main abuser's truck. She is due to be expelled but is sent to "Alt Ed" instead. She and 5 other kids sit in a room together after school and talk about their feelings and each other. It plays out exactly like a rated PG version of Breakfast Club, except well supervised and far less edgy.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Reminded me of The Breakfast Club: a diverse group of teens learns about themselves and each other in an after-school counseling group. But less endearing and affecting, somehow.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    overweight girl in high school attends an after school program and learns about life.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Susan is fat and the bullies at school never miss a chance to remind her. After nearly getting expelled for something she did, Susan joins a special class for other students who are also in danger of being kicked out of school. The group includes one of the bullies, a popular guy, a popular girl, a girl with a bad reputation, and a guy she who is becoming her friend. It's rough at first, but slowly the group starts to talk and figure each other out. Great book about becoming aware of your own strengths and learning to ignore stereotypes, rumors, and bullies.