Customer Reviews

Baby Help (Hamilton High series)

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The latest in the "True-to-Life from Hamilton High" series, Marilyn Reynolds' Baby Help is a novel of the nightmare of teen domestic abuse. A young mother doesn't see herself as battered because her boyfriend "only" hits her when he's been drinking... until he starts behaving abusively toward her daughter. That's when she realizes it's time to get out of the relationship - but after she reaches a shelter for battered women, she has second thoughts about leaving, which place her and her daughter's life in mortal jeopardy. Baby Help is a powerfully written fictional treatment of a very real and dangerous issue facing teens today.

Marilyn Reynolds is my new favorite author! Her books capture teen issues, and all of them are so realistic. When I saw this book in the library, I decided to read it. It was the first book by Marilyn Reynolds I ever read.

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'Baby Help' is the story of seventeen-year-old Melissa, who struggles with her two-year-old, Cheyenne, and her abusive boyfriend. Melissa loves Rudy, her boyfriend and the father of Cheyenne, but Rudy hits Melissa. He has for a long time, but nobody's perfect, right? That's what Melissa says, but she can't stand the fact that Rudy is so cruel. But when Rudy really hurts her, Melissa and Cheyenne go to a shelter for battered women.

This is a page-gripping, powerful story of how a teen Mom deals with her abusive lover. I reccomend this for ages 12-90! This book is great!

I first read Marilyn Reynolds' books when I was working with her son, Matt, at Alhambra High School. I was very impressed with how insightful her writing is. Baby help is no acception. I now recommend her books to my high school students and they all say the same thing - "I couldn't put it down." These books even appeal to reluctant readers because they are so well written. Everyone should read these books!

I read this book and I think that girls in this situation can really relate, but I also think that this book would be good for anyone. I couldn't put this book down!

I loved this book it is the best book for a teen to read. In the book the girl is getting abused by her boyfriend then they have a child together and the abuse is more severe than before. so what happens towards the end the girl decide that her daughter dosen't need to see her father beating on her mother so she decides to move to a home for abused women and she stays for six weeks and then decides to move with her mother and her mothers friend. When she moves with them her mother is diagnosed with breast cancer and the girls mother goes through chimotherapy and radiation therapy . The point of the book is that women don't neeed to be abused.

I absolutely loved this book. This is my third time reading it. Marylin Reynolds is a great author I am going to continue to buy more of her books.

Melissa is 17 and already has a two-year-old daughter named Cheyenne. She lives with Rudy, Cheyenne's father, and Irma, Rudy's mother.
During school one day a guest speaker talks to Melissa's class about abused and battered women and about a safe house for them. Melissa doesn't believe she is abused because after all Rudy only hits her when he's drunk. She doesn't get clarity on the situation until Rudy yells at Cheyenne and handles her roughly. Melissa leaves Rudy and goes to the home for battered women, where she meets Daphne, a girl around her age with a three-year-old son. Daphne's husband was her abuser. Daphne's time at the home was short and in just a few weeks she leaves for a halfway house to continue on her journey of healing. With Daphne gone Melissa is lonely and goes back to the only place where she never thought she belonged, to the home of Rudy and Irma.
By being back with Rudy and Irma, she is in a more dangerous situation than before. The physical abuse is worse and the mental abuse has hit a new high. Rudy controls Melissa's every move and she allows it until she hears the news on Daphne. Daphne had also been back in touch with her Husband and was found dead on her apartment floor with her son trying to wake her.
Melissa is horrified and runs from Rudy without looking back. She finds a safe haven at a friend's house until she is back in touch with her mother. Her mother allows her to stay there. Melissa finishes school and is offered a secretary job through her computer science class. I think that is was great how even though Melissa was going through a rough time she manages to finish school, get a job and still put her daughter first. The author portrays this very well because Melissa is very concerned with things like daycare constantly and even when she runs away she doesn't feed herself but she buys Cheyenne what ever she wants.
I didn't like the fact that Cheyenne was suppose to be two but was portrayed in the book as much younger. I do not believe that this is a result of Reynolds's inability to write but more to do with lack of experience with young children. You can visualize Reynolds writing because she uses lots of detail. I believe she should have done more research or observed children in a day care.
I would recommend this book to anyone. It was heartfelt and well written. When Melissa is running from Rudy and holding her daughter you could hear her deep breaths, almost feel like you were running right along side her. At one time or another, anyone would be able to relate to the book and feel the emotions that Melissa is experiencing. Because Melissa escapes Rudy, it makes the book worth reading.

I purchased this book for my daughter. She collects Marilyn Reynolds books. She loved it. It arrived before the due date in good condition. I would have no problems ordering from this site in the future.