Exposed [Hardcover]

Kimberly Marcus (Author)

Book Description

Release date: February 22, 2011

In the dim light of the darkroom, I'm alone, but not for long.
As white turns to gray, Kate is with me.
The background of the dance studio blurred, so the focus is all on her
legs extended in a perfect soaring split.
The straight line to my squiggle,
my forever-best friend.

Sixteen-year-old Liz is Photogirl—sharp, focused and confident in what she sees through her camera lens. Confident that she and Kate will be best friends forever.

But everything changes in one blurry night. Suddenly, Kate is avoiding her, and people are looking the other way when she passes in the halls. As the aftershocks from a startling accusation rip through Liz's world, everything she thought she knew about photography, family, friendship and herself shifts out of focus. What happens when the picture you see no longer makes sense? What do you do when you may lose everything you love most? Told in stunning, searingly raw free verse, Exposed is Kimberly Marcus's gut-wrenching, riveting debut and will appeal to fans of Ellen Hopkins, Laurie Halse Anderson and Virginia Euwer Wolff.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (February 22, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375866930
• ISBN-13: 978-0375866937
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 8.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #183,235 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Liz and Kate are forever-best friends preparing for the next chapter: college. There�s no doubting Liz�s major�photography�but she is frustrated with Kate�s refusal to pursue her dream of dancing. It�s partly this disagreement that leads to a fight during their monthly sleepover, after which Kate refuses to speak to Liz. Soon the secret of that night comes out: Kate was raped by Liz�s brother. At least that�s what she says�Liz�s brother�s denial sounds just as credible. Marcus, a writer without a melodramatic bone in her body, handles the plot with utmost naturalism: once spoken, the accusation splinters alliances among Liz�s friends and family, and the courtroom conclusion is wonderfully devoid of theatrics. The novel is written in free-verse poetry (My mother has pinned / all her hopes on me. / And I can�t pull out / the pins), though it�s unclear why, other than that the book would struggle to reach novel length using standard paragraphs. The upside is that it reads in a single sitting and whets the appetite for whatever Marcus does next. Grades 7-10. --Daniel Kraus

About the Author

KIMBERLY MARCUS lives with her husband and two children near the beach in Massachusetts, not far from the ferry to Martha's Vineyard. She is a clinical social worker specializing in the treatment of childhood and adolescent trauma. Exposed is her first novel. You can visit her on the Web at KimberlyMarcus.com.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (February 22, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375866930
• ISBN-13: 978-0375866937
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 8.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #183,235 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful! April 4, 2011

By Valerie A. Baute

Format:Hardcover

This book is written in verse. I'm very critical of books written in verse. They really have to have a great story in order for me to like them. Thankfully, this book won me over.

This is a very powerful book. The main character, Liz, is best friends with Kate. After a fight between them one night, things seem to get really bad, and Liz isn't sure why. Once she finds out why, her whole world is torn apart. Can everything work out in the end? Is there any way that everything even can work out, or will someone be hurt regardless? Will anyone's life not be changed?

I think that free verse works when there is a powerful story because the filler that you often get in other stories isn't there. The main character is developed through wonderful words, and you learn just enough about all of the other characters to see what they are like and form your own opinions of them. The story has some suspense, but being such a short read, you find out what happens quick enough. This helps keep the reader's attention. There is no need to hear every little detail about a party that really wasn't important to the main theme, but yet the party was important enough to be included. Just enough of every event is mentioned to show progression and show how things end up. Basically, when written well, free verse works. In this story, it worked well.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars A Disappointing Read August 17, 2011

By Erica

Format:Hardcover

Exposed's premise intrigued me from the start. My first thought after reading it was actually, oh maybe it'll be like Speak! And then I noticed it would be in verse and I thought - hey cool, kind of like Ellen Hopkins. I really wanted to like Exposed more but it just came up short of my expectations I had for it.

My big thing with Exposed was that I had trouble connecting with the story and characters. I am not huge on poetry, and I refused to pick up any books in verse until last semester I had to read Impulse by Ellen Hopkins for my YA Lit class at school. Exposed just didn't make me feel anything for the characters - and with the situation at hand, I thought it'd be an emotional fiesta.

Now that's not to say the writing wasn't good - I absolutely loved the writing of the verse. There were so many beautiful phrasings that when I read them I just smiled.

I also had a bit of an issue with the relationships in the book. None of them felt authentic. I found Liz and Kate's friendship really odd. The one relationship that seemed to work in the book was Liz and Brian. I found them adorable in the few appearances Brian made.

I really like the cover - It's quite eerie and it's a cover that really makes me think for a second when I look at it. Exposed is a fast read - I read it in about an hour and a half. I just didn't feel much of anything and I just breezed by the pages. For me it's a book that I'd suggest waiting to get from the library or borrowing from a friend.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars a fast-paced free verse novel that hammered me with emotion April 3, 2011

By Medeia Sharif

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Liz's best friend Kate is acting strange after an argument during a slumber party, avoiding Liz with a barrier of silence and distance. When Liz persists in finding out what the real problem is, she gets the shock of her life.

Kate accuses Liz's brother Mike of rape. Even though she's been Liz's best friend for many years, the sight of Liz reminds her of that dreadful night, when after the argument Kate was raped by Mike while Liz was upstairs. Life becomes imbalanced: how can Liz support her brother, family, and best friend's point of views? And who is she supposed to believe? The guilt also runs deep, because she left her best friend alone for her brother to prey on.

This is a fast-paced free verse novel that hammered me with emotion. Liz and her dilemmas lingered with me after I finished the book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Will leave you quietly stunned, contemplating May 10, 2011

By Milw. Writer

Format:Hardcover

EXPOSED is a powerful YA novel told in verse that will leave you temporarily stunned, contemplating the circumstances from each characters' perspective. This novel will leave you with as many questions as it does answers, first and foremost when there are no witnesses and two perspectives, was it rape or was it sex, especially if your brother and best friend are involved? EXPOSED is multi-dementional from the perspective that this novel focuses on photography but also personal exposure. Kimberly does a fabulous job exposing the emotions of the MC Lizzie, her brother Brian, and their parents as well as the BFF Kate (victim). Sometimes it's like ripping off a Band-Aid, other times the character is exposed slowly. Either way, it's highly effective. Whether you are a fan of novels written in verse or not EXPOSED is an important, not-to-miss read!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for all teens and pre-teens! March 3, 2011

By Dawn E. Butcher

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I just finished Exposed; I read it on my Kindle in one sitting because it is such a powerful and true book I simply couldn't put it down! Liz (Photogirl) and Kate (Mistress of Modern Dance) are best friends their entire lives, until the night Liz's gorgeous brother Mike comes home late and finds Kate sleeping alone downstairs. Soon Kate is accusing Mike of rape and he is denying it; the fallout is devastating for everyone involved. Told in free verse from Liz's point of view, Exposed honestly explores the complicated tangle of emotions Liz experiences in the months between Kate's shocking revelation and the verdict in Mike's trial. The book is beautifully written and a quick read, a cautionary tale that doesn't feel preachy or contrived. The style and substance of the book will remind readers of Ellen Hopkins's extremely popular free verse novels, but Exposed is far less graphic in nature. I highly recommend it for both teen and preteen audiences. Girls will love it; boys should read it.
Dawn Butcher, 7-12 Library Media SpecialistKindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, Graphite, 6" Display with New E Ink Pearl TechnologyIdenticalBurned