Sugar Rush [Hardcover]

Julie Burchill (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 24, 2005

Sixteen-year-old Kim is horrified when her dad tells her she's got to leave her posh private school and go to infamous Ravendene Comprehensive, 'the source and inspiration of five thousand urban myths and horror stories'. How will she survive in this wild and hormonal adolescent jungle? But then Kim meets gorgeous Maria (better known as Sugar) Sweet, queen of the 'Ravers', and falls instantly under her spell. Leaving her restrained, good-girl past far behind, Kim finds herself not only drawn into Sugar's exciting and daring life - but also asking herself a disturbing question: has she fallen deeply in love with her best friend?

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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up–Kim lives in Brighton, England, with her father and younger brother, Matt; her mother has left them for a younger man and lives in the Caribbean. Kim's voice is authentic teenage, dealing with uncertainty and issues, and with her attraction to superachiever Zoe. Money runs out and Kim must go to a rough-and-tumble local school, leaving Zoe behind. There she meets Maria Sweet, a wild, impulsive Top Girl who tests all limits. Kim and Maria link, indulge themselves in liquor and drugs, and sample with abandon a lesbian relationship. Maria, known as Sugar, betrays Kim and their budding relationship to experiment sexually with men. And Kim somehow picks up the pieces of life and goes on. This is an excellent coming-of-age story that deals with the thoughts and emotions of a girl coming to terms with being lesbian, and also with accepting herself for who she is and not being enamored of the strong personalities around her. British teenage slang will slow American readers down a bit, but not for long, for the dialogue is authentic teen banter. This is a solid addition for most YA collections. All young people need good stories of teen relationships that will help them make their way on the rocky road of growing up.–Alice DiNizo, Plainfield Public Schools, NJ
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 10-12. When her mother runs off with a 28-year-old tycoon, 15-year-old Kim must transfer from exclusive Preston High to Ravendene, a school she describes as "the source and inspiration for five thousand urban myths and horror stories." But to Kim's surprise, she immediately is accepted by Maria Sweet, aka Sugar, and becomes a Raver, a member of the clique of popular and feared bad girls. It's a heady experience until she realizes she feels more than friendship for Sugar. By falling in love, Kim opens herself up to Sugar's manipulative ways, which are far too similar to Kim's mother's. In her first novel for young adults, British journalist Burchill writes in clipped, swift-moving language peppered with easily understood British slang and a few mildly coarse phrases. Older teens will be easily absorbed by this intriguing, suggestive (but not graphic) portrait of young women and their struggles with sexual identity, public opinion about homosexuality, and the real meaning of parenthood, family, and authentic love. Frances Bradburn
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (May 24, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060776196
• ISBN-13: 978-0060776190
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,442,202 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An unexpected twist, April 16, 2010

By 

Alex "The world is vast" (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sugar Rush (Paperback)

This is a good book, not just for teens but for adults as well. I bought it after I watch the tv series hoping it would give me more background stories on each characters, and indeed it did. I was expecting a lite chick lit of course and what do you know, it actually have an unexpected depth and makes one thinks. I love this book so much that I bought the sequel "Sweet"

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars :], February 4, 2009

By 

lo - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sugar Rush (Hardcover)

I've read this book many times. I strongly disagree with all these bad reviews. This book is one of my favorites.
I wasn't a huge fan of how it ended but altogether i loved this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book!!!, July 28, 2007

By 

Fabala-Fae "Em" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sugar Rush (Library Binding)

This book was really great and had the best humor! Definitely sad at parts, but never failed to please.