Acting Normal - Hardcover
Recovering a suppressed memory during a drama class exercise, eighteen-year-old Stephanie suffers a nervous breakdown and witnesses the shattering of her theatrical dreams before attempting to adjust to a new public school.
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Review:
Many fine young adult novels about molestation have been built on a basic framework: a disturbed teenager hides a traumatic incident, suffers alone, and is finally healed when she is able to share her secret with a therapist or friend. The compelling titles in this genre include When She Hollers, by Cynthia Voigt; Telling, by Marilyn Reynolds; I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This, by Jacqueline Woodson; and The Hanged Man, by Francesca Lia Block. They are now joined by Julia Hoban's compassionate first novel, Acting Normal. Eighteen-year-old Stephanie Holt wants to "act normal" at her new school, which means concealing her past career as an actress in TV commercials, her aspirations to be a "real" actor, and the terrible event in her recent past that has led to a year of institutions and psychiatrists. Her secretiveness separates her from the possibility of friendship until brash, sarcastic Dahlia takes her on as a buddy. With the help of many sessions with an understanding therapist, Stephanie is finally able to face the memory of the nanny who abused her when she was 5 years old--a memory that devastated her when it suddenly surfaced during an acting class. With newfound strength and a clearer understanding that she was not at fault for the abuse, Stephanie is able to help her friend Dahlia solve her problems with an older boyfriend, and to courageously embark upon her own plans to pursue acting. Teens with an interest in repressed memories and troubled childhoods will find Stephanie's revelation moving and inspiring. --Patty Campbell
About the Author:
Julia Hoban's books for children include the I Can Read Books Buzby and Buzby to the Rescue, both illustrated by John Himmelman. An actress and playwright, Ms. Hoban lives in New York City.
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- PublisherHarperTeen
- Publication date1998
- ISBN 10 0060235195
- ISBN 13 9780060235192
- BindingHardcover
- Edition number1
- Number of pages208
- Rating
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Acting Normal
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(1998)
ISBN 10: 0060235195
ISBN 13: 9780060235192
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Acting Normal
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Acting Normal
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ISBN 13: 9780060235192
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Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.85. Seller Inventory # G0060235195I3N10
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ACTING NORMAL.
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NY: HarperCollins, 1998
(1998)
ISBN 10: 0060235195
ISBN 13: 9780060235192
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Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. Hard Cover. FINE in a FINE Dustjacket. FIRST EDITION REVIEW COPY. 206 pages, boards. Story of a nineteen year old aspiring actress who suffers a nervous breakdown as a result of a long- suppressed memory that surfaced in acting class. Seller Inventory # 07000
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