Out of the Fire: A Young Adult Novel - Softcover

Froese, Deborah

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1894549090 ISBN 13: 9781894549097

Publisher: Sumach Press, 2001

Synopsis

Life finally seems good to sixteen-year-old Dayle. No longer a self-conscious bookworm, she's captured the attention of Keith, the perfect dream boyfriend. Her worries are the same as those of most teens her age. She wants to stay friends with her long-time best friend Amy while pursuing the excitment of her relationship with Keith. At the same time, she has to fend off the embarrassing overtures of another friend Stu, and tend to her schoolwork and the usual demands of family. But suddenly Dayle's world turns inside out when a moment of carelessness causes tragedy. She is badly burned, and one of her friends is gravely injured. Stage by stage and day by day, Dayle endures, drawing strength from her family and friends and sustained by the memory of a strong and loving grandmother. Out of the Fire follows Dayle's despair and triumph as she learns painfully that her own resources go much deeper than appearances.

About this title

Review

"This excellent novel deals forthrightly with guilt, forgiveness and how our behaviour affects our families and friends"

Synopsis

Life seems good to sixteen-year-old Dayle. No longer a self-conscious bookworm, she's well aware that it's her looks that have drawn the attention of her new boyfriend Keith, a handsome jock. She's excited about this, even if it is causing friction with her long-time best friend, Amy. Dayle is no dreamer: she knows looks count. But Dayle is forced to explore the depths beneath the surface when a moment of carelessness at a teenage bonfire party causes tragedy. Dayle is badly burned, one of her friends gravely injured.This book follows Dayle as she undergoes a lengthy recovery, tracking her despair and triumph as she learns that her own resources go much deeper than appearances. Despite the physical and emotional pain and the fear that she will be shunned by her peers and lose Keith because of her scars, stage by stage and day by day Dayle endures. Guided by the memory and example of a strong and loving grandmother, and sustained by her family and friends, Dayle fashions a new and more deeply rooted life for herself. Froese provides an accurate portrayal of the trauma and long recovery process following a severe burn.

Her carefully crafted plot and deft, polished prose capture the subtleties and contradictions of her teenage characters' inner lives as well as their interactions with one another. This is an honest, discerning novel which faithfully conveys the complexities of life faced by contemporary teens.

Edition details

• Publisher: Sumach Press
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1894549090
• ISBN 13: 9781894549097
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288