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43rd out of 149 books
—
414 voters
Brianna on the Brink
by
Nicole McInnes (Goodreads Author)
A one-night stand has life-altering consequences for popular, sixteen-year-old Brianna, who must then accept help from the one person closest to her mistake.
Hardcover, 176 pages
Published
January 7th 2013
by Holiday House
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This was a very quick read – and there is a lot packed into the 170 pages. While, for me, the rating was lower, I can see a reluctant reader being pulled into the story & drama and rating it higher. The book’s shortness also will have appeal to reluctant readers. Given the topics involved, high school students and older.
The story starts with a bang as Brianna tells readers what not to do when “the guy you just went all the way with keels over from a heart attack.” So, I was immediately sucke...more
The story starts with a bang as Brianna tells readers what not to do when “the guy you just went all the way with keels over from a heart attack.” So, I was immediately sucke...more
16-year-old high school cheerleader Brianna Taylor has a deadbeat mom, an unforgiving sister, no positive role models, and a lot more freedom than her maturity level warrants. She’s been spiraling down before the story’s start, and one lie that precipitates an impulsive act with serious and far-reaching consequences lands Brianna in a homeless shelter. When the once popular girl tries to reengage in school, she is shunned in the mean way that only high school kids can do to each other, and even...more
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I will admit upfront this book made me cry, but in both a good and bad way. Brianna is a 16 year old high school student that ends up having a one night stand that leaves her pregnant. While this is a typical scenario this story does not have your typical ending and that is what I think was the most compelling about this story.
In this small book you see dramatic changes in the character. You see her have to make some very adult decisions quickly and how she handles them. Nothing comes easy for B...more
In this small book you see dramatic changes in the character. You see her have to make some very adult decisions quickly and how she handles them. Nothing comes easy for B...more
Brianna is a popular cheerleader with a messed up family. Her mother has a new life with a new man, so Brianna is sleeping in her sister’s laundry room. In the first chapter, she picks up a nice looking man at a bar, he dies after they have sex, and she discovers that he is her English teacher’s husband. When her sister kicks Brianna out, she ends up living with her English teacher…..then she turns up pregnant.
WOW! That’s a lot for such a slim book (only 170 pages!) but McInnes pulls it off....more
WOW! That’s a lot for such a slim book (only 170 pages!) but McInnes pulls it off....more
Apr 02, 2013
Gillysegal
added it
A very interesting contemporary issues book about a young woman who makes some bad choices and ends up living with the consequences of her actions.
The set up (Brianna ends up pregnant by her teacher's husband, who dies on the night of their one night stand) becomes slightly implausible (the teacher ends up taking her in while she's pregnant) but oddly, that relationship became the most interesting part of the novel. Brianna is surrounded by people who let her down and desert her and she's not a...more
The set up (Brianna ends up pregnant by her teacher's husband, who dies on the night of their one night stand) becomes slightly implausible (the teacher ends up taking her in while she's pregnant) but oddly, that relationship became the most interesting part of the novel. Brianna is surrounded by people who let her down and desert her and she's not a...more
Our heroine begins the story as a small-time bully who is way too worried about what others think about her. I was immediately interested. (I get bored with the "I'm too smart and can't stop reading books and writing in my journal" protags.) We also learn that there are some major reasons behind her insecurities. But life doesn't stop and allow Brianna to learn to love herself, instead, it pushes Brianna right to the brink. And it's SOME BRINK! This was a very real story, with real bad things th...more
Dec 18, 2012
Megan (The Book Babe)
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Shelves:
received-for-review,
reviewed-on-my-site
Due to copy and paste, formatting has been lost.
I don't really know what to say about this one--I did like it, and it was amazing sometimes, but other times I just found myself thinking that it was a bit cliched...slightly traveling along with the sludge pile, and being everything that people say a good young adult novel should be. I'm not saying that it sucked or anything, I'm just saying that I would have loved more complexities.
I'm not saying that simple stories don't rock, I'm just a fan o...more
Sixteen-year-old Brianna never expected her life would change the night she met Derek. She was popular, a cheerleader, well known, and had a great group of friends. Even though her mother never cared about her and had kicked her out of the house so she could marry her boyfriend and she was now forced to live in a tiny corner of her sister’s apartment with her sister’s boyfriend, life was still good.
Read the rest of my review on my blog: http://shouldireaditornot.wordpress.c...
Read the rest of my review on my blog: http://shouldireaditornot.wordpress.c...
While the writing was decent and there were some interesting points, I just kept asking myself, what's the point? Where's the plot? What do I have to hope for that Brianna will eventually accomplish? Well, I couldn't figure it out. It's pretty much just all going with the flow, not really heading anywhere. None of the characters were likable, even the ones who were supposed to be the cute nerdy kids or the motherly teacher. They all came off as fake and unimportant.
[spoiler]One of the things th...more
[spoiler]One of the things th...more
Brianna Taylor has problems: her mother has never acted like a parent should, both her older sister and her best friend have kicked her out of their houses, and now sixteen year old Brianna finds out she’s pregnant. Nicole McInnes’s debut YA novel emotionally addresses the despondency many teens face on a daily basis. Brianna may be a product of poor parenting and disloyal friends, but her dilemma is also the consequence of her own wayward behavior and decisions. Narrated in Brianna’s own fantas...more
Brianna on the Brink isn't fast paced or action packed, but it does pack a bit of a punch. Brianna's story definitely has life altering consequences and we start to see what those are from page one. While a bit jarring at first, to start right from where the problems really start to snowball, it ended up really working for me. We get a lot of Brianna's backstory worked in throughout the book and by the end I felt like I had a whole picture of Brianna's life.
Things for Brianna have never been eas...more
Things for Brianna have never been eas...more
The consequences of a one night stand take Brianna from popular cheerleader to school joke. Even her best friends are mean. Can she accept help from the one person who should hate her the most?
This mature novel addresses many sensitive subjects including teen pregnancy, bullying, and homelessness. This first time author avoids the gory details while still representing the issues. It’s a quick read, but way too mature for middle school, it may be a good fit for the high school library.
This mature novel addresses many sensitive subjects including teen pregnancy, bullying, and homelessness. This first time author avoids the gory details while still representing the issues. It’s a quick read, but way too mature for middle school, it may be a good fit for the high school library.
Recommended for fans of: YA Contemporary
At times Brianna is not the most likeable of girls. If you’ve read my recent blog post on anti-heroes through, you’ll know that this makes me even more intrigued by her character. She’s shallow and mean, kind of a bully, and way too worried about her looks and what others think of her. This is what makes the story though, because she’s a regular, insecure teenage girl with a crappy home life. Brianna definitely grows throughout this story, as she is forced...more
At times Brianna is not the most likeable of girls. If you’ve read my recent blog post on anti-heroes through, you’ll know that this makes me even more intrigued by her character. She’s shallow and mean, kind of a bully, and way too worried about her looks and what others think of her. This is what makes the story though, because she’s a regular, insecure teenage girl with a crappy home life. Brianna definitely grows throughout this story, as she is forced...more
Mar 26, 2013
Karen Yingling
added it
Picked up at Book Look, but NOT middle school appropriate. Not sure about this even in a high school library, since girl has unprotected one night stand with guy who ends up being teacher's husband. He has heart attack, she's pregnant. A bit much. That said, I have a student who would probably adore it. Sending to high school.
What a delightful read! I couldn't put it down and just zipped through it. I absolutely loved Brianna. She was dealt such a hand in life and I really felt for her as she struggled through. This is a quick and entertaining read with very smooth writing.
Feb 11, 2013
Liesl Shurtliff
added it
16-year-old Brianna's life is altered when a one-night stand ends in disaster. This book deals with tough and controversial issues with depth and tenderness. Brianna is a multi-layered character with an authentic teen voice.
This is a quick read that will be especially perfect for reluctant readers. Brianna is witty and engaging, and readers will be able to empathize with her mistakes as well as cheer on her turnaround. Loved it.
BRIANNA ON THE BRINK felt very real to me. The characters and setting and plot are very believable. While at first, I didn't care about Brianna because she was a typical snarky cheerleader and a bit rough around the edges, as I got to know her, I began to understand her and to root for her. I wanted everything to work out for her. I laughed and I cried, which for me, is the ultimate test of a good book. It's a book about choices and consequences and unconventional relationships. I highly recomme...more
Complex YA contemporary fiction. Most of all, a story about forgiveness. Bonus points for the Arizona setting. I was wrapped up in the lives of Brianna, Jane, and Earl from the first pages.
May 22, 2013
Ruth
marked it as to-read
May 22, 2013
Jer N
marked it as to-read
May 20, 2013
Megan Nichole
marked it as to-read
May 17, 2013
Samantha
marked it as to-read
May 17, 2013
Sapir
marked it as to-read
May 16, 2013
Stacie Butler
marked it as to-read
May 14, 2013
Chey
marked it as to-read
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