And Now a Word from Our Sponsor

Mary Stevens is a teacher-librarian in Kitchener.

And Now a Word from Our Sponsor describes a summer in the life of Gemma
Valentine. Both her family and best friend exist in worlds of
self-deception. Jasmine, Gemma’s mother, is a waitress who works the
night shift and whose “real” life consists of the wish-fulfilment
world of the soaps; Cole, her younger brother, is the living voice of
advertising; and Selena, her friend, seeks to re-enact the seductive
romanticism of popular movies. Lightning blasts the television
transmission tower on Queen Anne’s Island and, suddenly, lives
previously grounded in the fantasy of television are transformed. Cole
discovers the joy of reading through the Summer Reading Adventures
program at the library; Gemma not only gets a job but also discovers
both a liking for working with children and a new friend, Drew; and
Jasmine takes up Chinese cooking and begins a relationship with Steve
Lucas, the manager of the local foodmarket. In unexpected and amusing
ways, both Jasmine and Cole discover the hollowness of the media world.
Gemma’s friendship with Selena is re-formed along deeper lines.

The author has won prizes for playwriting, and her talent is obvious in
the fast-paced, realistic dialogue here. She deals with issues of
central importance to young adults: namely, friendship, and conformity
versus individuality. Although the moral is a little too forcefully
drawn, intermediate students would still enjoy this engaging,
fast-moving story with its self-reliant central character.
Unfortunately, however, the format of the book is reminiscent of
remedial reading material. Recommended with reservations.