Exposure

Susan Kemp is an instructor at the Queen’s School of English,
Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario.

Orca Soundings novels deal with subjects long considered taboo for young
people. Underage drinking, the boycott of fast food, lesbianism, and
pornography may be considered unsuitable by some. But they are all
subjects to which teens are exposed and which they discuss, and
therefore, to have them dealt with sensitively and positively by
believable characters within the framework of a good story can only be a
worthwhile enterprise.

In Exposure, Julie’s life is being ruined by Dana. Dana seems to be
an expert at the worst kind of bullying—verbal abuse, which she uses
cleverly and subtly. When Julie is presented with a perfect opportunity
to get back at her tormentor she couldn’t be more delighted—that is,
until she realizes that cutting Dana down to size will undermine her own
integrity.

The book deals in part with pornography but that difficult subject is
handled with such sensitivity that it teaches a valuable moral lesson.
Exposure speaks to teens, and especially female teens, at their own
level without ever speaking down to them. Its dialogue sparkles and the
characters are believable and real.

Author Patricia Murdoch is language arts teacher in Bradford, Ontario.
This is her first novel and it’s highly recommended.