Melanie and Trent are fighters. They fight to hold their dead-end jobs and stay in school at the same time. They fight to stay off the streets, fight against a welfare system that is worse than useless for them. They fight to stay together. When they manage to find an apartment together things seem to be getting better. But some of the other tenants are wild and dangerous and only make matters worse. And when Trent starts disappearing mysteriously, reappearing with lots of cash, Melanie gets worried. Soon she finds herself fighting alone, fighting to stay alive. Set against the gritty background of inner-city Halifax, Falling Through the Cracks is a story about the difficulties faced by the young and dispossessed, and of the indifference they often face in their struggles to survive.
"Choyce successfully walks the line between turning the story into a didactic cautionary tale and making leaving home seem like an attractive option for dissatisfied teens. A fine independent read, Falling Through the Cracks would make an excellent classroom discussion starter... recommended."
- DaveJenkinson Canadian Book Review Annual
"Choyce has a feeling for the young and dispossessed, for the terrible angst of adolescence and the rituals of rebellion."
- Globe and Mail
"...an outstanding read... Seldom, I think, does an adult writer succeed so completely in understanding and portraying teen-agers.... This is a book that's hard to put down."
- E.E. Cran Telegraph Journal
"Choyce blends just the right amount of reality into this story of abused teenagers.... there are no false notes in this book."
- Karen Shewbridge Evening Telegram
Customer Reviews:
Publication Details:
Binding: Paperback, 121 pages Publication Date: 1st January 1996 ISBN: 9780887803642 Format: 7.75in x 5in
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