Friction

In Friction, 14-year-old Stacy informs 13-year-old Alex and some of their middle-school classmates that Simon, their science teacher and soccer coach, likes Alex, which takes on significant meaning after Simon's hand accidentally brushes Alex's, "... little, but not a bad shape," breast in school, which left Alex's chest, "... warm and soft ..." And after Alex accidentally sees Simon's penis, "... his rain-slicked wet thing above a jiggling sack of skin, and a nest of brown hair. Everything." on a camping trip, Alex couldn't get her science teacher's, "... thick-looking and sluggy ..." thing out of her head.After Stacy continues to spread the rumor that Simon is attracted to Alex, Tim, a middle-school classmate, informs a bewildered Alex that, "Older men like younger women...Everybody knows it, Alex. Come on." Subsequently, Alex begins to think that maybe she likes her science teacher as well. She said:"What if that slow, sliding feeling I've been getting lately is because I like him? Most of me knows it can't be, but then why am I suddenly restless sometimes, in the middle of the night or at school, or even on the soccer field? Why do I want to feel something light, maybe on the arm or the lips, and how come, even though I think it was an accident that time Simon touched my chest, I can't get it out of my mind?"I'm not going to spoil the ending, but I will say that it involves another dramatic age-discrepant relationship that explains why Stacy insisted on spreading the rumor that Alex and Simon were having an affair.

I have just finished reading three E.R. Frank books in a row. She is three for three, in my opinion.Friction is a very accurate description of an eighth grade classroom and what can happen at a small school when you add a new girl, rumors, and the natural confusion that teens feel as their worlds change from bubble gum and Big Chief Tablets to their periods, puberty and sexual feelings.E.R. Frank does a superb job of drawing the reader into the story, accurately and believably describing the gossip and rumor circles that can easily develop in this type of school setting, and showing how seemingly innocent rumors and drama can turn into very hurtful items.All of the characters in this book learn a solid lesson about life and how important it is to say what you are feeling and speak the truth on behalf of those you care for, or lives can be drastically changed.Friction is a story of life, love, learning, betrayal, repression, trust, friendship, honesty, lies, the importance of parents being there for their children and knowing when a child is crying for help.E.R. Frank knows kids very well. She knows teens even better. Most importantly, E.R. Frank has not lost touch with the younger generations.E.R. Frank is a gift to Young Adult literature, and Friction is just the latest in her series of unforgettable contributions.

Middle grade, well written and poignant. Tackles the disturbing issue of sexual abuse in a direct but age appropriate, sensitive manner.

I read Friction by E. R. Frank a couple days ago. I started it when I finished all of my homework and came to the end of the novel an hour and a half later. If this does not tell you how hard it was to put this book down then I don’t know what will. Throughout, this novel was a major page-turner.The action was non-stop and always had you wondering what was going to come next. I would classify this novel as a mystery as some events occur that no one seems to know what really happened. This novel really caught me off guard when I learned what really happened and this is why that novel was so memorable for me.However, even if it was a page-turner, I was confused about the gender of the main character, Alex, until about half way through the first chapter. I guess this wouldn’t make a difference to some people but the way she explained herself and the events around her, I assumed she was male until someone was talking to her and called her “she”. This caused me to go back to the beginning of the novel to read it with a new perspective with me knowing Alex is female.Overall, I would recommend this novel to anyone over the age of 15. Some of the events would be too extreme for younger readers, but that is just my opinion. It deals with different types of abuse that younger readers may not understand. However, this novel portrayed how close some people can be with their teachers and how much teachers really mean to their students and how many lives they touch. So with this, I challenge you to say thank you to your teachers and let them know how much they have done for you.