Black Tuesday
by Susan Colebank

    BLACK TUESDAY by Susan Colebank
    Category:  Contemporary
    Age Recommendation:  Grades 9+
    Release Date:  6/14/07
    Publisher:  Dutton
    Reviewed by:  Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"
    Rating:  4 Stars


    Jayne Thompkins lives a charmed life.  She gets straight A's, will probably be chosen captain of her tennis team,
    and plans to go to Harvard.  She has a rather annoying younger sister, but her mother is somewhat of a local TV
    celebrity and her father is supportive and sensitive.  Life couldn't get much better, unless maybe, Jayne could
    squeeze in a little time for a boyfriend.

    One Tuesday afternoon, one cell phone call, and one red light change everything for Jayne Thompkins.  Rushing
    to tennis practice and as usual annoyed by a call from her sister, Ellie, Jayne runs a red light and smashes into a
    car.  A little girl riding in the front seat without a seatbelt has her neck broken.  After being pronounced brain
    dead, the little girl is eventually removed from life support, and Jayne must live with what she's done.

    Her license is suspended until age 18, she must fulfill a community service requirement, and she is required to
    report to a probation officer and attend counseling sessions.  Jayne's life is no longer about good grades and future
    plans.  Why not test the limits and spread her wings?  Nothing really matters anymore, or at least that's the way
    things seem.  Jayne chooses a new direction.  Being more like her rebellious younger sister seems more attractive
    when she thinks she has nothing more to lose.

    Jayne finds out that facing friends and fellow classmates is not easy. People she once counted on are no longer
    there for her. Pressure from her mother causes her to behave in ways she never would have dreamed possible.
    And to complicate matters, her community service hours put her in contact with someone who takes advantage of
    her lack of experience in romantic relationships.

    Susan Colebank gives readers a glimpse into the world of a teen whose life is coming apart at the seams.  Teens
    feeling that their lives are out of control will identify with Jayne's story.  Seeing what it's like to hit bottom and then
    struggle to return to a former life makes this a definite must read.