'Being Sixteen' explores teenage life

"BEING SIXTEEN," by Allyson Braithwaite Condie, Deseret Book, 250 pages, $15.99 (young adult)

When you're a teenager, turning 16 is just about the biggest milestone you can reach. For many it means a driver's license and the chance to begin dating.

In "Being Sixteen," BYU graduate and Orem resident Allyson Braithwaite Condie explores one teen's experiences.

Juliet has been dreaming of her sweet 16 forever. She's watched her two older sisters reach that milestone and now it's her turn.

And at first, everything is perfect — friends, a boyfriend and a position on the varsity basketball team.

But nothing is ever perfect. It doesn't take long for things to start falling apart — her new basketball coach hates her, her boyfriend is looking at other girls, and there's something very wrong going on with her younger sister, Carly.

As the year progresses, Juliet learns that there's more to life than the typical trappings of a high school student.

While "Being Sixteen" is set against the backdrop of devastating eating disorders, Condie uses it as a tool to focus on family, testimony and the bonds of sisterhood.

This is Condie's fifth LDS-market title and will likely be the last for some time. In December she signed a three-book deal with Dutton Children's Books.

There's no doubt that "Being Sixteen" is an LDS-themed book. Non-LDS young adults, however, may want to give it a try. Condie's treatment of eating disorders and the effect they have on families is heartfelt and courageous. One can only hope she'll bring that kind of commitment to her future writing.

To purchase "Being Sixteen" go to deseretbook.com

e-mail: jharrison@desnews.com