Erik & Isabelle Freshman Year at Foresthill High | 
| Author: Kim Wallace
Publisher: Foglight Press
Category: Book
List Price: $12.00
Buy New: $9.60
You Save: $2.40 (20%)
Rating:  15 reviews
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Pages: 235
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.7
ISBN: 0975584804
EAN: 9780975584804
ASIN: 0975584804
Publication Date: August 2004
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| Editorial Reviews:
Book Description
Erik & Isabelle Freshman Year at Foresthill High by Kim Wallace introduces two best friends who share their thoughts and feelings with one another as they experience romantic crushes, family drama, growing pains, and personal victories. Sounds like every other teenager, doesn't it? The clincher is, they're both gay. Erik is a studious, well-mannered young man who is forced to hide his homosexuality from his military father and the gay-baiting bullies at school. Every day Erik is alone, facing the pain of pretending to be someone who he is not, until he meets another boy just like himself on the Internet. Isabelle is a strong-willed, out lesbian—the only one at her conservative school—whose parents embrace her sexuality and self-expression. Isabelle's offbeat sense of humor and unique style attracts the attention of a questioning head-cheerleader. In spite of opposition, they fall in love. Hard. When she experiences the tragedy of her first serious break up, Isabelle nearly self-destructs. Erik and Isabelle, however, triumph over the forces against them with resilience and relentless humor. In light of the present political debates around gay rights and equality, Erik & Isabelle is a timely and relevant series that will help guide GLBT youth onto a path of empowerment and hope. Most of all, Erik & Isabelle sends every reader the same message: No matter who or what we are, all human beings are seeking the same thing: love, acceptance, and understanding.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...
Midwest Book Review, March 2005 Issue March 5, 2005
Lori L. Lake (Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Isabelle and Erik, teenage friends in their first year of high school, are the heroes of this Young Adult novel. Isabelle comes from a family of former hippies who are Peace Corps volunteering, eccentric geniuses. Free spirits and emotionally open, Isabelle's household is warm and inviting, and they are not concerned that she has professed a liking for girls.
Erik's household and life are very opposite from Isabelle's. His father and brother are both Marines, and his household runs with military precision, including their meals being called "rations" and their beds made only with hospital corners. "Erik tried to conform by studying his father and brother's actions and language, but he never seemed to be able to mimic convincingly what came naturally to them. There was a softness in his demeanor that couldn't be ordered out....The gentleness in his hazel eyes refused to be hardened. His father saw and despised this softness" (p. 9). That "softness" is disguised as much as possible by Erik because he is gay.
This book follows the trials and tribulations of these two young people in their first year of high school. The author has planned four books, one for each year of school, to show the ups and down Erik and Isabelle go through. The writing is clear, to the point, and accessible to teens while not being overly simplistic for the adult reader. Kim Wallace has written a realistic and hopeful book that will be enjoyable for anyone, gay or straight. ~Lori L. Lake, reviewer for The Independent Gay Writer and Midwest Book Review
 Couldn't put it down! February 16, 2005
Elizabeth A. Brick (California)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I am always looking for books which reflect real-life situations for teens struggling with real-life issues. Erik and Isabelle provides not only real characters and real situations, it also provides readers of every age with practical resources for surviving and thriving through difficult life-journeys. I believe that E&I has the power to break through the devastating isolation that can characterize the lives of gay teens with compassion and warmth. Besides, I just couldn't put it down!
Teacher Review February 16, 2005
soolai (California)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I found this book to be very real and honest. Being a teacher myself, I found it was helpful to both myself and my students. I have rented out the book with paretnal permission to a couple of my students, and they are biting at the bit for the next book to arrive. From a high school and junior high teacher, though stereotypes are not always kind, parts of them are real, and this book portrays the real life struggles, joys, and disappointments all teens face in some way at one time or another. It is the first gay/lesbian book I have found to recommmend to my students without being outdated or full of academic jargon. It is written from a teenagers point of view, and that is what makes it so popular among teens who are craving a book like this to relate to. It is an easy read, which is vital for our teens today who are overwhelmed with enough tough academic reading. To find an enjoyable and relatable book is rare! I recommend this to be in all high school libraries. Well done!
Teen or adult: a good read with important message. February 14, 2005
S. Perry (Oregon)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This book is written for the adolescent population, though as an adult, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and am anxiously awaiting the next instillation of sophomore year. I am thrilled to have a book that I can share with any teen (gay or straight), to help foster understanding, common ground (we're really more alike then we are different), and communication. I would respectfully disagree with the reviews that labeled this book "unrealistic" ... there were moments in this book that echoed my own very real experiences. There will always be the naysayer in any crowd, but don't let them deter you from this book ... it's a gem!
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