Exposed by Kimberly Marcus

It is raining today in Boulder, Colorado where I am vacationing while my husband attends a conference. Rain storms and new cities mean one thing...time to explore a new bookstore. That is what I did this morning, I snooped around the very impressive independent Boulder Bookstore. I was in awe of the place. It had a bit of Powell's Bookstore (Portland, Oregon) feel to it as it was covered with signs telling patrons where to go to find their particular favorites. I eventually found my way to the YA section and picked up a few books before finally settling into a chair in the corner with Exposed by Kimberly Marcus. Just then the rain really started to pour outside. I decided that I might as well read a bit since the weather was not inviting me to explore other parts of the Pearl Street Mall.

Exposed is the story of two girls, Liz and Kate, who will be best friends forever.  Kate loves dance and Liz loves photography. They are just starting their senior years with dreams of going to college when suddenly they find themselves and their friendship torn apart by accusations and circumstances related to Mike, Liz's brother.

The book, written in free-verse poetry, is very readable and can be read in one sitting.  I know.  I read it in one sitting right there in the corner of the Boulder Bookstore. The storyline is very compelling and not overly melodramatic, but it sure had that potential. The story is told from Liz's point-of-view so there were several references to photography terms which I found helpful and clever. I know that fans of Laurie Halse Anderson or Gayle Forman will really like this book for its subject matter, and Ellen Hopkins or Sonya Sones fans for the free-verse poetry style. I'm adding this book to my list of good books for teens that cover depressing subjects. See that list here.