Leftovers

By Laura Wiess

What if your family couldn't protect you?

What if it was your family you needed protecting from?

Forgiveness is far off for teenagers Blair and Ardith, best friends and accomplices in a terrible crime. At the home of the only adult they trust, a police officer, the girls confess every horrifying detail. But it soon becomes clear the act was not one of malice or revenge, but borne of fierce loyalty and an unimaginable desperation.

Written off by abusive parents and mocked and shunned by their classmates, Blair and Ardith had found a safe haven with one another. And when that haven was threatened, they realised they would have to do everything in their power to protect it. Whatever the cost.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
• Release date: Sep 4, 2008
• ISBN: 9781847395986

Laura Wiess

Laura Wiess is the author of the critically acclaimed novels Such a Pretty Girl, chosen as one of the ALA’s 2008 Best Books for Young Adults and 2008 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers, and Leftovers. Originally from Milltown, New Jersey, she traded bumper-to-bumper traffic, excellent pizza, and summer days down the shore for scenic roads, bears, no pizza delivery, and the irresistible allure of an old stone house surrounded by forests in Pennsylvania’s Endless Mountains Region. Email Laura Wiess at [e-mail] or visit LauraWiess.com for more information.

Reviews for Leftovers

[ariana723 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book can only be described as one word: intense. I couldn't bare to put it down and at the same time I couldn't seem to wrap my head around exactly what was going on. The story goes way past the point of view of two innocent girls, it shows a perspective of what exactly is going on in the current society (even though it's a book from 2008) on what is going on to the teenage girls of this generation. Of how quickly their innocence is stolen and how they try to hold on to some of their childhood memories.

[howifeelaboutbooks · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An honest story of two girls growing up too fast, starting in middle school and following them into their first year of high school. The point of view is unique - Blair and Ardith take turns telling the backstory to an unnamed (for a time, anyway) audience. The story builds up layer by layer. It's fairly easy to guess what happens at each climax, but that doesn't make the read any less interesting. I was expecting a more dramatic ending since the blurb says the girls commit an "unforgivable act," but I suppose that can be subjective, and I'm used to reading more shocking, disturbing things. It's a YA book so it can't be too over-the-top dramatic. Overall, I really enjoyed the honest emotions and well-done writing.

[periwinklejane_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Depressing but realistic. I didn't expect the ending, though it was foreshadowed the whole way through. Lovely writing.

[caroline_mlis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This story is so heartbreaking. The stories of abuse, neglect, and rape are so visceral. In the end, the reader completely understands why the two best friends were driven to such extreme measures. The writing is unapologetic and quite riveting.

[kissmeimgone · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A haunting, yet mesmerizing read. Written in a totally different style than I've ever read before, once I picked up this book, it was hard to put down. A story about the struggles girls going through the teenage years all experience in one form or another. I'd recommend this book to anyone.

[porchsitter55 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An excellent portrayal of two teen girls from dysfunctional families and their lost innocence. After different forms of abuse by their respective families, the girls find a way, at last, to turn the tables and create their own form of "justice". I would recommend this book to young adults as well as adults.

[writestuff_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Leftovers is the story of two teenage girls - Blair and Ardith - who are mostly social outcasts and have only each other to lean on.Blair’s mother is a rising star defense attorney who has traded her family for the career she wants. Blair’s father is having a not so subtle affair with his secretary. Both parents have seemingly ripped up their parent cards to pursue their own needs while emotionally abandoning Blair - a soft-spoken 14 year old who loves animals.Ardith’s family comes from a different social strata. Her parents are alcoholics who allow her brother to rule the house along with his sexually aggressive friends. Ardith’s father gropes the young girls and makes inappropriate jokes, while his wife stands by and blames the girls for dressing provocatively. It’s no wonder we find Ardith bolting her bedroom door at night.The novel opens by suggesting something horrible has happened. The girls are telling their stories, from the beginning, to an unnamed person in a hospital bed. They reveal their sadness, anger, fear and show the reader what brought them together as the story builds to its conclusion.This book is written for young adults, and I can see how it would appeal to that age bracket. Weiss seems to understand teenage angst and emotion well, and both Blair and Ardith’s voices are real. Despite this, the novel is overwritten at times. The dysfunction in the story feels over-the-top and not always believable. And when the end finally comes, it underwhelmed me.Credit should be given to Weiss for tackling issues relevent to young adults and exposing the double standards which effect young girls. The difficult topics of sex, underage drinking, smoking, and sexual identity are all explored in this slim novel. This is a book which would stimulate great discussion between parents and teens.

[mmsclteens · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Two teen girls who have been used and abused by the boys and adults in their lives fight back, using the only weapons they have.

[elizabethews · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Odd writing style, but a unique book. An interesting story of how a bond between 2 friends can be stronger than any other - including family.