Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Leaving Paradise.

By Simone Elkeles
Pages 25-1
Popular Fiction

Leaving Paradise is a story of two troubled teenagers living in the shadow of the same problem. One night changed Maggie Armstrong and Caleb Becher encounter a night that will change both their lives forever.

When begginning the story, it starts off with Caleb Becher. He is getting released from the Illinois Department of Corrections Juvenile complex where he has spent the last year of his life. He plead gulity to a hit and run accident while driving drunk. A hit and run accident with Maggie Armstrong; his next door neighbor and twin sister's bestfriend since he could remember.

He is sent to be evaulated. A woman wearing glasses and a "stern" look on her face orders him to sit down as the questioning begins. All Caleb can respond with is how sorry he is and how ready he is to go home. After the process is over, Caleb returns to the lonely chair in the hall as he waits for the verdict. Finally, a half hour later, Becher is told he will be released if and only if he agrees to commit to a hundred and fifty hours of community service. An extra downfall being he cannot choose his community service, Damon, his probabtion officer, will do the honors. Of course Caleb argees and is told to be ready to leave by tomorrow morning. WIth excitment in his heart he makes his way back to his cell and prepares to return to his hometown Paradise. To return to the dwelling cloud of his mistakes.

Caleb has spent the last year in a correction facility while Maggie has spent the last year in and out of hospitals. Maggie Armstrong has been close with Leah Becher and the Becher family since she was a young girl. She's spent sleepovers and birthday parties with them. Almost as though a second family. But that all changed in a matter of minutes.

Maggie's section begins with her at physical therapy. It describes vividly the pain she has gone through and the scares she has on her leg and body to remind her everyday of what has happened. The one thing she looks forward to is going to Spain to study. She cannot wait to leave Paradise, leave the rumors and talking student body, and to leave behind the accident. She jokes around with the therapist about how metal detecters and scanners will have a field day with her. Sadly, inside she's breaking. She looks at her scars and feels ashamed. She does all she can to hide them and doesn't understand why her pain is continued at the level it is.

She realizes she will be returning to school soon and does all she can to hide the limp. To hide her emotions. And to hide what happened. Little does she know, Caleb, the boy who ruined her, is making his way back home.

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