CHAPTER ONE Sue Alderson. Markham, ON: Overlea House, 1989. 144pp., paper, $4.95. ISBN 0-7172-2584-4. cloth, $15.95. ISBN 0-7172-2583-6. CIP. Grades 5 and up / Ages 10 and up Reviewed by B. Henley-Hodgson. Volume 17 Number 3 1989 May Chapter One is written in the third person through the eyes of Beth, a grade 8 student. In her eyes, the world at the present is not a great place. How could anyone who has had her room taken over by a blind and confused Grandma be thrilled? In many ways, Beth is a typical young adult. Her dad has "split" and is "living it up" in another city; she and her mother live together. Readers are offered a glimpse of her life at a particularly impressionable stage and are pleased and not surprised by the character development she has made by the end of the novel. The novel is a superb one for many reasons, the first being the treatment of such themes as the elderly, peer pressure, parent / child relationships, and even, to a small extent, child abuse victims. Although this sounds like too much to pack into a short novel for teenage reading, it is not. Alderson offers just enough to pique interest and provide content for a solid basis for discussion. I would highly recommend this novel. It is interesting and easy to read, as well as current in subject matter. Because of this, it will be a popular novel for its age group. B. Henley-Hodgson, Brantford C.l. & V.S., Brantford, ON.